Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / The effective transfer and creation of knowledge is a key competitive advantage in the knowledge-based society within which we find ourselves. To create this competitive advantage, organisations have to excel at creating and acquiring new knowledge as well as at sharing and mobilising that knowledge throughout the organisation’s network. The literature review in this report shows that teams will be more successful in creating new business if they are able to create dense networks within teams and collaborate with different internal and external stakeholders. It also shows that unless knowledge is pushed efficiently through the organisation’s network, it will run the risk of succumbing to competitors that rapidly replicate its ideas or, even worse, it be unable to continue innovating. Acsis Limited is a knowledge-intensive investment firm in South Africa. Its advice-based value proposition and partnership-based business model have created a distinct competitive advantage in a highly competitive industry. A result of this competitive advantage has been the creation of a highly tacit knowledge base which has to be leveraged effectively through its internal and external network to continue innovating and growing the business. The Acsis executive committee have expressed a number of concerns related to the availability of the appropriate knowledge to the appropriate functions and individuals in the organisation. They have also expressed a concern around the sharing of knowledge and collaboration of specific functions and groups of management. This research report aims to address the concerns of the executive committee by identifying the key components of a knowledge provision strategy for Acsis. To achieve this objective, the study examines and explains the utilisation and effectiveness of the knowledge sources currently utilised in the provision of knowledge in Acsis. The study also assesses the knowledge flow in the organisation and identifies individuals who are the most prolific knowledge sources in providing knowledge. The report delivers a number of robust findings related to the provision of knowledge in Acsis. These findings are utilised as the basis from which to recommend an overarching strategic objective for knowledge provision in Acsis as well as the required components of a knowledge provision strategy. It is supported by a list of recommended management actions for each component of the strategy. By answering the research question successfully, Acsis is provided with a clear knowledge provision strategy, comprising of seven components and a list of recommended management actions that could be implemented in the organisation. Further to this, the executive committee is made aware of critical knowledge gaps in their organisation as well as key strengths of their current knowledge provision practices. This will enable Acsis to harness their knowledge, and thus their power, effectively to remain ahead of the curve in a highly competitive industry.

Den här kvalitativa studiens syfte var att öka kunskapen om och isåfall hur samspelet mellan medarbetare och ledare kunde utveckla medarbetares tysta kunskap. Studien utgick ifrån frågeställningen hur anställda upplevde att ledare påverkade samt stöttade lärandeprocesser av tyst kunskap. För att uppnå studiens syfte valdes att göra djupgående semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra anställda i olika yrkesroller från fyra skilda verksamheter. Intervjuerna genomfördes face to face med stöd av en mind map som gav utrymme för följdfrågor för att få fram så reliabla svar som möjligt. Materialet analyserades för att kunna tolka respondenternas beskrivningar som påvisade upplevelser av att ledarna påverkade samt stöttade lärandeprocesserna av tyst kunskap inom fem teman; arbetslagets uppbyggnad, dialog och reflektion, konkreta aktiviteter, yrkesroll och begreppsbildning samt autonomi och utrymme att ta initiativ. Tillsammans bildade de en helhet som gav en bild av hur upplevelsen av stöd och påverkan för lärandeprocessen av tyst kunskap tog plats på deltagarnas arbetsplatser. / This qualitative study’s purpose was to increase the knowledge of and if so how the interaction between employees and managers could develop employees' tacit knowledge. The study was based on the question of how the employees experienced that leaders influenced and supported the learning processes of tacit knowledge. In order to achieve the objectives of the study profund semi-structured interviews were carried out with four employees with different job roles from four different companies. The interviews were conducted face to face with the support of a mind map with room for follow-up questions to obtain as reliable answers as possible. The analysis showed that the participants experienced that the leaders influenced and supported the learning processes of tacit knowledge within the five themes; work team building, dialogue and reflection, concrete activites, work role and concept formation and autonomy and also room to take initiative. Together they formed a whole which created a picture of the experience of support and influence on the learning process of tacit knowledge at their workplaces.

<p>The necessity of managing the tacit knowledge sharing is becoming more significant because of the upcoming demographic changes facing companies all over the industrialized part of the world. The so called baby boomers born in the middle part of the 20th century will soon reach the retirement age and this is anticipated to create an extensive loss of knowledge. In light of that, companies face a dilemma when over bridging the knowledge gap between their more experienced senior employees who have accumulated plenty of knowledge and the novel ones. It opens the discussion concerning how to “capture” that knowledge since it is the competitive advantage in the contemporary world. This is particularly sensible for knowledge-based firms which are the main focus of this study.</p><p>Scholars have developed different approaches of the knowledge sharing phenomenon, but still there is a lack of understanding regarding how this abstract process should be supported in a daily basis. This work investigates the factors that aid or hinder the knowledge process within consulting firms as a prerequisite to reach a greater awareness of the particular setting that will foster the sharing. Supported by a theoretical background, this was accomplished by following a systems approach, favoring qualitative methods. The empirical data was collected using semistructured qualitative interviews within the headquarter offices of Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Stockholm, Sweden.</p><p>The exploratory results suggest that by converging specific aspects, consulting firms can overcome the most common barriers when sharing knowledge transfer. Furthermore, it is pointed out the positive conditions a firm has to develop as well as Theoretical and Managerial implications.</p>

The thesis is focused on developing a set of work standards or framework to the company, Isaberg Rapid which has changed its parent company and because of it lost many of its experienced employees. Subsequently a lot of implicit knowledge is lost along with the employees, which later became evident when challenges recurred in production. The aim of the research project is to create a proof methodology to avoid this loss by storing this tacit knowledge for any references, even if the employees involved with the product are lost.

This research report describes the learning histories of computer assistants and expert assessment practice. This takes place in a workplace where computer training, specifically the fixing of hardware (CPU) occurs. It is hoped that the evidence collected might contribute towards the recognition and understanding of tacit assessment on the National Qualifications Framework, (NQF). In uncovering these learning histories and expert assessment practices, a component of ethnography which involves case history interviews and discussions was used. The theoretical framework used was situated learning theory and the legitimate peripheral participation of the computer assistants. This framework is itself embedded in the theory of constructivism. Case histories used as a component of ethnography is part of a bigger ethnographic project developed by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). This particular study will contribute along with other projects in the University of Witwatersrand research group, to make up a full ethnographic account of learning and assessment in the workplace.

Este trabalho possui como objeto de estudo a gestão de conhecimento dentro das firmas de Serviços Empresariais Intensivos em Conhecimento ou KIBS (Knowledge- Intensive Business Services), empresas especializadas que fornecem serviços para outras firmas ou organizações. Serviços de TI, serviços de P&D, consultoria técnica, consultoria legal, consultoria financeira e consultoria gerencial são típicas empresas KIBS. Dado o grau de especialização dessas empresas, a gestão de conhecimento passa a afetar uma parcela importante do desenvolvimento de suas atividades, bem como as ferramentas ou mecanismos estabelecidos para gerenciar as práticas relativas à criação e transferência do conhecimento. Nota-se, também, que o sistema de gestão de conhecimento nessas empresas se cria e desenvolve de maneira distinta da que ocorre em outras organizações. Portanto, buscou-se entender como as organizações KIBS gerenciam seu conhecimento, em especial a experiência (na forma de conhecimento tácito), investigando os mecanismos que se estabelecem para tal fim; e como a memória organizacional e os processos de socialização específicos são criados e desenvolvidos no interior dessas organizações, tendo como objetivo entender como os Sistemas de Gestão de Conhecimento evoluem através do relacionamento entre esses processos. A metodologia de pesquisa utilizada é qualitativa. Ela foi realizada por meio de um estudo de casos múltiplos em três empresas KIBS. Para tanto, um modelo teórico foi formulado e, posteriormente, avaliado na fase de pesquisa de campo. As observações finais demonstram que o papel dos especialistas dentro das empresas KIBS é fundamental para a evolução do seu Sistema de Gestão de Conhecimento e que os processos de socialização favorecem ou diminuem suas possibilidades de fornecer requisitos de desenvolvimento. / This paper focuses on the study of knowledge management at KIBS (Knowledge- Intensive Business Services), expert companies that provide services to other companies and organizations. IT and P&D service, technical consultancy, law consultancy, financial and management consultancy are all typical KIBS. Given the level of specialization of these firms, management knowledge may play an important part in the development of their activities, as well as the tools, and mechanisms established for managing practices related to the creation and transfer of knowledge. It was noticed in these firms that knowledge management systems (KMS) have been created and developed in a way different from that in other organizations. Consequently, there has been an effort to understand how KIBS firms manage their knowledge, basically expertise in the form of tacit knowledge, by looking into the mechanisms established for that purpose. Additionally, we intend to analyze the creation and development of organizational memory (OM) and particular socialization processes inside these organizations, so that we can learn how KMS evolve through the relationship of such processes. A qualitative research methodology was applied in this project. It was carried out by a multiple case study involving three different KIBS firms. In order to achieve that aim, a theoretic model was devised and forward assessed at the fieldwork stage. Our final observations have proved the essential role experts play inside KIBS firms for the progress of KMS. Likewise, it was found that socialization processes can either increase or reduce the possibilities of supplying development requirements.

Este trabalho possui como objeto de estudo a gestão de conhecimento dentro das firmas de Serviços Empresariais Intensivos em Conhecimento ou KIBS (Knowledge- Intensive Business Services), empresas especializadas que fornecem serviços para outras firmas ou organizações. Serviços de TI, serviços de P&D, consultoria técnica, consultoria legal, consultoria financeira e consultoria gerencial são típicas empresas KIBS. Dado o grau de especialização dessas empresas, a gestão de conhecimento passa a afetar uma parcela importante do desenvolvimento de suas atividades, bem como as ferramentas ou mecanismos estabelecidos para gerenciar as práticas relativas à criação e transferência do conhecimento. Nota-se, também, que o sistema de gestão de conhecimento nessas empresas se cria e desenvolve de maneira distinta da que ocorre em outras organizações. Portanto, buscou-se entender como as organizações KIBS gerenciam seu conhecimento, em especial a experiência (na forma de conhecimento tácito), investigando os mecanismos que se estabelecem para tal fim; e como a memória organizacional e os processos de socialização específicos são criados e desenvolvidos no interior dessas organizações, tendo como objetivo entender como os Sistemas de Gestão de Conhecimento evoluem através do relacionamento entre esses processos. A metodologia de pesquisa utilizada é qualitativa. Ela foi realizada por meio de um estudo de casos múltiplos em três empresas KIBS. Para tanto, um modelo teórico foi formulado e, posteriormente, avaliado na fase de pesquisa de campo. As observações finais demonstram que o papel dos especialistas dentro das empresas KIBS é fundamental para a evolução do seu Sistema de Gestão de Conhecimento e que os processos de socialização favorecem ou diminuem suas possibilidades de fornecer requisitos de desenvolvimento. / This paper focuses on the study of knowledge management at KIBS (Knowledge- Intensive Business Services), expert companies that provide services to other companies and organizations. IT and P&D service, technical consultancy, law consultancy, financial and management consultancy are all typical KIBS. Given the level of specialization of these firms, management knowledge may play an important part in the development of their activities, as well as the tools, and mechanisms established for managing practices related to the creation and transfer of knowledge. It was noticed in these firms that knowledge management systems (KMS) have been created and developed in a way different from that in other organizations. Consequently, there has been an effort to understand how KIBS firms manage their knowledge, basically expertise in the form of tacit knowledge, by looking into the mechanisms established for that purpose. Additionally, we intend to analyze the creation and development of organizational memory (OM) and particular socialization processes inside these organizations, so that we can learn how KMS evolve through the relationship of such processes. A qualitative research methodology was applied in this project. It was carried out by a multiple case study involving three different KIBS firms. In order to achieve that aim, a theoretic model was devised and forward assessed at the fieldwork stage. Our final observations have proved the essential role experts play inside KIBS firms for the progress of KMS. Likewise, it was found that socialization processes can either increase or reduce the possibilities of supplying development requirements.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:11:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Raquel Goncalves Dantas.pdf: 1605532 bytes, checksum: d0d6cf2f4e58c6a44526f2ce06f2a4a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-09-12 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / It is not a novelty that the body is a target to spotlights of researchers such within academy as in art sphere. For the study of this topic, it will be necessary to resort to the construction process and to the transformations that this human interface called body passed through the fifties, mainly in the artistic universe and in the reconstitution of the subject facing new paradigms. A special attention will be given to legitimating tacit knowledge, developed by Michael Pollanyi. Artistic experience provides to the man a way of knowing proper from the sensitive order. Human cognition is activated through mechanisms which escape from usual. This, without a question, alters cultural processes, as well as new possibilities of cognitive connections in human body. The legitimacy of other ways of knowledge through body sensitivity brings a new perspective to communication understanding. A new concept emerges in the beginning of this century: the Bodymedia Theory of Katz & Greiner. From this point, I question the ways of communication which happen within artistic experiences and what they have provoked in human body induced by many factors which are rulers of the current cultural and psychosocial process, among them, the new technologies. How is human Unwelt dilated and activated by artistic experience, based or not in technology? More specifically: how is human cognition altered by the complex exercise of an artistic experience? Starting with this problem, I will use the work of Milena Travassos, Sala de Jejum, as case study to build a structure for my research based upon the following hypothesis: human cognition is developed by a co-evolutive process related to human environment and technology offers a way of extrasomatisation relying on the body senses which accelerates such process, dilating the Unwelt of our specie. It will be present in this work the philosophical discussion of Jorge Vieira on the General Systems Theory. Giorgio Agambem will be present with the profanation concept. Intertwining with the discussion on the communication field, Jesús Martín Barbero, Nestór Garcia Canclini, Marshall McLuhan, Boaventura Sousa Santos will appear, as well as Walter Benjamin, author base to the studies of the visual artist analyzed. To discuss cognitive processes and the emerging of a new cultural communication, Muniz Sodré, Edward Hutchins, Helena Katz, Mark Johnson, Richard Sennet, António Damásio, among others / Não é de hoje que o corpo é alvo dos holofotes de pesquisadores tanto na academia quanto na esfera da arte. Para o estudo do tema, será necessário recorrer ao processo de construção e às transformações que esta interface humana, chamada corpo, passou a partir dos anos 50, principalmente no universo artístico e na reconstituição do sujeito diante de novos paradigmas. Uma atenção especial será dada à legitimação do conhecimento tácito, desenvolvido por Michael Pollanyi. A experiência artística proporciona ao homem um modo de conhecer da ordem do sensível. A cognição humana é ativada através de mecanismos que fogem do habitual. Isto, sem dúvida, altera os processos culturais no entorno, assim como abre novas possibilidades de conexões cognitivas no corpo humano. A legitimação de outras formas de conhecimento por intermédio da sensibilidade do corpo traz uma nova perspectiva na compreensão da comunicação. Um novo conceito aponta nesse início de século: a Teoria Corpomídia, de Katz & Greiner. A partir daí, questiono as formas de comunicação que acontecem nas experiências artísticas e o que elas têm provocado no corpo humano induzidos pelos vários fatores que regem o atual processo cultural e psicossocial, dentre eles, as novas tecnologias. Como a Umwelt humana é dilatada e ativada pela experiência artística, estando ela apoiada ou não na tecnologia? Mais especificamente: como a cognição humana é alterada pelo exercício complexo de uma experiência artística? A partir desse problema, usarei o trabalho de Milena Travassos, Sala de Jejum, como estudo de caso para estruturar minha pesquisa baseada na seguinte hipótese: a cognição humana desenvolve-se por um processo co-evolutivo em relação ao ambiente humano e a tecnologia fornece uma forma de extrasomatização apoiada nos sentidos do corpo que acelera esse processo, dilatando a Umwelt da nossa espécie. Estará presente neste trabalho a discussão filosófica de Jorge Vieira sobre a Teoria Geral dos Sistemas. Giorgio Agambem entrará na pesquisa com o conceito de profanação. Na base da discussão sobre os caminhos traçados pela comunicação, Jesús Martín Barbero, Nestór Garcia Canclini, Marshall McLuhan, Boaventura Sousa Santos aparecerão, assim como Walter Benjamin, autor base para os estudos da artista visual analisada. Para discutir os processos cognitivos e o surgimento de uma nova comunicação cultural, Muniz Sodré, Edward Hutchins, Helena Katz, Mark Johnson, Richard Sennet, António Damásio dentre outros

In a society where knowledge is more and more valuable, every moment that knowledge can be shared between colleagues is of great importance. According to our earlier personal experiences, we thought that organizations prioritised explicit knowledge and not tacit knowledge.  To contribute to knowledge on the subject we choose to do a study where we focused on the experiences of coworkers that works in shops. The purpose of the study then became: “to investigate how tacit knowledge is made use of in shops from the perspective of coworkers”. With the purpose in mind, we created two questions: “How does the coworkers of shops perceive that tacit knowledge occurs on their workplace?” and “how does coworkers perceive that they share their tacit knowledge”?  The study is made with a qualitative approach the collection of data has been made through seven semistructured interviews with coworkers. When we analyzed the empiric material, we’ve analyzed it through the theory of situated learning by Lave and Wenger that is included in the sociocultural perspective. Some things that the result showed according to our interpretation was observation and social interactions with other colleagues is the most common way that tacit knowledge can be shared through on the respondent’s workplaces, that the organizations do have a plan to make use of the explicit knowledge in greater extent than tacit knowledge, the respondents views trust as an important factor when it comes to sharing their tacit knowledge. / I ett samhälle där kunskap blir mer och mer värdefullt är vartenda tillfälle där kunskap kan delas mellan kollegor av stor vikt. Våra personliga uppfattningar är att organisationer prioriterar formell kunskap som kan förmedlas i ord och skrift och inte den tysta kunskapen.  För att bidra med kunskap i ämnet valde vi att göra en studie där vi fokuserar på medarbetare som arbetar i butik för att ta reda på deras uppfattningar. Syftet blev då: “att undersöka hur tyst kunskap tas tillvara på inom detaljhandeln utifrån medarbetares perspektiv”. Utifrån syftet skapade vi de två frågeställningarna: ”Hur uppfattar butiksmedarbetare att tyst kunskap förekommer på deras arbetsplats?” och ”Hur upplever medarbetare att de delar sin tysta kunskap?  Studien har gjorts med kvalitativ ansats och datainsamlingen har skett genom sju stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med medarbetare. När vi analyserat det empiriska materialet har vi gjort det ur teorin situerat lärande av Lave och Wenger som ingår i det sociokulturella perspektivet. Några saker som resultatet visar enligt vår tolkning är att: observation och socialt samspel med andra kollegor är de vanligaste sätten som tyst kunskap delas på respondenternas arbetsplatser, att organisationerna har en plan för att ta tillvara på explicit kunskap i högre utsträckning än tyst kunskap samt att respondenterna ser tillit som en viktig faktor när de ska dela sin tysta kunskap.

Baby boomer employees who leave the workplace without sharing tacit knowledge create a knowledge gap within the organization. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies local government leaders use to retain tacit knowledge of baby boomer employees. Six government leaders who worked in the Midwest United States participated in the study and shared their experiences and perceptions. Building upon systems theory, transformational leadership theory, and knowledge management theory, research was conducted to identify strategies to retain tacit knowledge from retiring baby boomers. Physical artifacts and participant interview data were collected and analyzed using traditional text analysis. Adjoining terms were highlighted and clusters of repeated and related words were coded into themes. Three themes emerged: (a) mentoring, (b) generational differences, and (c) lack of structured systems. Mentoring was the most critical strategy leaders used to retain tacit knowledge from baby boomer employees. Acquiring collaborative leaders who foster a knowledge-sharing environment, create a structured system for retaining knowledge, and encourage communication between multigenerational teams remained imperative to retain tacit knowledge. Implications for positive social change include taking advantage of the human capital and resources the baby boomer population characterized, and educating other government leaders to improve performance within government agencies. Other social change implications include the potential of leaders to train older workers to share tacit knowledge with new workers, and of managers to incorporate strategies to mentor new workers replacing the older workforce.