Vi rör oss mer och mer mot ett kunskapssamhälle. Kunskap är en av de viktigaste resurserna för företag och för samhället. Kunskap bidrar starkt till organisationers konkurrenskraft och samhällets utveckling genom innovation. Om kunskapen hanteras korrekt och ändamålsenligt för den med sig konkurrensfördelar. En fördelaktig kunskapshantering innebär att rätt kunskap fångas in, att den förmedlas till rätt person som använder den i syfte att förbättra organisatorisk och/eller individuell prestation. Primärt handlar kunskapsöverföring om att skapa värde genom att föra över kunskap från en individ till en annan.    Den här studien utgår från att kunskap har två dimensioner, en tyst och en explicit. Båda delarna kan innebära konkurrensfördelar men det är bara den tysta delen som innebär hållbara konkurrensfördelar. Detta medför att det finns väldigt mycket att vinna på en korrekt hantering av tyst kunskap. Till sin natur är dock den tysta kunskapen svårfångad och personlig, vilket för med sig betydande utmaningar. En av dessa utmaningar är att verkligen gå på djupet och förstå hela överföringsprocessen. När denna förståelse finns behöver man förstå vilka faktorer som påverkar olika delar av processen och vilken effekt de har. I en granskning av tidigare litteratur framkom att det finns relativt god förståelse för vilka faktorer som påverkar delande och överförande av tyst kunskap, medan det var mer bristfälligt vad gäller förvärvande av tyst kunskap.   Detta arbete har genomförts som en kvalitativ enfallsstudie på en kunskapsintensiv organisation. Studien undersökte anställdas upplevelser kring förvärvande av tyst kunskap. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har använts för att samla in det empiriska underlaget. Respondenterna var ingenjörer inom olika högteknologiska områden. Slutsatserna från studien har nåtts genom en tematisk analys.   Slutsatserna visar att flera av de faktorer som är tillämpbara vid delande av tyst kunskap även gäller vid förvärvande. Från resultatet av denna studie kunde vi konstatera att upplevelsen av de mer strukturella faktorerna: kultur, ledarskap, organisationens strategi, den fysiska och digitala omgivningen samt tidsaspekten påverkar förvärvandet av tyst kunskap. Samtidigt som upplevelsen av de mer individuella faktorerna: somatisk och kulturell kunskap, tillit, sociala nätverk, personlighetsdrag och upplevelsen av den som delar tyst kunskap påverkar förvärvandet av den. Flera av dessa faktorer bekräftades från tidigare forskning gällande delande, förvärvande och överförande av tyst kunskap. Unikt för denna studie var att fokus enbart låg på den part som förvärvar (söker och tar emot) tyst kunskap. Studien nådde också induktiva slutsatser kring faktorerna: personlighetsdrag, fysisk och digital omgivningen samt tidsbristens tvåsidiga effekt.

This research report captures a detailed exposition of an investigation on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in public and private sector entities in three industries (health, education and business loans) of Limpopo province – a proxy of the rural areas of South Africa. The investigation was necessitated by a need to understand KM in organisational context experiencing constraints in terms of resources that enable KM. It was found through an intensive literature review that there were very few empirical studies on KM practices of organisations operating in the rural areas, particularly in Africa. The theoretical framework of the study emanates from the knowledge-based view which has been popularised by the seminal work of Peter Drucker and Nonaka in the early half of the 90s. The knowledge-based view as presented in chapter 2 recognises the strategic role of knowledge in organisations. Its genesis is traced from the theories of classical scholars such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Various empirical studies of entities which have adopted the knowledge-based view are presented in chapter 2 of this report. The researcher observes from an intensive KM literature study that the average modern organisation could be categorised as knowledge-intensive considering that knowledge workers constitute the majority of its workforce. The definitions of a knowledge-based organisation and knowledge workers are presented in the operational definitions of key concepts. Arising from the identified gaps in KM literature as presented towards the end of chapter 2, this study was conducted as a comparative study between public and private sector entities in three research industries focusing on their extent of ICT application and degree of knowledge-oriented social factors for information and knowledge sharing. The investigation was guided by three research objectives as discussed in chapter 1 of this research report. The main purpose of the study was to answer two fundamental research questions as reflected in chapter 1. In answering the two research questions, the researcher identified four research hypotheses in line with the findings established from KM literature. These hypotheses are discussed in chapter 2 of this report.The underlying hypothesised statement guiding the study was to determine whether there were any significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the three research industries in terms of four research constructs. These are: application of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, degree of achievement of knowledge-based outcomes, tacit knowledge acquisition and the degree of knowledge-oriented social factors. Organisational culture, organisational structures, human resource practices and leadership comprised the social factors tested in the study. The research data were collected through a mixed research design approach combining the advantages of a survey instrument and interviews (this is fully reflected in chapter 3 of this research report). The research results (as presented in chapter 4) pointed to some form of significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the education and business loans industry, but there were no significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the health industry. Arising from the findings of the study, a model for improved KM implementation is presented in chapter 4 (figure 4.16). It was found during the investigation that all the research entities approached KM implicitly through KM related practices. KM related practices were found to be far more entrenched in the health industry (both public and private sector entities), the private sector entities in the education and business loans industries than was the case with the public sector entities in the education and business loans industries. In the entities where KM related practices were found to be entrenched, there were concerted efforts towards improved organisational processes. The study has managed to unravel the importance of KM related practices in laying the foundation for a formalised KM approach. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

This research report captures a detailed exposition of an investigation on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in public and private sector entities in three industries (health, education and business loans) of Limpopo province – a proxy of the rural areas of South Africa. The investigation was necessitated by a need to understand KM in organisational context experiencing constraints in terms of resources that enable KM. It was found through an intensive literature review that there were very few empirical studies on KM practices of organisations operating in the rural areas, particularly in Africa. The theoretical framework of the study emanates from the knowledge-based view which has been popularised by the seminal work of Peter Drucker and Nonaka in the early half of the 90s. The knowledge-based view as presented in chapter 2 recognises the strategic role of knowledge in organisations. Its genesis is traced from the theories of classical scholars such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Various empirical studies of entities which have adopted the knowledge-based view are presented in chapter 2 of this report. The researcher observes from an intensive KM literature study that the average modern organisation could be categorised as knowledge-intensive considering that knowledge workers constitute the majority of its workforce. The definitions of a knowledge-based organisation and knowledge workers are presented in the operational definitions of key concepts. Arising from the identified gaps in KM literature as presented towards the end of chapter 2, this study was conducted as a comparative study between public and private sector entities in three research industries focusing on their extent of ICT application and degree of knowledge-oriented social factors for information and knowledge sharing. The investigation was guided by three research objectives as discussed in chapter 1 of this research report. The main purpose of the study was to answer two fundamental research questions as reflected in chapter 1. In answering the two research questions, the researcher identified four research hypotheses in line with the findings established from KM literature. These hypotheses are discussed in chapter 2 of this report.The underlying hypothesised statement guiding the study was to determine whether there were any significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the three research industries in terms of four research constructs. These are: application of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, degree of achievement of knowledge-based outcomes, tacit knowledge acquisition and the degree of knowledge-oriented social factors. Organisational culture, organisational structures, human resource practices and leadership comprised the social factors tested in the study. The research data were collected through a mixed research design approach combining the advantages of a survey instrument and interviews (this is fully reflected in chapter 3 of this research report). The research results (as presented in chapter 4) pointed to some form of significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the education and business loans industry, but there were no significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the health industry. Arising from the findings of the study, a model for improved KM implementation is presented in chapter 4 (figure 4.16). It was found during the investigation that all the research entities approached KM implicitly through KM related practices. KM related practices were found to be far more entrenched in the health industry (both public and private sector entities), the private sector entities in the education and business loans industries than was the case with the public sector entities in the education and business loans industries. In the entities where KM related practices were found to be entrenched, there were concerted efforts towards improved organisational processes. The study has managed to unravel the importance of KM related practices in laying the foundation for a formalised KM approach. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.