• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 91
  • 43
  • 2
  • 2
  • Tagged with
  • 140
  • 140
  • 140
  • 139
  • 76
  • 56
  • 39
  • 39
  • 30
  • 27
  • 22
  • 20
  • 20
  • 15
  • 13
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

In search of an applied leadership model for start-up organisations

Serfontein, Louis 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Information Science. Decision Making, Knowledge Dynamics and Values))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The topic here is leadership in the start-up organisation. It has become important for both economic and political reasons that more people successfully start new ventures. Literature on leadership and entrepreneurship traditionally focus disproportionately on existing businesses and topics such as organisational change. Not enough conclusive material exists about what type of entrepreneurial leadership behaviour is required to start an organisation, either as a new business or as a Greenfield operation in an existing organisation. The hypothesis in this study is that certain types of leadership traits and behaviours are required to successfully start a new organisation. The study sets out to determine what these traits and behaviours are. An attempt is made to prioritise or weight these against each other to provide a model or guide for the new entrepreneur. This model is tested against existing leadership theories as well as popular management models. A discussion on its applicability in South Africa concludes the study.
2

Human rights in Africa : will the African renaissance strengthen the international normative order?

Pienaar, Gary 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Presidency has played a significant part in championing the African Renaissance vision. Elements of the vision attracting most attention are its supposed recognition of the importance to continental revival of peace, stability and 'good governance' (including respect for the rule oflaw and fundamental human rights). The question is whether the vision is able to live up to the hope that it signals new respect by the governors for the human rights of the governed. The fear has been expressed that the continent's Renaissance is being crippled in its infancy by an excessively cautious South African interpretation of the vision, particularly in regard to human rights issues. Ex-President Nelson Mandela has urged that, while governments should be mindful of the high ideals of human rights, they should be conscious also of a democratic realism that surrounds the issue. Neglect of human rights is the certain recipe for internal and international disaster. Mandela has called for a "more comprehensive international policy of 'democratic realism' to replace the traditional concept of 'realism'''. The policy suggests the protection of diversity both within and between states. Consequently, consideration is given to options for the promotion, deepening and defence of 'democracy' as a reliable bulwark against the abuse of human rights. Foremost among the options considered is armed humanitarian intervention, including its possible purposes and effects and, particularly, the reliability and durability of its outcomes. John Stuart Mill's arguments are examined concerning the vital necessity of domestic readiness to best utilise any assistance arising from external intervention. If Mill's thesis is correct, then President Thabo Mbeki' s approach may be the most appropriate in the circumstances. Devising agreed policies on intervention in African countries where human rights abuses are intensifying continues to face significant political resistance based on the prioritisation of the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. Mbeki clearly understands African leaders' caution regarding human rights promotion and protection. National sovereignty is difficult to surrender in a world of weak allies and strong competitors, which ensure continued state resistance to foreign guidance on democracy and human rights. South African foreign policy suggests a sober reckoning of the complexity and duration of the task of turning around the continental ship. South African foreign policy, initially idealistically seen as occupying the 'moral high ground' following the 'democratic miracle' of 1994, is now more firmly rooted in a 'realist' understanding of the primary need for committed and dependable allies, and sensitive to allegations of hegemonic aspirations. Mbeki, consequently, follows a non-confrontational consensus-building process, ensuring that as many African leaders as possible 'buy in' to the vision and its programme of implementation. He focuses instead on 'educating' and 'encouraging' domestic populations to object to current experiences of forms of rights deprivation. While time-consuming, it may at least produce a solidly grounded policy approach to the amelioration of the continent's ills.
3

Patterns in the knowledge management discourse : an analysis of selected knowledge management theorists

Bester, Emily Anna 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Knowledge management is a fragmented and ambiguous management practice. This is evident from the plethora of definitions available for this field. The premise of this study is that different discourse patterns in knowledge management also contribute to the ambiguity. Four theoretical lenses describe the typical discourses that are associated with the formation of management practices, namely management innovation, umbrella construction, management fashion cycles and institutionalisation of management practice. The following propositions are indicative of the types of discourses involved – the rationale, business outcome, management niche, solution definitions and the means provided for the enactment of the practice. The discourses of seven proponents were analysed according to the above, viz. Verna Allee, Nancy Dixon, Leif Edvinsson, Ikujiro Nonaka, Laurence Prusak, David Snowden and Mathieu Weggeman. Three main patterns were identified based on the manner in which the discourses associated with the four theoretical lenses manifest in the analysed discourses. These patterns represent three different conceptualisations of knowledge management, namely - (i) Knowledge management as a meta-practice framework: the focus is on the assimilation and synthesis of the various knowledge-based practices that are part of other management practices (such as quality management), or practices that originate from fluid initiatives in organisations (e.g. the role of the librarian transforming to become a information broker), or practices that are defined through systematic experimentation (such as the potential of social media for intelligence analysis). (ii) Knowledge management as a platform and catalyst for systemic management innovation: the quest is to define new approaches that are appropriate to manage organisations as complex knowledge-based systems. These approaches should supersede management practices still rooted in Newtonian or mechanistic thinking. Knowledge management is regarded to be a revolutionary practice that proposes, conceptualises and diffuses such new approaches, e.g. value network management (Verna Allee) and the Cynefin framework (David Snowden). (iii) Knowledge management as a master idea or master narrative: this knowledge management discourse is about the theorisation of novel structural arrangements that emerge in organisations as a response to the new requirements of a knowledge-driven economy. This theorisation influences the thinking, premises and practices of various management fields, such as strategic planning, human resource management and organisational design. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kennisbestuur is ‘n gefragmenteerde en dubbelsinnige bestuurspraktyk. Dit is duidelik uit die menigvuldige definisies wat voorgehou word vir die veld. Die uitgangspunt van hierdie studie is dat verskillende diskoerspatrone in kennisbestuur ook tot die dubbelsinnigheid bydra. Vier teoretiese lense beskryf die tipiese diskoerse wat geassosieer word met die vorming van bestuurspraktyke, naamlik bestuursinnovasie, sambreelkonstruksies, bestuursmodesiklusse en die institutionalisering van bestuurspraktyke. Die volgende aspekte is ‘n aanduiding van die tipes diskoerse betrokke – die rasionaal, besigheidsuitkoms, bestuursnis, die definisie van die oplossing en die middele wat vir die implementering van die praktyke verskaf word. Die diskoerse van sewe voorstaanders is geanaliseer aan die hand van bogenoemde, naamlik Verna Allee, Nancy Dixon, Leif Edvinsson, Ikujiro Nonaka, David Snowden en Matthieu Weggeman. Drie hoofpatrone is geidentifiseer, gebaseer op die analise van die wyse waarin die vier teoretiese lense in die geselekteerde diskoerse manifesteer. Hierdie patrone verteenwoordig drie verskillende konsepsualiserings van kennisbestuur, naamlik - (i) Kennisbestuur as ‘n meta-praktykraamwerk: die fokus is op die assimilasie en sintese van die verskillende kennisgebaseerde praktyke wat deel is van ander bestuurspraktyke (soos kwaliteitsbestuur), of praktyke wat ontwikkel uit vloeibare inisiatiewe in organisasies (bv. die rol van die bibliotekaris wat transformeer na die van ‘n informasiemakelaar), of die definisie van nuwe praktyke aan die hand van sistematiese eksperimentering (soos die potensiaal van sosiale media vir intelligensie analise). (ii) Kennisbestuur as ‘n platform en katalisator vir sistemiese bestuursinnovasie: die strewe is om nuwe benaderings te definieer wat toepaslik is vir die bestuur van organisasies as komplekse kennis-gebaseerde stelsels. Hierdie benaderings moet bestuurspraktyke wat gewortel is in Newtoniaanse of meganistiese denke vervang. Kennisbestuur word beskou as ‘n revolusionêre praktyk wat nuwe benaderings voorstel, konsepsualiseer en versprei, soos Value Network Management (Verna Allee) en die Cynefin-raamwerk (David Snowden). (iii) Kennisbestuur as ‘n meesteridee of meesternarratief: hierdie kennisbestuurdiskoers omvat die teoretisering van nuwe strukturele reëlings wat, as ‘n reaksie op die nuwe vereistes wat ‘n kennisgedrewe ekonomie stel, in organisasies na vore kom. Hierdie teoretisering beïnvloed die denke, begronding en praktyke van verskeie bestuursvelde, soos strategiese beplanning, menslike hulpbronbestuur en organisasie-ontwerp.
4

Incongruence and enactment in information systems : a sensemaking analysis

Le Roux, Daniel Bartholomeus 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the six decades since organisations rst adopted computer machinery to support their operations this form of technology has undergone rapid evolution. This evolution is characterised by both the advancement of the machines themselves and the expansion of their application in the organisational domain through the development of increasingly advanced software. A particularly in uential development for large enterprises has been the introduction of computerised Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) and the popularisation of proprietary ERP packages. By integrating the feature sets of an increasingly wide range of business software applications ERPs enable organisations to satisfy a large part of their information processing requirements by adopting a single software artefact. This approach o ers numerous bene ts to adopters as it ensures the integration of information processing activities across organisational functions. However, the realisation of these bene ts depends upon the organisation's ability to achieve congruence between its own structures and those embedded in proprietary ERP packages. This includes, on one level, the management of the processes of adaptation through which organisational actors become accustomed to a new technology and, on another level, the con guration and alignment of the artefact with the organisation's operating procedures. Despite the popularity of ERP adoption the achievement of congruence in information systems is an illusive ideal for many organisations. Accordingly, many Information Systems (IS) scholars have researched the organisational, technical and social factors which obstruct congruence and the interventions proposed to counter these. A key nding following from these investigations is that, notwithstanding the implementation of countering interventions, organisations often need to continue operations while experiencing some degree of incongruence or mis t in their information systems. The research performed in this study advances knowledge about this phenomenon by investigating the implications of incongruence for the behaviour of users of proprietary ERPs in organisations. Weickean Sensemaking Theory is adopted as conceptual framework to enable the investigation of instances of incongruence as events experienced by users in the context of their work environments. The theory dictates that users, rather than passively adopting the impositions of software artefacts, en- act information systems in unpredictable ways based on subjective and shared processes of sensemaking. An empirical investigation is performed and takes the form of a single, cross-sectional case study in which a variety of data collection techniques are utilised. The data sources are analysed and triangulated to trace the relationship between experiences of incongruence and patterns of information systems enactment among the user community. The ndings of the study reveal that experiences of incongruence cultivate knowledge sharing among a user community, a process which aligns their beliefs about the nature, role and use of a technology in an organisation. Furthermore, experiences of incongruence encourage users to augment designed technologies through the development informal information processing activities and alternative work ows. These forms of behaviour, while resolving users' experiences incongruence, lead to variance between the designed technology and the enacted technology creating various risks for the integrity of the organisation's business processes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die ses dekades sedert organisasies rekenaar masjinerie begin toepas het om hul bedrywighede te ondersteun, het hierdie vorm van tegnologie dramatiese ontwikkeling ondergaan. Hierdie ontwikkeling word gekenmerk deur beide die bevordering van die masjiene self, asook die uitbreiding van hul toepassings in die organisatoriese domein deur die ontwikkeling van meer gevorderde sagteware. 'n Besonder invloedryke ontwikkeling vir groot ondernemings was die bekendstelling van gerekenariseerde Enterprise Resource Plan- ning Systems (ERPs) en die popularisering van kommersiële ERP pakkette. Deur die integrasie van 'n toenemend wye verskeidenheid funksionaliteit stel ERPs organisasies in staat om 'n groot deel van hul inligting verwerking vereistes deur die aanneming van 'n enkele sagteware produk te dek - 'n benadering wat talle voordele bied aangesien dit die integrasie van inligting verwerking tussen organisatoriese funksies verseker. Die verwesenliking van hierdie voordele is egter afhanklik van die organisasie se vermoë om kongruensie tussen sy eie strukture en die van ERP pakkette te bewerkstelling. Dit sluit die bestuur van prosesse waartydens organisatoriese akteurs aanpas by 'n nuwe tegnologie in, asook die kon gurasie van die pakket om belyning met die organisasie se operasionele prosedures te verseker. Ten spyte van die gewildheid van ERPs is die bereiking van kongruensie in inligtingstelsels 'n ontwykende ideaal vir baie organisasies. Gevolglik word die organisatoriese, tegniese en sosiale faktore wat kongruensie belemmer gereeld deur Information Systems (IS) akademici ondersoek. 'n Prominenete bevinding wat uit hierdie navorsing voortspruit is dat organisasies dikwels hul werk moet voortsit ten spyte van inkongruensie in hul inligtingstelsels. In hierdie studie word die bovermelde fenomeen verder ondersoek deur die implikasies van inkongruensie vir die gedrag van gebruikers van kommersiële ERP pakkette te ondersoek. Weick se Sensemaking teorie word toegepas as konseptuele raamwerk om gevalle van inkongruensie as gebeure wat deur gebruikers ervaar word te ondersoek. Die teorie bepaal dat die gebruikers nie bloot rekenaarstelsels aanvaar nie, maar dit op onvoorspelbare maniere enact op grond van subjektiewe en gedeelde prosesse van singewing. 'n Gevallestudie word uitgevoer waarin 'n verskeidenheid data-insamelingstegnieke gebruik word. Die databronne word ontleed en kruisvalidasie word gedoen om die verhouding tussen ervarings van inkongruensie en patrone van gedrag binne inligtingstelsels te beskryf. Die bevindinge van die studie dui daarop dat ervarings van inkongruensie die deel van kennis binne 'n gebruikersgemeenskap tot gevolg het. Hierdie proses belyn gebruikers se verwysingsraamwerke oor die aard, rol en gebruik van 'n tegnologie in 'n organisasie. Verder word bevind dat gebruikers, agv ervarings van inkongruensie, 'n tegnologie uitbrei dmv die ontwikkeling van informele inligting verwerkingstegnieke en alternatiewe werksprosesse. Hierdie gedrag stel gebruikers in staat om inkongruensie te oorkom, maar lei tot variansie tussen die ontwerpte tegnologie en die toepassing daarvan binne die organisasie. Dit hou verskeie risiko's vir die integriteit van die organisasie se besigheidsprosesse in.
5

An evaluation of the information dissemination mechanisms for small scale subsistence farmers

Tire, Mpho 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rural communities depend on the use of natural resources surrounding them for their daily livelihoods. These communities have in the past lived off these resources amid the day-to-day natural threats that pose a threat to their environmental resources. These communities depend on tending the land and rearing livestock to provide for their day-to-day needs. The only period when these communities decide to sell what they have produced is when they have unexpected surpluses that were neither planned for and these are normally sold to derive extra income. Given the total dependence on the use of their natural resources as a means of their survival one would expect this group to be provided with relevant information and be kept abreast of developments in the sector to enable them to produce better and derive surpluses that will generate extra income. This is unfortunately not the prevailing arrangement, very often these communities are left on their own to fend for themselves using knowledge and practical experience that has been gained over the years. In other instances the nature of the information provided is in most cases such that it does not lend itself for easy use by a person who is either semi-literate or illiterate. For those who can read the information it is not always forthcoming or does not deal with the relevant local issues, and lack of supportive infrastructure also adds to the farmers ailing conditions. The kind of agricultural research as well as extension services provided to these farming communities is still lagging behind due to a number of factors, these include: poor interaction with the farmers in an effort to identify and prioritize their needs, high level of illiteracy, insufficient resources, low levels of income and a host of other related problems. Adomi et.al. (2003), in their study on crop farmers’ access to agricultural information in rural areas of Delta State Nigeria, also stress the importance of farmers having access to agricultural information if their agricultural efforts are to succeed. They further emphasize that farmers need to share knowledge and experience with farmers who operate under similar conditions, this will enable them to adapt and replicate experiences learnt from other farmers. Most importantly farmers need to be provided with information on access to credit and information from research institutions. The paper intends to look at challenges facing small-scale farmers in as far as information dissemination is concerned, appropriate techniques that can be applied to overcome these challenges and use lessons that have proved to work for countries operating under similar conditions. It is important to remember that farmers irrespective of their scale of operation, are managers in their own right, they are constantly facing challenges, are forced to make choices and decisions that will determine the future of their farming enterprise in the cut-throat competitive environment. The livelihoods of their families depend on these very decisions. Therefore providing timely, accurate, reliable and user-friendly information at affordable prices is their only hope for survival in the present free- market economy.
6

What did they cover? : a cluster analysis of news stories published in the Botswana Daily News, January – December 2004

Mogotsi, Isaac Carter 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, a cluster analysis of news stories published in the Botswana Daily News during the period January - December 2004 was undertaken. The study was exploratory in nature and sought to find out what topics were predominant during the study period. The approach we adopted can be divided into three phases, namely data collection, document pre-processing, and cluster analysis. The data used in the study was downloaded from the Botswana Daily News website using a simple program developed specifically for that purpose. Document pre-processing was concerned with transforming the raw documents into a format that could be directly operated upon by the various clustering algorithms. The documents themselves were represented using the vector space model, with the tf.idf term weighting scheme. We experimented with three clustering approaches, namely, direct k-way clustering, k-way clustering through repeated bisections, and agglomerative clustering. Agglomerative clustering performed poorly, and we thus discarded its results. Direct k-way clustering and k-way clustering through repeated bisections produced similar results, though the former performed better in terms of external isolation and internal cohesion of the clusters produced. Consequently, we only retained the results from direct k-way clustering, and subsequently performed a quarterly analysis of our corpus using only the direct k-way clustering algorithm. Analysis of the complete corpus identified a number of topics that were prevalent over the study period. Interestingly, a quarterly analysis of the corpus revealed other topics whose prevalence appears to have been limited to certain parts of the year.
7

A comparative analysis of leadership and management at Jwaneng Diamond Mine

Mabhudhu, Mark 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The functions of management and leadership are not new to the business fraternity. Whilst these functions are as pervasive and ubiquitous as the corporate organizations themselves, the same cannot be said of the organizational successes emanating from these functions. These functions have been cited throughout literature as pivotal in the successful running of businesses. By the same token, they have also been cited as the major causes of failed businesses within the corporate landscape. This has been established throughout small and big organizations alike. This unfortunate phenomenon has continued to attract significant academic and business research over the years with an overall intent of establishing why it is the case. Whilst there are varied reasons for the successes and failures of most organizations, the quality of both functions of leadership and management seem to take the larger portion of the praise and/or blame. These functions are regarded as key determinants of organizational success and survival into the future. Subsequently, this has culminated in myriad theories, frameworks and approaches around management and leadership as significantly different functions which yield different results in business organizations. At the core of the debate has been that management and leadership functions are different and depending on whether an organization is managed or led determines its future success and overall sustainability. It is therefore the intention of this study to comparatively analyze both functions of management and leadership in as far as they impact organizational sustainability and success. A case study of Jwaneng Diamond Mine in Botswana is used to do this comparative study of the two functions of management and leadership within the Executive team to try and affirm some of the key factors as alluded to within the business landscape. In this comparative study it is noted that whilst management and leadership are two different functions, they are however symbiotic in nature and successful organizations tap into both functions as they develop and build sustainable businesses for the future. The Jwaneng Mine case study showed that in an executive team, it is vital to have a balance between managers (those who provide management capabilities) and leaders (those that provide leadership) if the organization is to be successful going into the future.
8

A knowledge approach to software testing

Mohamed, Essack 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The effort to achieve quality is the largest component of software cost. Software testing is costly - ranging from 50% to 80% of the cost of producing a first working version. It is resource intensive and an intensely time consuming activity in the overall Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and hence could arguably be the most important phase of the process. Software testing is pervasive. It starts at the initiation of a product with nonexecution type testing and continues to the retirement of the product life cycle beyond the post-implementation phase. Software testing is the currency of quality delivery. To understand testing and to improve testing practice, it is essential to see the software testing process in its broadest terms – as the means by which people, methodology, tools, measurement and leadership are integrated to test a software product. A knowledge approach recognises knowledge management (KM) enablers such as leadership, culture, technology and measurements that act in a dynamic relationship with KM processes, namely, creating, identifying, collecting, adapting, organizing, applying, and sharing. Enabling a knowledge approach is a worthy goal to encourage sharing, blending of experiences, discipline and expertise to achieve improvements in quality and adding value to the software testing process. This research was developed to establish whether specific knowledge such as domain subject matter or business expertise, application or technical skills, software testing competency, and whether the interaction of the testing team influences the degree of quality in the delivery of the application under test, or if one is the dominant critical knowledge area within software testing. This research also set out to establish whether there are personal or situational factors that will predispose the test engineer to knowledge sharing, again, with the view of using these factors to increase the quality and success of the ‘testing phase’ of the SDLC. KM, although relatively youthful, is entering its fourth generation with evidence of two paradigms emerging - that of mainstream thinking and that of the complex adaptive system theory. This research uses pertinent and relevant extracts from both paradigms appropriate to gain quality/success in software testing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: By verre die grootste komponent van sagte ware koste is dié verwant aan kwaliteitsversekering. Toetsing van sagte ware is koste intensief en verteenwoordig tussen 50% en 80% van die kostes om ‘n beta weergawe vry te stel. Die toetsing van sagte ware is nie alleenlik duursaam nie, maar ook arbeidintensief en ‘n tydrowende aktiwteit in die sagte ware ontwikkelings lewensiklus en kan derhalwe gereken word as die mees belangrike fase. Toetsing is deurdringend – dit begin by die inisiëring van ‘n produk deur middel van nie-uitvoerende tipe toetsing en eindig by die voleinding van die produklewensiklus na die implementeringsfase. Sagte ware toetsing word beskou as die geldwaarde van kwalitatiewe aflewering. Om toetsing ten volle te begryp en die toepassing daarvan te verbeter, is dit noodsaaklik om die toetsproses holisties te beskou – as die medium en mate waartoe mense, metodologie, tegnieke, meting en leierskap integreer om ‘n sagte ware produk te toets. ‘n Benadering gekenmerk deur kennis erken die dinamiese verhouding waarbinne bestuurselemente van kundigheid, soos leierskap, kultuur, tegnologie en maatstawwe reageer en korrespondeer met prosesse van kundigheid, naamlik skep, identifiseer, versamel, aanpas, organiseer, toepas en meedeel. Die fasilitering van ‘n benadering gekenmerk deur kennis is ‘n waardige doelwit om meedeling, vermenging van ervaringe, dissipline en kundigheid aan te moedig ten einde kwaliteit te verbeter en waarde toe te voeg tot die proses van safte ware toetsing. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal of die kennis van ‘n spesifieke onderwerp, besigheidskundigheid, tegniese vaardighede of die toepassing daarvan, kundigheid van sagte ware toetsing, en/of die interaksie van die toetsspan die mate van kwaliteit beïnvloed, of een van voorgenoemde die dominante kritieke area van kennis is binne die konteks van sagte ware toetsing. Die navorsing beoog ook om te bepaal of daar persoonlike of situasiegebonde fakfore bestaan wat die toetstegnikus vooropstel om kennis te deel, weer eens, met die oog om deur middel van hierdie faktore kwaliteit te verbeter en die toetsfase binne die sagte ware ontwikkelingsiklus suksesvol af te lewer. Ten spyte van die relatiewe jeudgigheid van die bestuur van kennis, betree dit die vierde generasie waaruit twee denkwyses na vore kom – dié van hoofstroom denke en dié van ingewikkelde aangepaste stelselsdenke. Hierdie navorsing illustreer belangrike en toepaslike insette van beide denkwyses wat geskik is vir meedeling van kennis en vir die bereiking van verbeterde kwaliteit / sukses in sagte ware toetsing.
9

Harnessing the intellectual capital of an organisation : an exploratory study

Beyers, Lourens Johannes Erasmus 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although there is a general consensus that the knowledge society and the knowledge economy has arrived, and that knowledge is a key business asset, organisations are still in the early stages of understanding the implications of knowledge management and intellectual capital. The rise of the new economy that is principally driven by information and knowledge can be attributed to the increased prominence of intellectual capital in organisations. Intellectual capital features prominently in recent economic, managerial, technological and sociological developments in a manner previously unknown and unforeseen. The challenge of this research assignment is typified by the problem statement and its objectives, namely: Although much has been written about knowledge management, the learning organisation and intellectual capital, little, if any, has been written about the relationship and correlation between knowledge management and intellectual capital management. The challenge seems to provide integrated guidelines and a practical implementation system as to how organisations can use both knowledge management and intellectual capital for the formulation of a comprehensive intellectual management approach. In an attempt to develop guidelines and a practical implementation system for a comprehensive intellectual capital management approach, the following was undertaken with this research assignment: Firstly, the impact of the knowledge economy on organisations is discussed. Secondly, practical guidelines are provided on how to manage knowledge in organisations. The various types of capitals are, furthermore, analysed and specific guidelines provided on how to harness these different capitals in the organisations. The new phenomena of the intellectual capital entrepreneur is also highlighted. Lastly, particular emphasis is provided to the formulation of a comprehensive intellectual capital management approach. Practical guidelines are also formulated for the implementation of a comprehensive intellectual capital management system for organisations. Based on this study, some of the most important conclusions drawn are that: • Successful management of knowledge is the basis for generating intellectual capital in organisations on any long-term basis. • The linking of knowledge management and intellectual capital activities is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of an intellectual capital management system in organisations. • A comprehensive intellectual capital management system can only be successfully implemented if organisations have structures in place to generate intellectual capital on an ongoing basis. Recommendations for further research include: • The impact of the knowledge economy on South African organisations should be determined. • Research should be done as to how organisations can integrate knowledge management and intellectual capital activities. • The current role and impact of the intellectual entrepreneur in South African organisations should be identified. • Guidelines that will enable organisations to measure intellectual capital should be developed. The problem statement, namely, to provide South African organisations with a practical and comprehensive intellectual capital management approach, is addressed in this research. Recommendations to enhance intellectual capital in organisations are provided and explained. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel daar algemene konsensus is dat die kennisgemeenskap en die kennisekonomie ‘n realiteit is, en dat kennis ‘n belangrike bate is, is organisasies nog in die vroeë stadiums om te begryp wat die implikasies van kennisbestuur en intellektuele kapitaal is. Die opkoms van die nuwe ekonomie, wat hoofsaaklik deur inligting en kennis gedryf was, kan toegeskryf word aan die toenemende prominensie van intellektuele kapitaal in organisasies. Intellektuele kapitaal figureer prominent in resente ekonomiese, bestuurs, tegnologiese en sosiologiese ontwikkelings op ‘n wyse wat voorheen onbekend en onvoorsien was. Die uitdaging van hierdie navorsingstaak word gekenmerk deur die probleemstelling en sy doelwitte, naamlik: Alhoewel heelwat geskryf is oor kennisbestuur, die lerende organisasie en intellektuele kapitaal, is baie min, indien enige, geskryf oor die verwantskap en korrelasie tussen kennisbestuur en intellektuele kapitaalbestuur. Dit blyk dat die uitdaging geïntegreerde riglyne verskaf en ook ‘n praktiese implementeringsisteem daarstel oor hoe organisasies beide kennisbestuur en intellektuele kapitaal kan benut vir die formulering van ‘n alomvattende intellektuele bestuursbenadering. In ‘n poging om riglyne en ‘n praktiese implementeringsisteem vir ‘n alomvattende intellektuele kapitaal bestuursbenadering te ontwikkel, is die volgende onderneem met hierdie navorsingstaak: Eerstens is die impak van kennisekonomie op organisasies bespreek, en tweedens is praktiese riglyne verskaf oor hoe kennis in organisasies bestuur moet word. Verder is verskeie tipes intellektuele kapitale geanaliseer en is spesifieke riglyne verskaf oor hoe hierdie verskillende kapitale in die organisasies toegepas kan word. Die nuwe verskynsel van die intellektuele kapitaal entrepreneur is uitgelig en besondere klem is gelê op die formulering van ‘n bestuursbenadering vir intellektuele kapitaal. Laastens is praktiese riglyne ook geformuleer vir die implementering van ‘n alomvattende bestuursbenadering tot ‘n intellektuele kapitaalsisteem binne organisasies. Met hierdie studie as basis is die volgende van die mees belangrike gevolgtrekkings: - Suksesvolle bestuur van kennis is die grondslag van enige langtermyn ontwikkeling van intellektuele kapitaal in organisasies. - Die ineenskakeling van kennisbestuur en intellektuele kapitaal aktiwiteite is ‘n voorvereiste vir die suksesvolle implementering van ‘n intellektuele kapitaal bestuursisteem in organisasies. - ‘n Alomvattende intellektuele kapitaal bestuursisteem kan alleenlik suksesvol geïmplementeer word as organisasies strukture in plek het om intellektuele kapitaal op ‘n deurlopende basis te genereer. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing sluit die volgende in: - Die impak van die kennisekonomie op Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies behoort bepaal te word. - Navorsing behoort gedoen te word met betrekking tot hoe organisasies kennisbestuur en intellektuele kapitaal aktiwiteite kan integreer. - Die bestaande rol en impak van die intellektuele entrepreneur in Suid- Afrikaanse organisasies behoort geïdentifiseer te word. - Riglyne behoort ontwikkel te word wat organisasies in staat sal stel om intellektuele kapitaal te meet. Die probleemstelling, naamlik om Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies te voorsien van ‘n praktiese en alomvattende intellektuele kapitaal bestuursbenadering, is in hierdie navorsing aangespreek. Aanbevelings om intellektuele kapitaal in organisasies te versterk is verskaf en verduidelik.
10

Knowledge emerging from chaos : organisational sensemaking as knowledge creation

Eloff, Paul 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Organisations find themselves in a world of ever-increasing rate of change. Increasingly organisations operate in what is known as the edge of chaos—that zone which paradoxically might lead to paralysis and disaster or to creativity and innovation. In this area of uncertainty, organisations rely on their ability to create new organisational knowledge. What is unclear is exactly how new knowledge comes into being under these conditions and what would count as new organisational knowledge. The thesis tries to shed light on the process by which new organisational knowledge comes into being by considering the context of complexity as an environment that demands innovation while at the same time being the catalyst for knowledge creation. The debate on the nature of organizational knowledge is revisited and contrasted from individual knowledge. A review of the mainstream theories of organisational knowledge creation led up to Boisot’s Social Learning Cycle as the benchmark theory that is used in the rest of the argument. Thereafter the work of Weick on Organisational Sensemaking is discussed. It is argued that the condition of complexity leads to an increase in occasions that activate and heighten organizational sensemaking processes. Parallels are noted between the process of sensemaking and parts of the Social Learning Cycle. It is shown that under conditions of comlexity, organisational knowledge creation processes and sensemaking processes are not only similar, but that organisational sensemaking can be seen as the mechanism whereby new organisational knowledge is created when organisations operate at the edge of chaos. This has a number of implications. The theory of organisational sensemaking is applied to an area of organisational life where it has not been seen as applicable, organisational knowledge creation processes are shown to be much more fundamental phenomena than the literature suggests, and combining Boisot and Weick leads to greater theoretical elegance.

Page generated in 0.5024 seconds