On title page: Master of Philosophy (Decision Making, Knowledge Dynamics and Values). / Thesis (MPhil) Stellenbosch University, 2005 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Knowledge based organisations must continually create, share, and capture knowledge in
order to improve performance. This demand for performance improvement has now also
reached the public sector. The Parliamentary Service responded to this demand by contracting
consultants to design systems, policies and strategies in areas such as performance
management, information technology, human resource management, financial resource
management, training and development.
Against this background, a case study was conducted within the Parliamentary Service to
explore how organizational knowledge is created and transferred in practice. The theoretical
lens for this case study is Nonaka's knowledge spiral, which puts emphasis on the creation,
codification and diffusion of knowledge. The study explores processes and mechanisms of
creating, transferring and capturing knowledge. This is done through the examination of
strategies and systems for codifying tacit knowledge and storing that codified knowledge.
Thereafter technological, cultural and organizational barriers that inhibit these efforts at
sharing and storage of knowledge are identified. In the light of the above, implications for
managing organizational knowledge are outlined. Lastly recommendations are made on how
tacit and explicit knowledge could be efficiently managed within the sections and divisions of
the Parliamentary Service.
Data was gathered through interviews, observation and an analysis of organizational
documents. These demonstrate that through the contracting of consultants and the
involvement of internal stakeholders, parliamentary service has made remarkable progress in
creating, sharing, and codifying knowledge of the performance management system at
individual, group and organizational levels. This progress was made as the result of the
institutionalization of a performance management forum, the use of workshops, the training of
trainers and staff, the publications of newsletters, the development of manuals and the writing
and submission of reports.
However, it was also found that there are certain technological, cultural and organizational
barriers to effective knowledge management. These include the lack of electronic databases, a
culture of hoarding knowledge and the fact that knowledge management roles are not assigned. Based on the analysis of these technological, cultural and organizational barriers the
-- study makes six recommendations for the management of organizational knowledge within
the parliamentary service. These recommendations deal with the following issues: The
codification of tacit knowledge, the creation of a knowledge repository, the promotion of a
knowledge sharing culture, the institutionalization of knowledge sharing incentives, the
establishment of a knowledge management unit, and the appointment of a chief knowledge
officer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kennisgebaseerde orgamsas1es moet aaneenlopend kennis skep, deel en kodifiseer om
kompeterend te bly. Kennisgebaseerde prestasie-verbetering word toenemend 'n prioriteit in
die openbare sektor. Die Parlementere Diensafdeling het, in 'n poging om prestasie te
verbeter, konsultante gekontrakteer om sisteme, beleide en strategiee te ontwerp in areas soos
prestasie-bestuur, informasie tegnologie, menslike hulpbronbestuur, finansiele bestuur, en
opleiding en ontwikkeling.
'n Gevallestudie in die Parlementere Diensafdeling is teen hierdie agtergrond geloods om uit
te vind hoe organisatoriese kennis in die praktyk geskep en oorgedra word. Die teoretiese lens
vir hierdie gevallestudie is N onaka se kennis-spiraal, wat die skep, kodifiseer en deel van
kennis benadruk. Die studie verken die prosesse en meganismes vir die skep en oordrag van
kennis. Dit word gedoen deur die strategiee en sisteme vir die kodifisering van verswee
kennis (tacit knowledge) en die stoor van die eksplisiete kennis (explicit knowledge) te
ondersoek. Daama word die tegnologiese, kulturele en organisatoriese hindemisse wat die
pogings tot die skep en deel van kennis frustreer gei"dentifiseer. In die lig van bogenoemde
word implikasies vir die bestuur van kennis uitgestippel. Laastens word voorstelle gemaak vir
die bestuur van kennis in spesifiek die Parlementere Diensafdeling.
Data vir die studie is verkry deur onderhoude, observasie en die analise van organisatoriese
dokumente. Hierdie demonstreer dat die Parlementere Diensafdeling, deur die kontraktering
van konsultante en die betrek van interne belangehebbers, wel daarin geslaag het om kennis
rondom die prestasiebesuurstelsel te skep, te deel en te kodifiseer op individuele, groep en
organisasie vlak. Dit is hoofsaaklik toe te skryf aan die institusionalisering van 'n
prestasiebestuursforum, die gebruik van werkswinkels, die opleiding van personeel, die
publikasie van nuusbriewe, die ontwikkeling van handboeke en die skryf en indiening van
verslae.
Dit is egter ook gevind dat daar sekere tegnologiese, kulturele en organisatoriese hindemisse
tot effektiewe kennisbestuur in die Parlementere Diensafdeling is. Hierdie sluit in die gebrek
aan 'n elektroniese databasis, 'n kultuur van kennis-opgaarding, en die feit dat
kennisbestuursrolle nie toegeken word nie. Die studie maak dan ses voorstelle vir die bestuur van organisatoriese kennis binne die Parlementere Diensafdeling gebaseer op die analise van
hierdie tegnologiese, kulturele en organisatoriese faktore. Hierdie voorstelle gaan oor die
volgende kwessies: Die kodifisering van verswee kennis (tacit knowledge), die skep van 'n
kennis poel (knowledge repository), die bevordering van 'n kultuur van kennis deel, die
institusionalisering van kennis insentiewe, die vestiging van 'n kennisbestuursafdeling, en die
aanstelling van 'n Hoof Kennis Beampte (Chief Knowledge Officer).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50390 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Manele, Thembile Moses |
| Contributors | Maasdorp, C. H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 91 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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