A.S.A. du Toit

Knowledge creation processes as critical enablers for innovation

Abstract Knowledge conversion is a prominent theme within the knowledge management field and the question arises how knowledge creation processes can grow innovation capability maturity. This notion provides the platform for aligning knowledge creation processes to the requirements for innovation capability growth from one maturity level to the next. In order to achieve this alignment, the authors identified a knowledge creation path as a key enabler for maturity growth in each innovation capability area. Knowledge management tools and organisational facilitating conditions that support the specific knowledge processes highlighted in the identified path were identified through a literature study and subsequently synthesised to form a framework. This framework provides guidelines for the use of knowledge creation processes as a vehicle to improve innovation. The amount of time needed to practically test the framework does not allow for the practical implementation of the framework and the impact of the framework was demonstrated by discussing a practical organisational scenario.

Competitive intelligence skills needed to enhance South Africa's competitiveness

Purpose – South Africa as a country continues to rank low in the world of competitiveness. It is the aim of this paper to focus on the need for South African organisations to perceive competitive intelligence (CI) as one of the most important tools to improve their competitiveness through a systematic, practical approach to make the CI cycle worthwhile, especially through skills development. The paper intends to identify the skills CI professionals in South Africa need in order to conduct the CI process in organisations effectively, thereby improving the countrys competitive position.Design/methodology/approach – The research for the paper is based on an extensive review of literature to identify the skills needed by CI professionals. A survey was conducted, by questionnaire, among organisations in South Africa with existing CI units in which the respondents had to identify the skills they deemed necessary for the CI professional to run the CI process effectively.Findings – Findings suggested that the ma...

Knowledge management and legal practice

In the practice of law the products and applications of information and communication technologies, such as intranet infrastructures; document, content and case management systems; workflow management systems; artificial intelligence technologies; and business intelligence tools are becoming increasingly important means of communication, of information distribution, and of sharing knowledge. This article examines the degree of impact the changing legal information environment has on the legal research process and to find out what benefit legal research will gain from information and knowledge management. It looks into the process of electronic or digital legal research and seeks answers to some questions with regard to the skills that lawyers, who are successful legal researchers in the print information environment, possibly will need to also be successful researchers in a digital information environment. It also reports the results of an empirical, explorative study identifying the extent as well as some barriers and concerns with regard to the utilisation of KM systems in South African law firms.

Knowledge audit: Tools of the trade transmitted to tools for tradition

Indigenous knowledge is the commodity that is offered to cultural tourists at cultural villages in South Africa. The extent to which indigenous knowledge is being conserved at cultural villages was investigated. The knowledge management tool that was applied to do the investigation was a knowledge audit. This investigation was conducted to establish whether cultural villages can act as custodians of indigenous knowledge. It was found that the knowledge audit proved to be a useful tool to determine the extent of indigenous knowledge conservation at cultural villages. Although the extent of indigenous knowledge conservation at cultural villages was rated as fairly poor, the potential of cultural villages to act as custodians of indigenous knowledge became very clear. The implication of this investigation is that knowledge audits could be considered for applications beyond business and that the principles of knowledge audits could be applied to individuals within communities to audit their indigenous knowledge.

Analysing knowledge requirements: a case study

This paper presents the findings of a knowledge audit conducted to determine the knowledge requirements of a large service‐based enterprise in South Africa. The objective of the knowledge audit was to identify and describe the current and future knowledge requirements of the enterprise. The results indicated that employees have some basic knowledge and information needs that must be satisfied before any further investigations take place. Once the fundamental building blocks of knowledge content are established, it is recommended that more sophisticated solutions can be developed. Broad recommendations for establishing a knowledge management strategy that will be a source of sustainable competitive advantage are proposed.

Developing a scaleable information architecture for an enterprise‐wide consolidated information management platform

Purpose – This article aims to address the concept of information architecture as a way of visualising and describing the various information assets and the interaction of these assets within an enterprise.Design/methodology/approach – The establishment of the information architecture is illustrated through a case study within a large conglomeration of companies requiring scaleable information architecture in order to address its information requirements. Executives who are considered influential in the overall management of the group were interviewed.Findings – The requirements expressed during the interview process, as well as observations made during meetings and general discussions with the various role‐players within the enterprise, gave the project team the necessary confirmation of the information requirements of the enterprise.Research limitations/implications – As there is no direct integration between the underlying systems and networks, this had to be taken into consideration for the design of ...