Martie Mearns

Conserving indigenous knowledge as the key to the current and future use of traditional vegetables

Abstract Indigenous knowledge erodes rapidly. When the loss of this knowledge negatively affects the lives and health of traditionally living rural communities, a drive to conserve indigenous knowledge becomes vital. This article argues that the transfer of indigenous knowledge on traditional vegetables will ensure the availability and utilisation of this important food source for resource-poor rural communities. Data collected on the present use of traditional vegetables at a rural Xhosa village in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa documented indigenous practices of traditional vegetable use and measured attitudes and perceptions of young women. Findings revealed that although traditional vegetables are readily available, there is a decline in the use of traditional vegetables in this village. Since the loss of associated indigenous knowledge is a reality, and in view of the negative attitude towards traditional vegetables, future use of this valuable food source is threatened. The transfer of the associated indigenous knowledge holds the key to the potential future use of traditional vegetables. Altered perceptions of traditional vegetables are crucial for the conservation of the associated indigenous knowledge. As a result awareness campaigns to promote the use of traditional vegetables, related nutritional education, including proper cooking and preservation techniques are necessary.

Adding knowledge cafés to the repertoire of knowledge sharing techniques

Overview of existing knowledge sharing techniques.Knowledge cafes positioned within current knowledge sharing techniques.Delphi technique used to expand limited scholarly literature on knowledge cafes.Guidelines, advantages, pre-conditions, obstacles, successes of knowledge cafes. Knowledge cafes, a fairly new technique used to facilitate knowledge sharing, offer individuals within organisations the opportunity to interact on a face to face level with topics that are relevant to a particular organisation, and enhances knowledge transfer. One of the major impediments of knowledge cafes is that, to date, there is limited literature concerning this knowledge sharing technique. For this reason data was gathered through a Delphi study to investigate and discuss various aspects of knowledge cafes as used for the purpose of knowledge sharing. The results of the study provide guidelines, advantages, disadvantages and similar techniques to knowledge cafes. The core differences between knowledge cafes and world cafes are also highlighted. Essentially it is the aim of this article to add knowledge cafes to the existing repertoire of knowledge sharing techniques by firstly reviewing literature on the existing techniques used for knowledge sharing and then elaborating on the value of knowledge cafes as a knowledge sharing application.

Knowing what knowledge to share

Highlights? Explicit and tacit knowledge resources seen strategically attaches value to it. ? Identifying knowledge sources generates intentional strategic management of knowledge. ? Knowledge management leverage collective wisdom to increase innovation responsiveness. ? Organizational reality prescribes a blended approach to knowledge sharing enablers. Wildlife conservation organizations have the core business to manage and conserve biological resources sustainably. Their management processes are foremost operational and strategic depending largely on research not only of natural resources, but also the human relations and interactions with local communities living adjacent to wildlife conservation areas. Research that informs decisions are mostly explicit sources not only informing short term conservation decisions, but also acts as secondary sources for future longitudinal studies determining long term impacts. In addition, tacit sources abound in wildlife conservation organizations but the value of tacit knowledge sources is seemingly unrecognized and their management is completely neglected. An obviously knowledge-rich and knowledge intensive organization that is unaware of the knowledge that they own is probably also unaware of the potential value of such knowledge as a knowledge asset. The focus of the organization is not on knowledge as strategically important resources of the organization, but remains secondary to the operational management of the natural resources. Yet, the knowledge itself has value and the re-use of knowledge leads to innovation. This research addressed the question of how an organization recognizes the knowledge that they own in order to intentionally manage the knowledge as a valued strategic resource. The actual need for knowledge management was identified and the knowledge sources and organizational behavior associated with knowledge generation and sharing was mapped. Knowledge management processes for re-use of existing knowledge sources, initiating the process to leverage collective wisdom in order to increase responsiveness and innovation was proposed. Further research was recommended to establish attainable procedures for effective collaboration in a geographically remote rural region where technology is an unreliable knowledge sharing enabler and a blended approach is needed for efficient collaboration.

Traditional health practitioners' practices and the sustainability of extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants

ABSTRACT For centuries, traditional health practitioners (THPs) have used their indigenous knowledge (IK) in conserving medicinal plants and environments in order to maintain sustainability. Medicinal plants have played an important role in the healthcare system of Africa. With the rapid environmental, social, economic and political changes occurring in many areas inhabited by rural people, the danger exists that the loss of biodiversity from habitat destruction and unsustainable harvesting practices will cause some species to become extinct, threatening the availability of medicinal plants on a regional level. This article presents the findings of research conducted to investigate the sustainability of the harvesting practices of THPs, with specific reference to extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants in the study areas of the Limpopo province, South Africa. The main aim of the study was to determine the natural habitat of extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants, combining the insight of THPs with the ultimate goal of guiding research for the conservation, propagation and cultivation of traditional medicinal plants. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and data were collected using in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that the THPs’ practices are shaped by historical processes and local cultural values, social norms and their management strategies, which are influenced by a broad range of factors.

The competitive intelligence process in sport: data collection properties of high-level cricket coaches

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the data collection properties of cricket coaches, using the first stage of the 4Cs Competitive Intelligence (CI) process model of Weiss as framework. Semi-structured interviews were performed with high-level cricket coaches in South Africa. Content analysis was performed by developing a codebook through the creation of theory and data-driven codes with ATLAS.TITM computer assisted qualitative data analysis software. Codes were thematised into the what, where, who and how of data collection as well as challenges cricket coaches face. Overall, coaches indicated that they make use of various sources of information on competitors, own team and the environment. Data collection is usually performed by numerous persons within the team set-up and a variety of information formats are utilized. The main findings of the study indicated that easy available sources are not effectively utilized, data collection processes are not performed in a structured manner and coaches need skill development regarding data collection and analysis. Furthermore, the lack of technology as well as the absence of a person who can collect data and a shortage of skills by the person who is responsible for data collection, are the main challenges coaches face.

From broadcasting to archiving: the Southern African public service broadcast archives

Public Service Broadcasters have an obligation to manage their records as public organisations. This is often legislated and public broadcasters therefore have to protect collections from physical deterioration and damage to minimise the loss of information. Public Service Broadcasters should thus be informed and up to date with preservation strategies to ensure the safeguarding of their collections. This study investigated the current status of the Southern African Broadcasting Association member Public Service Broadcasting archives collections and their digitisation strategies to ensure long-term preservation of collections. While many aspects of preservation status were investigated, this article focuses on the formats held within each collection, playback equipment available in archives, cataloguing practices to provide access to the collections and the digitisation initiatives undertaken by the broadcaster. Findings showed that decisive action for long-term preservation is needed to mitigate the risk of large portions of the study sample collections being lost for ever.

Managing information for work-integrated learning at higher education institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa require teaching and learning to include work-integrated learning (WIL) within specific learning offerings. The different learning options provided by various faculties have unique and diverse procedures which justify different WIL approaches at HEIs. A lack of structure regarding the information management (IM) for WIL across departments results in different processes being followed, which can impact negatively on the optimal utilisation of WIL. Frameworks for IM for WIL, however, have been developed at international HEIs. Using a qualitative approach and phenomenological research design and working with these frameworks as well as the Theory of Motivated Information Management, the researchers collected data using semi-structured individual interviews and group discussions from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Northwestern University (NWU) in Illinois, United States (US). This article presents the findings of an IM framework from these two US universities. After research was conducted at a South African university, a conceptual framework was developed for the IM for WIL based on the framework from the international universities that may be implemented at HEIs in South Africa. With time this framework could be tested in a number of settings that could lead to the development of a model for IM for WIL in the South African context. The article, however, reports on the findings of the two international universities only and the conceptual framework requires further testing and validation before it can be published.