Roy D. Johnson

Information management as an enabler of knowledge management maturity: A South African perspective

This paper explores the much ignored but critically important subject of the perceived relationship between information and communications technology (ICT), information management (IM) and knowledge management (KM). Defining the border between ICT, IM and KM, and especially the maturity remains a highly debatable topic. These issues could be concisely summarized as being diverse and problematic and located across the spectrum of views. Prior studies suggest that even though KM is strongly entrenched and rests on the foundation of ICT and IM, very little is reported in the literature on ICT and IM as enablers to KM. From a large urban South African University engaged in numerous collaboration programs with industry, the authors gained insight into growth of KM maturity in industry groupings over a 5-year period. The authors applied an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman [Kruger, C. J., & Snyman, M. M. M. (2007). A guideline for assessing the knowledge management maturity of organizations. South African Journal of Information Management,9(3). Electronic Journal [Online]. Available www.sajim.co.za. Accessed 15 October 2007] to a set of 86 organizations distributed over nine economic sectors in South Africa. In total 434 employees were interviewed over three group levels (operational, middle and senior management). This was achieved by having 178 senior practitioners to each interview three subjects (one in each group level). The findings confirm that on average ICT (74.20%) and IM (62.18%) are well institutionalised in South African industry. Most organizations are aware of the distinction between ICT and IM, agreeing that ICT (78.69%) and IM (69.65%) are prerequisites to, and enablers of KM. In support of the concern that maturity models are biasing institutionalization towards the technological domain, findings support the argument that endeavours in IM, directly supported by ICT, are easier to implement and/or better managed and institutionalised, than endeavours that require human intervention and/or a human component to succeed.

Combining Perceptions and Prescriptions in Requirements Engineering Process Assessment: An Industrial Case Study

Requirements engineering (RE) is a key discipline in software development and several methods are available to help assess and improve RE processes. However, these methods rely on prescriptive models of RE; they do not, like other disciplines within software engineering, draw directly on stakeholder perceptions and subjective judgments. Given this backdrop, we present an empirical study in RE process assessment. Our aim was to investigate how stakeholder perceptions and process prescriptions can be combined during assessments to effectively inform RE process improvement. We first describe existing methods for RE process assessment and the role played by stakeholder perceptions and subjective judgments in the software engineering and management literature. We then present a method that combines perceptions and prescriptions in RE assessments together with an industrial case study in which the method was applied and evaluated over a three-year period at TelSoft. The data suggest that the combined method led to a comprehensive and rich assessment and it helped TelSoft consider RE as an important and integral part of the broader engineering context. This, in turn, led to improvements that combined plan-driven and adaptive principles for RE. Overall, the combined method helped TelSoft move from Level 1 to Level 2 in RE maturity, and the employees perceived the resulting engineering practices to be improved. Based on these results, we suggest that software managers and researchers combine stakeholder perceptions and process prescriptions as one way to effectively balance the specificity, comparability, and accuracy of software process assessments.

The role of a bad news reporter in information technology project escalation: a deaf effect perspective

This paper presents a study of the deaf effect response to bad news reporting in an IT project management context. Using a mixed method approach that included both quantitative and qualitative data obtained through a laboratory experiment, our findings suggest that individuals turn a deaf ear to bad news reporting when bad news is received from a person who is not role prescribed to report bad news or is not perceived to be credible. Further, it was found that perceived message relevance and risk perception mediate these relationships. We also found that men are more willing to take risk, and also less likely to perceive risk compared to women in IT project escalation situations. Consequently, men are more likely to turn a deaf ear, thus causing IT project escalation to occur. In this paper, we discuss several implications of the findings of this study for both research and practice.

Principles in knowledge management maturity: a South African perspective

Purpose – The institutionalization of knowledge management (KM) principles, policies and strategies could be summarized as being diverse, problematic and located across the spectrum of views. Studies suggest that very little is reported on how these principles are institutionalized in organizations. This paper seeks to examine the role these principles play in the establishment of KM and report on an empirical study conducted in 86 South African-based organizations. Design/methodology/approach – From a large urban South African University engaged in numerous collaboration programs with industry, the authors gained insight into KM maturity in industry groupings over a five-year period. The authors applied an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman to a set of 86 organizations distributed over nine economic sectors in South Africa. In total 434 employees were interviewed over three managerial levels (operational, middle, and senior). This was achieved by having 178 senior practitioners to each interview three subjects (one in each group level). Findings – Findings indicate that there is a definite trend towards the establishment of KM principles and the successful implementation of KM across South African industries. Industries achieving higher than average scores in the establishment of KM principles also achieved higher than average scores in the implementation of KM. Findings strongly support the argument that elements such as the formulation of strategy, measurement, policy, content, process, technology and culture enable or influence KM ability to manage knowledge. Originality/value – The paper is of relevance to KM practitioners interested in gaining insight into KM maturity that occurred in the extremely diversified environment of South Africa.

Assessment of knowledge management growth: a South Africa perspective

Purpose – Wilson argues that knowledge management (KM) maturity is an extension of information management and effective management of work practices. Gallagher and Hazlett state that there is too much effort addressing technological concerns in KM while offering little practical assistance. Kruger and Snyman believe KM is a strategic resource with ICT and information management as enablers in establishing KM maturity. These three positions of KM growth and maturity reflect the huge spectrum of and diverse views. But, very little is known about the KM growth or maturity that occurs in different industries, or how employees and managers perceive growth in KM maturity. This paper aims to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – From a large urban South African University engaged in numerous collaboration programmes with industry, the authors gain insight into the growth of KM in industry groupings over a five‐year period. The authors apply an inventory developed by Kruger and Snyman to a set of 86 ...

Continuing the Discourse of Women in Information Technology A South African Perspective

Abstract Currently, there is a worldwide decline in the participation of women in the information technology (IT) profession and education. This article continues the existing discourse on women in IT by discussing the South African domestic and IT work environments. The aim is to understand whether South African women experience similar levels of career problems in the IT industry as their international counterparts. Using critical interpretive analysis, we used the experiences of 48 women working in the private sector IT firms to investigate not only what attracts women in South Africa to the IT industry but also what discourages them from following a career in this field. The data were collected by means of an anonymous online questionnaire consisting of open- and close-ended questions. This study provides an insight into the impact of domestic influences on women in the IT industry in South Africa. It also contributes to communities, such as, feminists, academia, practitioners, or governments, in the creation of an emancipation theory or a series of interventions to improve the situation for women in the South African IT industry.

Influence processes of implementation effectiveness in challenged information technology projects in Africa.

Purpose – This research reports on how influence processes (IP) impact on the implementation effectiveness of information technology (IT) projects. Drawing on an innovation perspective that elevate the interplay of factors related to innovations framing, innovations environment and innovation attributes, the study focused on IT projects based in Africa that are generally classified as “challenged” due to the conditions in the environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess how IP related to innovation framing, innovation environment and innovation attributes can be used to determine implementation effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Using a interpretive approach, a case study of institutions under a partnership that has been implementing various educational technologies in five African countries formed the sample. In all, 25 interviews of top-management representatives, project leaders and user representatives were conducted between 2012 and 2013 to assess the implementation effectiveness of ...

Preparing IS Students for Real-World Interaction with End Users Through Service Learning: A Proposed Organizational Model

Although teaching the technical skills required of Information Systems IS graduates is a straightforward process, it is far more difficult to prepare students in the classroom environment for the challenges they will face interacting with end users in the real world. The ability to establish a successful relationship with end users is a critical success factor for any IS project. One way to prepare students for interaction with end users is through the implementation of service learning projects. Service learning projects provide a rich environment for students to experience real world interactions with users. This paper presents an organizational model to guide the implementation of service learning projects in IS curriculums. Service learning projects better prepare students to assume important management positions by giving them experience in applying the system development life cycle to an IS project and working with people. This organizational model uses the system development life cycle approach to integrate typical curriculum and service learning models. The organizational model is grounded in anecdotal evidence from prior experiences with IS students in service learning environments.

Delineating knowledge management through lexical analysis – a retrospective

Purpose – Academic authors tend to define terms that meet their own needs. Knowledge Management (KM) is a term that comes to mind and is examined in this study. Lexicographical research identified KM terms used by authors from 1996 to 2006 in academic outlets to define KM. Data were collected based on strict criteria which included that definitions should be unique instances. From 2006 onwards, these authors could not identify new unique instances of definitions with repetitive usage of such definition instances. Analysis revealed that KM is directly defined by People (Person and Organisation), Processes (Codify, Share, Leverage, and Process) and Contextualised Content (Information). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The aim of this paper is to add to the body of knowledge in the KM discipline and supply KM practitioners and scholars with insight into what is commonly regarded to be KM so as to reignite the debate on what one could consider as KM. The lexicon used by KM...

INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE

AbstractKogut and Zander (1992) have speculated that information systems simplify the replication of knowledge and by implication codify the knowledge. This leads to further speculation that information systems may be forms of organizational knowledge. The authors of this paper 1) extend the concepts of Kogut and Zander to describe knowledge and organizational knowledge, 2) identify a taxonomy of IS, and 3) offer a model of information systems as objectified organizational process knowledge surrounded by layers of human process knowledge. Areas for future research are outlined as well.