Thami Nompula MBA Dissertation March 2007 - Rhodes eResearch ...

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organisation’s success and survival. When knowledge workers possess more information and use it to create value, then they are regarded as being valuable to the organisation. Brooking (1996) defines intellectual capital as knowledge that can be converted into profit. This definition includes characteristic features such as inventions, ideas, design approaches, computer programmes, processes, company brands, customer relationships and publications. According to Brooking (2006), these features do not appear on the balance sheet but are capable of increasing the value of the company and ensuring its long-term competitiveness and profitability. 2.2.4 Definition of knowledge work Knowledge is organised information that is applicable to problem-solving and has been organised to make it understandable and applicable to problem solving or decision making (Liebowitz, 1999). Knowledge work therefore encapsulates methodologies, expertise, insights, thoughts, behaviours, experiences and procedures. These are in turn used to develop goods or services for the firm to remain profitable on a long-term and sustainable basis (Stewart, 1997; Liebowitz, 1999). Knowledge work is used to actively enable performance, problem solving, learning and teaching and decision-making that leads to the production of goods and services (Hope and Hope, 1997). The terms knowledge work and intellectual capital will be used interchangeably as they possess the same characteristics. The management of knowledge has become a key issue in keeping track of the competition in business (Hope and Hope, 1997). The landscape of knowledge management is expansive, ranging from technological applications to management of knowledge assets and methodologies that create the milieu that enhances the knowledge creation (Binney, 2001). In this study, the focus is on this latter aspect of knowledge management. Knowledge management in this study is defined as the capacity or processes within an organisation to maintain or improve organisational performance based on experience and knowledge (Pan and Scarbrough, 1999). It involves the way organisations build, supplement and organise knowledge and routines around their activities as well as in their culture (Pan and Scarbrough, 1999). 16
2.2.5 Definition of a knowledge worker The term “knowledge worker” originates from the work of Drucker in the late 1980s (Drucker, 1994). Drucker (1994) defines knowledge workers as learning people whose level of education helps organisations remain competitive. They are continuously enhancing their skills in order to add value to the firm’s value proposition. Therefore, knowledge workers combine the experience, knowledge, skills, education, and learning and apply it creatively in order for the organisation to remain competitive in its market niche. Drucker described the knowledge worker as a specialist who was likely to earn more than their boss, and who, notwithstanding the organisation’s hierarchy, is a superior employee in their field of knowledge and therefore carries a powerful and influential resource. This resource is not owned by the employer but is owned and carried by the employee. Zarrabian (2004) defines a knowledge worker as someone who uses experience, knowledge and skills to perform their job in order for the firm to operate smoothly and efficiently. Such experience is used to drive revenue or reduce costs and can also be considered a competitive advantage (Zarrabian, 2004). Liebowitz (1999) defines knowledge workers as staff who perform knowledge work and who use their creativity in applying that knowledge to build customised solutions to client problems. Knowledge workers are people who use their heads more than their hands to produce value. They add value through their ideas, their analyses, their judgment, their syntheses, and their designs (Reed, 1996). A special feature of this knowledge is that, unlike ordinary products, it cannot be packaged and sold over the counter to mass markets, but remains in the possession of the employee throughout the employment relationship. 2.2.6 Characteristics of the Knowledge Worker The key characteristics of the knowledge worker are their ability to share the knowledge so that its benefits can be transferred to the organisation. Despres and Hiltrop (1995), using Drucker’s work as a basis, identified six key characteristics that distinguish the knowledge worker from a regular worker in any organisation. Each of these characteristics also typifies the type of 17
Page 1 and 2: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE
Page 3 and 4: Declaration I, Thami Ignatius Nompu
Page 5 and 6: Acknowledgements A number of people
Page 7 and 8: 2.2.4 Definition of knowledge work
Page 9 and 10: 3.6.2 Factors that influenced the c
Page 11 and 12: CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMEND
Page 13 and 14: Table 4.21 Sense of achievement ana
Page 15 and 16: LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: The
Page 17 and 18: 1.1 Introduction CHAPTER 1: INTRODU
Page 19 and 20: 1.3 The National Energy Regulator T
Page 21 and 22: 1.5 The Importance of Knowledge Wor
Page 23 and 24: continuous success. South Africa, a
Page 25 and 26: 1.6.2 Cost of turnover and opportun
Page 27 and 28: 1.6.5 Staff Turnover at the Nationa
Page 29 and 30: 2.1 Introduction CHAPTER 2: LITERAT
Page 31: Knowledge-based organisations rely
Page 35 and 36: • Knowledge workers tend to work
Page 37 and 38: esent unnecessary supervision; they
Page 39 and 40: equipment, exist and are worth cult
Page 41 and 42: the organisation that cause or are
Page 43 and 44: Although knowledge workers may be a
Page 45 and 46: Guest’s (2001) findings. The Hay
Page 47 and 48: ecruiters. In the United States top
Page 49 and 50: sustainable objectives both for the
Page 51 and 52: 2.5 The Work Dimension According to
Page 53 and 54: environment is more conducive to hi
Page 55 and 56: improved productivity and a longer
Page 57 and 58: 2.7.1 Quality of leadership Quality
Page 59 and 60: leave an organisation because senio
Page 61 and 62: 2.8.3 Capacity Building In an attem
Page 63 and 64: for staff working for regulatory in
Page 65 and 66: 3.1 Introduction CHAPTER 3: RESEARC
Page 67 and 68: inefficiencies of management may le
Page 69 and 70: 2004). Furthermore, because the int
Page 71 and 72: According to Walonick (2004), one o
Page 73 and 74: contained section one of the questi
Page 75 and 76: Wisniewski (2002) describes reliabi
Page 77 and 78: Of the 34 respondents, there were m
Page 79 and 80: As indicated in Figure 3.4, of the
Page 81 and 82: 3.8.7 Number of previous years work
Page 83 and 84:
3.8.9 Divisional distribution This
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The Chi test was used to test furth
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generated and these are attached as
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to a leader who believes in their v
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Senge (1990) introduced the concept
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According to the literature once kn
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4.3.1 Job enrichment Seventy six pe
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4.3.3 Control over work assignments
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4.3.5 Challenging work For 70% of t
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and RERA are continental initiative
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Table 4.17: Exchange programmes wit
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either work for two years for NERSA
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4.5.1 Sense of achievement and numb
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and Armstrong and Murlis’ (2004)
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Table 4.25 Freedom to plan and exec
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The next chapter explores in greate
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need to create a favourable environ
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5.3.3 Focus on the individual and g
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5.4.1 Factors Analysis: factors tha
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workers’ need for individualism a
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Branham, L. (2005). Keeping the peo
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Dumas, J. and Redish, J. (1999). A
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Kaye, B. and Jordan-Evans, S. (1999
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National Energy Regulator, (2006).
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Sturgess, J. and Guest, D. (2001).
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November 2006 Dear Colleague APPEND
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SECTION 2: FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE Y
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APPENDIX B: SOURCES OF RETENTION VA
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38 Opportunities for feedback, self
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Table 3: Opportunity to achieve per
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Table 9: Information sharing 127 FR
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Table 14: Scope to balance work and
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Table 20: Scope to create desirable
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Table 26: Job enrichment Table 27:
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Table 31: Adequate remuneration, be
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Table 37: Management that values in
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Table 43: Reputation of the organis
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