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

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knowledge worker found at the National Energy Regulator. The six differentiating characteristics are: • Knowledge workers possess specialised skills and training, which they have acquired by investing significant resources (time and money) towards their education (Despres and Hiltrop, 1995). Knowledge workers are unlike any other worker as they are the only ones who possess the nature and degree of their knowledge. Their skills and knowledge is critical in ensuring prosperity for their employer. It is therefore important for their employer to retain them because it is not all types of workers who make such an investment in their professional development (Nor and Roslin, 2005). • Knowledge workers have deep specialisation with diffuse peripheral focus as opposed to a narrow functional focus (Despres and Hiltrop, 1995). The nature of their skills touches all aspects of the organisation which increases the latter’s dependency on them. This dependence makes it obligatory for the retention of knowledge workers lest firms lose their competitive edge. Retaining knowledge workers in this case becomes a matter of survival. • Knowledge workers have loyalty to their professions and peers, as opposed to any organisation (Despres and Hiltrop, 1995). Knowledge workers prefer advancing their studies through external programmes rather than internal programmes. Armstrong and Sterling (2004) have also found that the new psychological contract of knowledge workers relies on external rather than internal training providers. For example, engineers and chartered accountants in South Africa place more value on training provided by their respective professional institutes, such as the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the South African Institute of Consulting Engineers, and University programmes than they do on programmes provided by their employers. Knowledge workers therefore actively seek to increase their knowledge base via further academic study and therefore employers have to make provision for this in the employment contract in order to retain them. An employer who is loyal and committed to knowledge workers in this manner has a greater chance of success in retaining them. 18
• Knowledge workers tend to work on projects and in teams as opposed to on their own (Despres and Hiltrop, 1995). Harrigan and Dalmia (1991) found that knowledge workers stay committed to particular firms as long as those firms provide them with paraphernalia for working on interesting projects. “If this isn’t forthcoming, knowledge workers will swiftly trade up to bigger sandboxes” (Harrigan and Dalmia, 1991:8). The Australian Electricity Supply Commission (ESC) has also adopted the principles of personal mastery and team development to encourage employees to broaden their scope of work and pursue challenging assignments after they realised that these incentive knowledge workers (ESC, 2005). Because knowledge workers are more attracted to interesting projects, they stay longer with the employer who provides them with such projects. • Knowledge workers have more rapid skills obsolescence than traditional workers (Despres an Hiltrop, 1995). Continuous learning is critical in ensuring that knowledge workers remain up to date, relevant and critical for the firm’s continued success in the market place (Michelman, 2003). Armstrong and Murlis (2004) encountered a similar finding and came to the conclusion that career malaise is the biggest driver of employment migration and therefore employers must be encouraged to take an active interest in providing learning opportunities at all times. • Knowledge workers are more critical to the long-term success of the organisation than the short-term efficiencies of the organisation (Despres and Hiltrop, 1995). Amar (2002); Nor and Roslin (2005) and Drucker (1994) have found that knowledge management is not only about the latest technology but also managing knowledge within the company and treating it as the most valued asset for the long-term success of the company. In this view, knowledge workers have been considered to be an important asset by virtue of their possession of their knowledge. Having knowledge workers as part of the asset base ensures long-term success. 19
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 and 32: Knowledge-based organisations rely
Page 33: 2.2.5 Definition of a knowledge wor
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
Page 85 and 86:
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
Page 127 and 128:
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
Page 139 and 140:
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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