Browsing by Author "Ramohlola, Alice Mokgadi"
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- ItemInformation and knowledge management in South African law firms - a case study(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Ramohlola, Alice Mokgadi; Kinghorn, Johann; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science.ENGLISH SUMMARY : This thesis investigates and analyse information and knowledge management systems in a typical large high performing law firm with multiple offices across the African continent. The intended outcome is to draw a full understanding of the lawyers’ interactions with the Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) systems in place and with each other, and any hindrances that may affect these interactions, information flows, knowledge transfer, and overall firm performance. Multinational organizations are complex in nature and have complex operational dynamics as opposed to organizations operating in one country. These dynamics range from issues related to administration and management, coordinated information sharing and knowledge transfer, information technologies and information systems, etc. all of which can be affected positively or negatively by a variety of factors such as distance, language, internet speed, culture, to name just a few. This becomes more so for law firms, multinational law firms in particular, which are the focus of this study. Being information intensive organizations by nature whose sole service offering is legal advice based on quality information and knowledge make such law firms more complex, and therefore a suitable subject of study for this thesis. The thesis concludes that, like all multinational organizations, multinational law firms face similar problems that hinder efficient and effective communication, information flows and knowledge sharing. That if not correctly addressed and managed, these problems can render IKM efforts and initiatives in law firms ineffective.