A knowledge management framework to grow innovation capability maturity

Date
2013-12
Authors
Esterhuizen, Denele
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation is widely considered a key prerequisite for achieving organisational competitiveness and sustained long-term wealth in our increasingly volatile business environment. It is therefore imperative that organisations enable themselves to relentlessly pursue constant innovation; to grow and mature their innovation capability. A study aimed at organisational support by means of business tools toward maturity growth in these innovation capability areas is therefore warranted. Knowledge management plays a fundamental role in the enterprise’s ability to innovate successfully, and the question arises whether knowledge management tools and organisational facilitating conditions can be used to grow innovation capability maturity. The existing literature on the subject is sparse, which led to the following research problem statement: No formal guidelines exist for the use of knowledge management to grow innovation capability maturity. Knowledge conversion is a prominent theme within the knowledge management field. Knowledge creation processes form the core of this knowledge creation model and therefore, one solution to the above-stated problem is to investigate the use of knowledge creation processes to grow innovation capability maturity. This notion provides the platform for aligning knowledge creation processes to the requirements for innovation capability growth from one maturity level to the next as the cornerstone for developing a knowledge management framework that enables innovation capability maturity growth. In order to align these knowledge processes with the requirements for growth in innovation capability maturity, the author identified a knowledge creation path as a key enabler for maturity growth in each innovation capability area. Knowledge management tools and organisational facilitating conditions that support the specific knowledge processes highlighted in the identified path were identified through a literature study and subsequently synthesised to form a framework. The impact of this framework lies in providing guidelines for the use of knowledge management as a vehicle for innovation capability maturity growth.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Innovasie word allerweë beskou as ’n kernvereiste vir die verkryging van organisatoriese mededingendheid en volhoubare langtermynsukses in ons toenemend wisselvallige sake-omgewing. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat organisasies hulself in staat stel om meedoënloos konstante innovasie na te streef; om hul innovasievermoë uit te brei en volwassenheid daarin te bereik. ’n Studie gemik op organisatoriese ondersteuning deur middel van sake-hulpmiddels ten einde groei in volwassenheid in hierdie innovasievermoë-areas te bereik, is dus nodig. Kennisbestuur speel ’n fundamentele rol in die onderneming se vermoë om suksesvol te innoveer, wat die volgende vraag ontlok: Kan kennisbestuurhulpmiddels en organisatoriese fasiliteringsomstandighede gebruik word om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te bereik? Die bestaande literatuur oor die onderwerp is gebrekkig, wat aanleiding tot die volgende probleemstelling gegee het: Daar is geen formele riglyne vir die gebruik van kennisbestuur om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te verbeter nie. Kennisomskakeling is ’n prominente tema in die gebied van kennisbestuur. Kennisskeppingsprosesse vorm die kern van hierdie kennisskeppingsmodel en daarom is een oplossing tot bogenoemde probleem om die gebruik van kennisskeppingsprosesse om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te verbeter, te ondersoek. Hierdie idee skep ’n platform om kennisskeppingsprosesse met die vereistes vir innovasievermoëverbetering van een volwassenheidsvlak tot die volgende te belyn, as hoeksteen vir die ontwikkeling van ’n kennisbestuurraamwerk om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te verbeter. Ten einde hierdie kennisprosesse met die vereiste vir groei in innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te belyn, het die outeur ’n kennisskeppingspad as kernelement geïdentifiseer om volwassenheidsgroei in elke innovasievermoë-area in die hand te werk. Kennisbestuurhulpmiddels en organisatoriese fasiliteringsomstandighede wat die spesifieke kennisprosesse wat in die geïdentifiseerde pad uitgelig word, ondersteun, is deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie geïdentifiseer en daarna gesintetiseer om ’n raamwerk te vorm. Die impak van hierdie raamwerk lê daarin om riglyne vir die gebruik van kennisbestuur as ’n middel tot innovasievermoëvolwassenheidsgroei te bied.
Description
Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Keywords
Knowledge management, Technological innovations, Maturity models, Knowledge creation processes, Knowledge management framework, Innovation capability maturity, Dissertations -- Industrial engineering
Citation