Control, value, sense and system : dimensions of hierarchy in selected knowledge management theories
| dc.contributor.advisor | Maasdorp, Christiaan Hendrik | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Zhakata, Norwell | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-04-16T17:28:19Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-04-16T17:28:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-04 | en_ZA |
| dc.description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Knowledge management is an organisational science field that is viewed by many as a panacea to the challenge of successfully managing knowledge intensive organisations. Knowledge management is marked by a clear departure from traditional management thinking that viewed the ideal organisation as a bureaucracy with a clear hierarchical structure. Much of this has been the natural result of advances in information technology making new ways of working possible, but frequently, flatter structures are advocated on the assumption that knowledge work is necessarily stifled in hierarchical structures. The thesis sets out to show that whilst this assumption might be true, it can also be ideological if based on a naive conception of hierarchy and organisation. This is done by describing various notions of hierarchy that go beyond the pure bureaucratic form. Thereafter it is demonstrated that these more nuanced notions of hierarchy lie at the core of some of the foundational knowledge management theories. The first chapter gives an overview of management thinking; connecting and contrasting scientific management with knowledge management. The case is made for why many assume that knowledge management is inherently anti-hierarchical. The second chapter describes the various notions of hierarchy by tracing the historical origins of the word and exploring how it has found multiple meanings in the context of society and organisations. Four prominent usage contexts of the notion of hierarchy emerge. The first usage is that of control where hierarchy refers to bureaucracies. The second usage examines the use of hierarchy in identifying various organisational cultures (Markets, Clans, Adhocracies and Hierarchies). The third usage applies to organisation sensemaking levels. The fourth usage refers to the use of hierarchy as it applies to organisations as the coupling of systems and subsystems. In the third chapter it is demonstrated to what extent each of these notions of hierarchy informs selected mainstream knowledge management theories. It is argued that there are multiple contexts in which the notion of hierarchy can be used and observed in knowledge management thinking. The fourth chapter concludes by restating the multiple meanings of organisational hierarchy and discussing the implications for knowledge management. The thesis comes to the conclusion that the notion of hierarchy is readily acknowledged and used in knowledge management thinking, albeit in different contexts and in more nuanced ways than merely as control. What is needed is to take these various contexts into account before a claim can be made that hierarchy is bad or good for knowledge management. A better conceptualisation of what is meant by hierarchy shows that such blanket claims are neither accurate nor instructive. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kennisbestuur is 'n veld in organisasiestudies wat deur baie mense gesien word as die oplossing vir die bestuursprobleem van kennis-intensiewe organisasies. Kennisbestuur word gekenmerk deur 'n duidelike afwyking van die tradisionele bestuursdenke wat die ideale organisasie sien as 'n burokrasie met 'n duidelik hierargiese struktuur. Hierdie afwyking is waarskynlik die natuurlike resultaat van voortuitgang in informasietegnologie wat nuwe maniere van werk moontlik maak, maar soms word platter strukture bepleit op die basis van die aanname dat kenniswerk in beginsel deur hierargiese strukture benadeel word. Die tesis probeer wys dat alhoewel so 'n aanname wel waar kan wees, dit ook ideologies kan wees, veral wanneer gebaseer op 'n naïewe verstaan van hierargie en organisering. Dit word gedoen deur verskeie vorme van hierargie, wat verfynings van die burokratiese vorm is, te beskryf en daarna te demonstreer hoedat hierdie meer genuanseerde konsepsies van hierargie baie van die hoofstroom kennisbestuursteorieë informeer. Die eerste hoofstuk gee 'n oorsig van bestuursdenke vanaf wetenskaplike bestuur tot kennisbestuur. 'n Argument word gevoer oor hoekom baie mense aanvaar dat kennisbestuur in wese anti-hierargies is. Die tweede hoofstuk beskryf die verskeie vorme van hierargie deur die geskiedkundige oorsprong van die woord na te spoor en te wys op die vele maniere waarop dit neerslag gevind het in die samelewing en spesifiek in organisasies. Vier prominente gebruikskontekste word geïdentifiseer. Die eerste verwys na hierargie as kontrole in burokrasieë. Die tweede ondersoek die uitbreiding van hieragie as 'n manier om verskillende organisatoriese kulture te identifiseer (Markte, Klans, Adhokrasieë en Hierargieë). Die derde gebruikskonteks het te make met vlakke van organisatoriese singewing. Die vierdie konteks verwys na die gebruik van hierargie in die koppeling van sisteme en hulle subsisteme soos dit in organisasie-denke neerslag vind. Die derde hoofstuk demonstreer tot watter mate elkeen van hierdie gebruikskontekste geselekteerde hoofstroom kennisbestuursteorieë onderlê. Daar word geargumenteer dat daar 'n veelvoud van kontekste is waarbinne hierargie in kennisbestuur gebruik en waargeneem kan word. Die vierde hoofstuk sluit af deur die verskeie betekenisse van hierargie op te som en die implikasies vir kennisbestuur uit te stippel. Die tesis kom tot die slotsom dat hierargie in kennisbestuur erken en gebruik word, alhoewel in verskeie kontekste en in meer genuanseerde vorme as eenvoudige burokratiese kontrole. Wat nodig is, is om hierdie verskeie kontekste in ag te neem voordat afdoende antwoorde gewaag kan word of hierargie goed of sleg is vir die bestuur van kennis. 'n Beter konseptualisering van wat met hierargie bedoel word wys dat afdoende antwoorde in die verband waarskynlik onakkuraat is. | af_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | xi, 113 p. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86231 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject | Knowledge management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Organizational hierarchy | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Competing values framework | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Organizational management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertations -- Information science | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Theses -- Information science | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Control, value, sense and system : dimensions of hierarchy in selected knowledge management theories | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |