Knowledge management in communites of practice: the Backyard Mechanics “Gereji Bubu” of Dar es Salaam
| dc.contributor.advisor | Maasdorp, Christiaan Hendrik | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Mwasubila, Jofrey Amanyisye | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-03-08T12:01:40Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-04-21T14:42:38Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-03-08T12:01:40Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-04-21T14:42:38Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the city of Dar es Salaam and other parts of Tanzania, the streets, open spaces and roadsides are filled with many informal and un-registered automotive repair garages or backyard mechanics. These garages are popularly known as “gereji bubu” in Tanzania and they are enduring features of the automotive landscape of the country. One of the major risks to the longevity of such garages is the rapidly changing automotive technology. Whilst these garages typically operate on older car models, they are not immune to technological changes and these put pressure on their available diagnostic technology and repair knowledge and skill. The thesis investigated how these garages (and the backyard mechanics working in them) cope with the changes in car technology and highlights what they consider to be the risks associated with the changes in technology that could potentially make their garages obsolete. The research was done by interviewing garage owners and mechanics, as well as by desktop research of posts by clients and owners on an internet forum. It was found that these garages maintain and improve their collective knowledge through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Information is shared both within the garage and outside with their wider networks. This has is possible because community members trust each other, get mutual benefits, and get recognised for their contributions that lead to process and quality improvements in their services. Even though these garages bear little resemblance to large formal organisations, their mode of knowledge sharing can be considered an example of a Community of Practice that cooperates while they compete. The mode of knowledge transfer was mainly “storytelling” and “learning by doing” as the main knowledge management practices used by these garages for knowledge externalisation and internalisation respectively. However, the mechanics also used internet searches and their social network to find solutions to problems. Lastly, the interviews and forum posts show that there is a great concern over the future of these garages among community members. As modern cars are increasingly diagnosed by computers these garages find it difficult to purchase the necessary hardware, software and equipment in order to remain competitive. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die stad Dar es Salaam en ander dele van Tanzanië is die strate, oop ruimtes, en paaie gevul met baie informele en ongeregistreerde motorherstel werkswinkels en agterplaas-motorwerktuigkundiges. Hierdie staan in Tanzanië bekend as “gereji bubu” en is 'n voortdurende kenmerk van die motorlandskap van die land. Een van die grootste risiko's vir die voortbestaan van sulke werkswinkels is die spoed waarteen motortegnologie verander. Alhoewel hierdie werkswinkels gewoonlik op ouer motormodelle werk, is hulle steeds blootgestel aan tegnologiese veranderinge en dit plaas druk op hul beskikbare diagnostiese tegnologie sowel as die vereiste kennis en vaardighede vir herstelwerk. Die tesis ondersoek hoe hierdie werkswinkels (en die agterplaas-motorwerktuigkundiges wat daar werk) die veranderinge in die motor tegnologie hanteer en wat hulle as die risiko's beskou wat verband hou met tegnologiese vooruitgang wat hulle werkswinkels moontlik verouderd kan maak. Die navorsing is gedoen deur onderhoude met werkswinkels eienaars en motorwerktuigkundiges toe voer, sowel as 'n inhoudsanalise van opmerkings van kliënte en eienaars op internetfora oor die dienste gelewer deur "gereji bubu". Daar word bevind dat hierdie werkswinkels hul gesamentlike kennis onderhou en verbeter deur samewerking en kennisdeling. Inligting word nie net binne die werkswinkels gedeel nie, maar ook in breëre netwerke. Dit is moontlik omdat lede van die gemeenskap op mekaar vertrou, wedersydse voordele kry en erken word vir hul bydraes wat lei tot proses-en gehalteverbeterings in hul dienste. Alhoewel hierdie werkswinkels min ooreenkomste het met groot formele organisasies, kan hul kennisdeling beskou word as 'n voorbeeld van 'n praktykgemeenskap wat selektief saamwerk terwyl hulle ook direk met mekaar meeding. Kennisoordrag vind hoofsaaklik deur “storievertelling” en “leer deur te doen” plaas en verteenwoordig die belangrikste kennisbestuurspraktyke wat onderskeidelik deur hierdie werkswinkels gebruik word vir kennis-eksternalisering en kennis-internalisering. Die werktuigkundiges het egter ook internet soektogte en hul wyer sosiale netwerk gebruik om oplossings vir nuwe probleme te vind. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | |
| dc.format.extent | xi, 142 pages | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110144 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Communities of practice | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Practice, communities of | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Knowledge management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Organizational learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Management information systems | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Backyard automobile mechanics -- Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Gereji Bubu --Tanzania -- Dar es Salaam | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.title | Knowledge management in communites of practice: the Backyard Mechanics “Gereji Bubu” of Dar es Salaam | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |