- Title
- An investigation of knowledge management practices in the Old Mutual, Buffalo City Metropole branch
- Creator
- Siqoko, Kolisa
- Subject
- Knowledge management
- Subject
- Insurance companies -- South Africa -- East London
- Date Issued
- 2003
- Date
- 2003
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MBA
- Identifier
- vital:10879
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/252
- Identifier
- Knowledge management
- Identifier
- Insurance companies -- South Africa -- East London
- Description
- The study has sought to examine knowledge management practice in the Old Mutual, Buffalo City Metropole. The study has been conducted against the backdrop of measuring how far South African companies are in applying Knowledge Management (KM) tools and techniques to improve their competitive advantage. The study was conducted based on the assumption that insurance companies in South Africa are at the forefront in the use and application of technology. Various concepts are defined throughout the study. In reviewing literature for example, the study introduces the reader to various theories, views and approaches to KM. The most significant of these are the cultural and social systems approach on one hand and the product or process approach on the other. The study relied on the use of a variety of data collection methods such as questionnaires, interviews and participant observation for the purposes of collecting primary data. From the primary data collected, it was discovered that the largest number of responses came from marketing, sales and customer services departments. The employees have limited flexibility in terms of decision making and team work, due to the rigidity of tasks. The findings revealed that the company has a loosely structured infrastructure, where each strategic business unit (SBU) manages its own IT tools and documents. All these underlying aspects are not conducive to the promotion of and growth of KM in any company. The final chapter concludes with a model for KM implementation and the procedures to be followed to ensure that the practice adds value to the company.
- Format
- 98 leaves ; 30 cm
- Format
- Publisher
- Port Elizabeth Technikon
- Publisher
- Faculty of Management
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
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