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Background: Organisations must respond quickly and consistently to ongoing global shifts. This streak separates remaining competitive from losing market share. Globalisation has accounted for the majority of this transformation, which has been reinforced by rapid digital transformation. Industry experts and researchers are continually studying effective remedies to this worldwide transition as part of their response to this drive. This is required because the world is changing unavoidably, and effective responses to the change should be investigated. Objectives: To study the relationship between Agile and innovation, and how this relationship might facilitate organisations’ reaction to global changes, in response to the battle of how to adapt to global transformations successfully. Method: A systematic literature review analysing 1645 peer-reviewed journals through the use of social network analysis. Results: The terms ‘Agile,’ ‘digital transformation’, ‘design thinking’, ‘agility’, ‘innovation management’, ‘lean’, ‘Industry 4.0’, ‘Agile development’ and ‘digital innovation’ have the strongest links to ‘innovation’. This demonstrates how innovation is reliant on Agile and its characteristics. Furthermore, the computed data clusters from the analysed dataset led to five propositions: (1) Agility sustains innovation strategies (P1). (2) Collaborating Agile methodology with digital innovation leads to competitive advantage (P2). (3) Agile development accelerates or facilitates new business models, such as Industry 4.0 (P3). (4) Design thinking creates value in innovation management or development of new product (P4). Lastly, (5) the concept or theory of lean Agile management (P5). Conclusion: The correlation between Agile and innovation is critical for effective responses to global digital transformations that are ongoing.

Background: Whether a website design is a simple static page of plain text, a complex e-commerce matrix or a progressive web application, the journey is riddled with challenges. In terms of online users, every second counts when interacting with a website. It is estimated that 2 seconds is the acceptable webpage loading latency that users are willing to tolerate before abandoning a webpage. Users expect web applications to be more usable, reliable, secure, personalised and context-aware. Objectives: This study sought to identify the challenges faced and the strategies used during website development, and to then map a conceptual framework to address these challenges. Method: The 7Cs framework was the theoretical framework underpinning the study. Based on qualitative research, 12 website developers were sampled in Gauteng Province, South Africa, using non-probability sampling methods. Results: The 7Cs Website Development Scheme (7CWDS) charted from the research findings shows that the following strategies are essential in overcoming website development challenges: (1) good communication between developer and client, (2) agile planning and acceptance of project scope, (3) creation of website drafts and acceptance, (4) flexible website designs, (5) agile website development using a step-by-step approach, (6) website connections to Google Analytics, (7) connecting website to social media and (8) website cybersecurity scanning and testing. Conclusion: The study developed the 7CWDS as a toolkit that underlines critical strategies to address common challenges in website development, and presents them in a logical hierarchy and order of execution.

Background: The triple constraint – cost, scope and time – has been previously used to measure the success of traditional developed software projects. However, these triple constraints are no longer effective to measure the success of Agile software projects. Research shows that there are many other metrics that are being used to measure Agile methods beyond the triple constraint. Organisations are adopting Agile methods for a number of reasons which in turn are benefiting the software developing organisation in various ways. However, these software developing organisations still face challenges when adopting Agile methods. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the different metrics to be considered when measuring Agile software project success beyond the triple constraints. Method: Data were collected through an online survey. The population of interest included Agile specialists who are working on Agile software projects. The collected data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 26. Results: Our results showed that software developing organisations implementing Agile software projects are using strategic metrics that bring value to software developing organisations when measuring their Agile software projects. One of the most cited metrics is customer satisfaction, which is believed to show more value because software projects cannot be accepted unless customers see the value in such projects. Conclusion: There is a pragmatic shift in software development method, adoption and implementation. Organisations that are eager to see success are now shifting from using traditional methods to Agile methods of software development, and by doing so, success is inevitable.

Background: The Centre for Open and Distance Learning at Mzuzu University was established in 2006 with the aim to increase and broaden access to higher education to most Malawians who despite meeting entry requirements into higher education were not selected because of shortage of space on campus and other learning and teaching resources. Although Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is hyped as a practical option for making higher education available to many people as widely reported in the literature, universities need to address several issues for it to hold its ground.Objectives: The study set out to investigate information needs and barriers to information sources by ODL students by addressing three objectives, namely information needs of ODL students, information sources of ODL students and challenges that ODL students face when seeking information for their courses of study.Method: A survey questionnaire with a mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions was distributed to 350 students to find out the information sources and challenges that the ODL students face when searching for information to accomplish their academic activities.Results: According to the findings, all 258 (100%) students who answered the questionnaire need information to prepare for the end-of-semester examinations. Information sources that are used most by students include lecture notes, Internet and library books with scores of 238 (92.6%), 207 (80.5%) and 199 (77.4%), respectively.Conclusion: ODL students have limited access to information materials for accomplishing their academic activities and Mzuzu University can resolve this challenge by introducing satellite information centres in the three geographical regions of Malawi.

Background: Business intelligence systems (BIS) hold promise for improving organisational decision-making in South Africa. Yet, the use of BIS has been associated with a number of challenges. Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify post implementation factors that contribute to the success of BIS in South African organisations. Method: This study draws on the DeLone and McLean Model of Information Systems success and recent literature on business-intelligence (BI) to develop and test a BIS success model. A quantitative study was conducted in the form of a survey of 102 BI users to validate the BIS success model. Results: Five interrelated factors of BIS success were confirmed. The study found that the quality of information has a strong influence on system use and user satisfaction. It was found that system quality is positively associated with user satisfaction. The results also indicated that service quality is negatively related to user satisfaction. The study also found that user satisfaction is positively associated with nett benefits of a BI system. Conclusion: The study provides insights for both managers and practitioners on the factors to focus on when implementing BIS thereby minimising the adoption risks associated with BI failures.

Background: The potential of the World Wide Web (‘the Web’) as a tool for information retrieval in higher education is beyond question. Harnessing this potential, however, remains a challenge, particularly in the context of developing countries, where students are drawn from diverse socio-economic, educational and technological backgrounds. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the Web search tactics used by postgraduate students in order to address the weaknesses of undergraduate students with regard to their Web searching tactics. This article forms part of a wider study into postgraduate students’ information retrieval strategies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus, South Africa. Method: The study utilised the mixed methods approach, employing both questionnaires (Phase 1) and structured interviews (Phase 2), and was largely underpinned by Bates’s model of information search tactics. This article reports and reflects on the findings of Phase 1, which focused on identifying the Web search tactics employed by postgraduate students. Results: Findings indicated a preference for lower-level Web search tactics, despite respondents largely self-reporting as intermediate or expert users. Moreover, the majority of respondents gained their knowledge on Web searching through experience and only a quarter of respondents have been given formal training on Web searching. Conclusion: In addition to contributing to theory, it is envisaged that this article will contribute to practice by informing the design of undergraduate training interventions to proactively address the information retrieval challenges faced by novice users. Subsequent papers will report on Phase 2 of the study.

In the knowledge economy, organisations are shifting their investment focus to intellectual capital in order to sustain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Organisational survival is increasingly dependent on the organisation’s ability to create and distribute knowledge that contributes to the improvement of performance. The purpose of this article is to evaluate individual knowledge-acquisition and sharing practices in the South African public sector. I applied the techniques of grounded theory analysis to extract themes from data that could provide insight into the knowledge sharing that takes place in the South African public sector. Findings revealed that the informal sharing of knowledge takes place in discussion forums within communities of practice through web-based, socially orientated platforms. These communities of practice are widespread throughout the public sector and are established with the purpose of soliciting expert knowledge from those who have been using open-source software successfully.

Background: Effective knowledge organisations (EKO) create dynamic capabilities through the acquisition, creation, sharing and retention of knowledge. These EKOs are designed to enable an organisation to improve best practices in business. As knowledge is different from other organisational resources, decision-makers ought to understand the importance of knowledge to an organisation. In order to fully utilise knowledge-management (KM) practices and to enhance efficiency, management should appreciate and understand the importance of KM. A proper understanding of KM will add value to organisational knowledge. Objective: This study focused on investigating the knowledge-management practices at selected banks in South Africa. The objective was to establish the extent to which selected banks had implemented knowledge-management practices such as the acquisition, sharing and retention of knowledge. Method: Quantitative and qualitative data for this study were collected through the use of a multi-methods approach. Data were collected from middle and senior managers through the use of questionnaires and an interview protocol. All usable quantitative data were analysed using Survey Monkey and Microsoft Excel 2010 whilst thematic analysis was used to extract detailed, rich and complex data accounts from interviews. Results: Though the study revealed the presence of KM practices at selected banks, KM concepts were not universally understood, thus impeding the organisation-wide implementation of KM practices. Knowledge-management practices were only discussed as a footnote because no formal policies existed to add value to KM initiatives. Conclusion: The study concludes that organisations such as banks should perform a knowledge inventory. Knowledge inventories will become handy during the process of developing KM policies and practices for integrating work processes, collaborating and sharing (including the efficient use of knowledge technology platforms) and developing an enabling institutional culture.

Background: The lack of consideration of the developmental opportunities that online technologies offer small churches in the 21st century forms the foundation of this research article. This article reports on a master’s study which seeks to investigate whether small churches are aware of the opportunities generated by the use of online technologies.Objectives: This study was done to identify the current online technology usage and seeks to create awareness as to how these technologies are impacting congregation members in the small church environment.Method: A quantitative study was conducted in the form of a survey of four small churches in the Johannesburg metropolitan area to identify the current usage and the potential impact online technologies could have upon the small churches.Results: The study indicated that online technologies have a large role to play in the development of small churches and have the ability to increase the involvement of members in church programmes.Conclusion: It is clear that online technologies offer substantial benefits. Small churchesshould incorporate the opportunities associated with online technologies in their strategic plans.

Background: Process analysis and expert consultation help streamline and optimise processes, but these are underutilised. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends migration to electronic data collection by 2015, partly in response to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). We explore the influence of process analysis and iterative expert consultation, on shaping health information solutions to MDR-TB programmes. Methods: The study employs a two phase design. Phase one involves a process analysis of the South African National Tuberculosis Programme and an electronic medical records (EMR) solution and the generation of a detailed process model grounded in the fit between individual task and technology (FITT) theoretical framework using ‘business process modelling notation’. Phase two involves a two round Delphi study in the clinical management of tuberculosis and implementers of EMR solutions. Expert opinion is analysed according to emergent thematic content. Analyses and graphical model representation are performed using Microsoft Excel ® and Visio ® software. Results: A detailed process model is constructed which reveals 54 break points, 12 gaps, 3 risks, 5 wastes. Five participants are included in the Delphi study which support the findings of the process analysis. Thematic analysis identifies five themes: the individual, the process, technology, capacity, and collaboration. The opportunity to include synergistic relations across programmes emerges as a strong theme. Conclusions: Overall, the findings highlight inefficiencies, risk and gaps in the current process and the need for an operational excellence intervention. The study demonstrated the value of process engineering with iterative expert consultation toward developing a meaningful EMR solution consultation in a resource constrained, developing world context.

Background : Knowledge development and innovation are at the heart of the progress of academic and research institutions (ARIs) through individual and coordinated research projects. Collaboration initiatives remain a challenge for many researchers for a myriad of reasons which are further intensified by the many technology options that are available both freely and at varying prices. Although multiple theories were considered, the focus on electronic communication supported by the interest in how innovation is diffused and the richness of media motivated the focus on diffusion of innovations (DOI) and media richness theory (MRT). Objectives : The objective was to develop a multi-dimensional matrix of e-collaboration factors for research institutions. This study investigated collaboration by ARIs while focusing on the supporting and enabling technologies. Method : The grounded theory method (GTM) was adopted. E-collaboration literature was reviewed followed by data collection using observations, interviews and a blog. DOI and MRT were considered as theories that assist in the implementation of collaboration. A blog was developed as an e-collaboration platform to examine the emergent ideas and to collect data. Data was analysed through the coding method which led to the development of the multi-dimensional e-collaboration factors matrix. Results : The findings reveal that e-collaboration has multiple factors that must be considered. Collaboration by participants was improved through knowledge development and innovation. Conclusion : The multi-dimensional matrix of e-collaboration factors presented collaborators with a checklist that will enhance and improve their work. ARIs continue to collaborate at multiple levels depending on their needs and objectives.

Background: The effectiveness with which the Aurum Institute manages to communicate its organisational strategic objectives through its website was investigated. Despite its ground breaking research and programs which have made a positive impact on the community, the major problem that it faces is funding its core.Objectives: An investigation of the website’s content was carried out to determine the extent to which the organisational strategy is reflected to potential funders visiting the site. Requirements for aligning the content with the organisational strategy were identified.Method: Content analysis was used where secondary data, such as website content and organisational strategic objectives, was analysed. An interview was also conducted with Aurum’s knowledge manager to gain an in-depth understanding of the organisation’s strategic objectives and to validate the initial findings.Results: The results show that the website content was not effectively representative of Aurum’s strategic objectives, and that the website structure did not effectively share the information that supports the decision-making process of potential investors. Recommendations were presented to the organisation in the form of a prototype website which reflects the desired website content that is representative of Aurum’s strategic objectives.Conclusion: Further research is required in determining the effect that a strategically driven website could possibly exert on the funding potential of the organisation. The theoretical approach used in this study can be used as a scoping exercise in organisations of a similar business nature.

Background: No empirical evidence is available on whether or not information and communications technology (ICT) is adopted by South African township micro and small businesses (MSBs) in order to grow the business. ICT, as an enabler, can grow the business. It is evident from literature that ICT enables MSBs to be more productive and efficient. Objectives: This research determines to what extent ICT is adopted by MSBs in Soweto, and whether or not a positive correlation exists between the adoption rate of ICT and the financial and growth performance of the MSB itself. Method: A structured questionnaire was completed by 978 respondents to determine the extent of ICT adoption and for what ICT is used. This exploratory research provides new knowledge about the acceptance of ICT within township MSBs. Results: The results indicate that ICT is not used to the fullest by MSBs. Rather, it is used as a basic tool for doing business but it does not form an integral part of the business. This research provides insight into the usage and adoption of ICT and it opens the door for further cross-analysis research. Conclusion: Education and training are needed to ensure that MSBs use ICT to the fullest. MSBs embracing ICT can evolve from a survivalist SME to a more sustainable micro and small MSB.

Background: Ever since social network sites (SNS) became a global phenomenon in almost every industry, security has become a major concern to many SNS stakeholders. Several security techniques have been invented towards addressing SNS security, but information security awareness (ISA) remains a critical point. Whilst very few users have used social circles and applications because of a lack of users’ awareness, the majority have found it difficult to determine the basis of categorising friends in a meaningful way for privacy and security policies settings. This has confirmed that technical control is just part of the security solutions and not necessarily a total solution. Changing human behaviour on SNSs is essential; hence the need for a privately enhanced ISA SNS. Objective: This article presented sOcialistOnline – a newly developed SNS, duly secured and platform independent with various ISA techniques fully implemented. Method: Following a detailed literature review of the related works, the SNS was developed on the basis of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) approach, using PhP as the coding language with the MySQL database engine at the back end. Result: This study addressed the SNS requirements of privacy, security and services, and attributed them as the basis of architectural design for sOcialistOnline. SNS users are more aware of potential risk and the possible consequences of unsecured behaviours. Conclusion: ISA is focussed on the users who are often the greatest security risk on SNSs, regardless of technical securities implemented. Therefore SNSs are required to incorporate effective ISA into their platform and ensure users are motivated to embrace it.

Background: The impact and consequences of social media adoption on society are only just being realised and studied in detail; consequently, there is no universal agreement as to the reasons for the adoption of these services. Even understanding why some social media services are popular remains to some extent elusive. The practical use of Web 2.0 does not provide any answers either with, for example, a noticeable difference in the way social media was strategically used by Barack Obama and Mitch Romney in the lead-up to the 2009 American elections. However, recent studies that have focused on social media adoption within specific sectors have begun to shed some light on these emerging adoption patterns; two studies in particular are illustrative: a 2012 study on the newspaper sector and a study on social media adoption and e-government. Objectives: This study investigates why South African civil society organisations (CSOs) adopt Web 2.0 services and the perceived and actual benefits of such adoption. Method: A survey questionnaire was sent to 1712 South African CSOs listed in the Prodder database to explore why certain social media services were adopted and the perceived benefits thereof. Results: Internal reasons for the adoption of social media services by South African CSOs coalesce around organisational visibility and access to information. External reasons focus on organisations needing to become more relevant and more connected to like-minded organisations and initiatives. Conclusion: The pervasiveness of Web 2.0 technologies makes it inevitable that CSOs will have to restructure themselves to remain relevant.

Background: Recent analysis of the management of information and communications technologies in South African education suggests strongly that there is only limited strategic thinking that might guide policy-makers, school principals, teachers, learners and suppliers of educational technologies. It is clear that here in South Africa, as elsewhere, the actual practice of technology-mediated education is driven more by the available technologies than by actual learner needs, good management principles and the wider national imperative. There might be lessons to be learned from experience elsewhere.Objectives: This article reports and analyses conversation with eight international educators in Europe, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia. All are managing the impact of technology in different ways (reactive and pro-active), at different levels (pre-primary through to senior citizen), in different roles (teachers, administrators and senior managers) and in different contexts (schools and universities).Method: Open-ended conversations with educators and educational administrators in developed countries were recorded, transcribed and analysed. The qualitative analysis of the content was done in the style of ‘open coding’ and ‘selective coding’ using a qualitative content analysis tool.Results: Whilst technology is still seen to drive much thinking, it is found that that success is not derived from the technology, but from a full and proper understanding of the needs and aspirations of those who are directly involved in educational processes, and by means of a managerial focus that properly recognises the context within which an institution exists.Conclusion: Whilst this result might be expected, the detailed analysis of the findings further reveals the need to manage investments in educational technologies at different levels and in different ways.

This article formulates a route map on how law firms in Botswana may utilise knowledge management to enhance their competitive edge amidst the changing legal environment. It draws from the multiple definitions and perspectives of knowledge management, several frameworks and models together with the empirical findings to recommend a strategy for knowledge management in law firms in Botswana. It underscores the fact that knowledge management is becoming an imperative for the survival of law firms as knowledge intensive organisations. Law firms in Botswana can no longer afford to rely on the traditional methods of managing knowledge because there is a need for the 'best minds' and the best knowledge in their area of practice. It is recommended that lawyers should be proactive, adaptive, innovative, effective and competitive in the provision of outstanding, cost-efficient and effective services to clients. Most previous studies in this area have been carried out in developed countries with large law firms.

The columns on competitive intelligence (CI) for 2009 focus on models for CI and how companies use such models. As stated in the previous columns, seldom do two CI practices resemble one another. The reasons are multiple but perhaps the most logical reason is that no two companies are the same. They differ in size, the industry they play in, the manner in which they compete, their competitive strategies, the people and skills and many other reasons. There is no single model. It would perhaps be useful to continue focusing articles in 2009 on examining various CI model approaches and practices in a variety of companies differing in size, industry and structure.

The intranet is a common feature in many organizations. With the increasing use of a technology infrastructure in organizations, there is a continued challenge for employees in an organization to contribute their knowledge willingly and to make use of knowledge sharing with other employees. Intranets are well-suited for use as a strategic tool in knowledge sharing due to their ability to support the distribution, connectivity and publishing of data and information. Intranets should be seen as integral to an organization’s knowledge management strategy and should be tailored to suit and enhance an organization’s knowledge-sharing activities. The question arises: To what extent does an organization’s existing intranet facilitate knowledge sharing? From a practitioner-based inquiry perspective, this question was explored by the selection of a large organization – eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa – as the field of application. Derived from a mixed methodology approach, the results of a survey are presented. It is suggested that encouragement be given for more practitioner-based inquiry research.

This research investigated the factors that influence the use of the public Internet terminal (PIT) system in the Taung and Ganyesa communities. The PIT system is placed in many post offices in these communities but the service is not adequately used by these rural community members. The overall objective of this study was to investigate, develop and recommend a solution for providing the rural communities of Taung and Gyanesa with a simple and effective way to access and utilize the PIT service and the information on it. A case study approach was used for the purpose of this study which gathered a number of findings, including lack of awareness of PIT services, lack of computer skills and confidence, and fear of technology. Other findings were the overloading of information on the PIT, use of language (not the mother tongue), and the slow response of the PIT system. The findings from this study led to some recommendations and a model for PIT use in rural communities.

With the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 4 to 6 June 2008, Africa and South Africa's competitiveness once again fell under the spotlight. The latest WEF Global Competitiveness Report (2008) mentions that African businesses can become more competitive but that African governments, in partnership with global players, should provide the right support in the form of improved access to finance, improved infrastructure and better institutional capacity. In turn, corporates could, in partnership with governments, NGOs and bodies like the UN and World Bank, provide more focused corporate citizenship.

Recently, after a number of years of becoming increasingly involved in the execution of Competitive Intelligence (CI) as opposed to advising companies and organizations on CI structures, models and strategies, IBIS was approached by a large company to assist it in designing and implementing a CI capability. This was quite a novel assignment and once again highlighted the fact that seldom do two CI practices look alike. The reasons are multiple but perhaps the most logical reason is that no two companies or organization are the same. In nature they differ and also in size, the industry they play in, the manner in which they compete, their competitive strategies, the people and skills and many other reasons. Point is, there is no single model although there are common winning elements.

Influence – science and practice Research by social psychologist, Robert Cialdini, reveals that there are six basic principles that govern how one person might influence another. These include reciprocation, consistency and commitment, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity. We elaborate on the remaining four of the six principles and highlight some of their applications in the archetype of the knowledge citizen.

This research focused on what constitutes information integrity as this is a problem facing companies today. Moreover, information integrity is a pillar of information security and is required in order to have a sound security management programme. However, it is acknowledged that 100% information integrity is not currently achievable due to various limitations and therefore the auditing concept of reasonable assurance is adopted. This is in line with the concept that 100% information security is not achievable and the notion that adequate security is the goal, using appropriate countermeasures. The main contribution of this article is to illustrate the importance of and provide a macro view of what constitutes information integrity. The findings are in harmony with Samuel Johnson's words (1751): 'Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.'

The information workers of today have a wide range of information sources available to make valuable decisions, so much so that it can lead to information overload. The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent of information overload in the South African banking industry. The empirical part of this study was done at the Standard Bank of South Africa, where 115 questionnaires were distributed to three categories of employees. It was found that e-mail is one of the most used computer-mediated applications and is used more than the World-Wide Web, instant messaging or peer-to-peer file sharing. Of the respondents, 65% felt overwhelmed by the amount of e-mails they received as 25% received more than 60 e-mails per day. A third of the respondents dedicated three hours or more to e-mails per day. Respondents agreed that the implementation of policies is important to ensure compliance with legislation, protection of privacy rights and copyright, and the filtering of spam. In conclusion, the respondents indicated that formal training in e-mail management should make a significant difference in the usage of e-mail within the organization and reduce e-mail overload.

The notion of trust, according to Misztal (quoted in a Wikipedia entry), attempts to combine all notions of trust together, pointing out three basic things that trust does in the lives of people: it makes social life predictable; it creates a sense of community; and it makes it easier for people to work together. Accordingly, this is synonymous with the epitome of knowledge citizenship including knowledge sharing behaviour and commitment to lifelong learning.

The literature review shows that business intelligence (BI) has a long history even though its systematic use in the business context is more recent. Despite the importance of systematic BI, the concept is still trying to find a footing in both academia and the business world. From the literature review, one sees that there are numerous intelligence concepts and that their categorization is ambiguous. The BI concept is also multidimensional as there is no precise or universal conception of what BI is. The article aims to provide an analysis of BI definitions and related intelligence concepts, such as the content of each key concept, what it describes and how intelligence concepts relate to each other. Another objective of the article is to increase the academic understanding and status of this recent field of research on intelligence activities.

Two global surveys that were conducted over the past two years provide some important insights into the competitive intelligence (CI) practices of large companies globally. The one survey, called State of the Art Competitive Intelligence 2005–2006, was conducted by the Competitive Intelligence Foundation (Fehringer, Hohhof and Johnson 2006) and was based on the answers supplied by 520 CI professionals.

For too many individuals, indigenous knowledge systems provoke no enthusiasm as they are perceived to be dormant and irrelevant. This article attempts to change this perception by highlighting the need for an in-depth knowledge of indigenous knowledge systems and, moreover, indigenous knowledge systems within finance. A comprehensive definition of ethno-finance, as well as examples, is supplied to help in the development of research opportunities within the sub-field of ethno-finance regarding indigenous knowledge systems.

E-books seem to have a chance of success if a number of issues are addressed by all involved sectors: the publishers, the hardware manufacturers, the legal sector and the writers.... To succeed, electronic books must be widely accessible by all segments of the population. Educational institutions should play a large role in improving society’s technological literacy, while ensuring that the content remains strong and valuable. Manufacturers and content owners should put the general benefit of the society above their profit making schemes, and assist in making their products available to the public domain (Berner 2001).

The construction industry represents a significant part of any country's economic activity and knowledge management is considered vital for the survival of organizations. If construction companies made more effective use of their knowledge as their source of competitive advantage, their long-term survival and competitiveness would remain intact. The objective of the research was to assess the extent to which those construction companies who at the time of the research were listed on the South African Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) (Aveng, Basil Read, Concor, Group 5, Murray and Roberts, and WBHO) were using knowledge management, based on a set of criteria in the research instrument. The findings of the research were that the sector as a whole displayed a relatively low level of maturity in the deployment of knowledge management and a number of recommendations were made to improve the performance of the sector in that regard.

Building on the records life-cycle concept the research explored business records management practices in nine exporting companies in the Iringa region of Tanzania. Various records management models were examined and a hybridized records life-cycle theory was proposed and used as the framework for the investigation. The study used interviews protocols and observations schedules to collect primary data from nine exporting companies in the Iringa region. The empirical part of the study revealed that business records in both electronic and paper formats were not adequately managed through their entire life span. There was an urgent need for the management of business records throughout their life-cycle in order to support strategic business objectives and preserve corporate memory.

Anticipating problem areas around relations with a customer could prevent a customer from leaving for the competitor. A decision to change suppliers of service providers from a customer point of view does not happen suddenly or without certain indicators arising over time. Instead, they progress – or fail to progress – through a series of decision points, based on interactions with the company (Weiler 2001).

Translators might tell you that they know of knowledge management (KM) as a term they translate – but many of them are doing precisely that on any of the kudos boards, e-cafes or blogging spaces, not just occasionally, but almost on a daily basis. Yet just over 50% of translators polled on the question are consciously aware that they are engaging in KM, and over 30% of those polled did not know what 'knowledge management' meant.

There is no doubt that knowledge is one of the most valuable resources in organizations. However, its potential value can be severely restricted if its flow is hindered. This article aims to draw attention to the importance of knowledge flow in an organization. The nature of knowledge flow is reviewed, followed by an investigation into the factors that can enable or inhibit the flow of knowledge. These factors are explored with the aid of a newly developed model, which visualizes the knowledge flow elements within the context wherein knowledge flow takes place.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the different ethical issues pertaining to knowledge sharing within organizations and how to create an ethical atmosphere conducive to knowledge sharing by a reframing of the employee's context. In this article, the different ways in which knowledge can be shared within organizations are briefly examined, followed by a discussion on the various ethical challenges related to knowledge sharing within organizations. Following from this, ethical principles based on justice as a moral tool within companies are discussed. The authors consider the benefits of knowledge sharing in a corporate environment and explore the reasons why sharing often does not happen. The discussion then centres on trust and the authors present a framework built around the principles of justice to nurture a knowledge sharing environment.

In the first article published on competitive intelligence (CI) in South Africa (Muller 1999), it was stated that globalization had brought about a need for better information and, more importantly, a need for the ability to translate information into knowledge and to link that knowledge to decision-making and strategy. Several factors led to the rise of CI as a tool to enhance strategic and, to a lesser extent, tactical decision making, including the quest for global competitiveness.

With the emergence of the open network paradigm, it is expected that the strategies of the telecommunications operators and of the software producers will be jointly guided by the dynamics of the interactivity between the supply and the demand, which is promoted by the vertical integration of services that embrace the integration of different and complementary functions on the same distribution network.

The long-term preservation of and access to electronic documents have become increasingly important for organizations. This article addresses the enormous increase in electronic documents, their vulnerability, the importance of preserving them for business, legal and heritage purposes, the preservation challenges they pose, and the role and responsibilities of the knowledge manager in ensuring the long-term preservation and access of electronic documents.

Opportunities for researchers to interact with their global counterparts have improved dramatically since the advent of the knowledge era. To ensure that South Africa continues to meet international standards, the South African national research and development strategy, published in 2002, invited role players to find ways of increasing economic growth and improve the quality of life of all South Africans. Many relatively small, disconnected information projects with various funding streams were initiated to meet this e-Research challenge. However, the authors see a threat to sustainability and the need for a coherent information and knowledge support system and therefore propose a 'Team South Africa' approach, with high-level participation and commitment, to overcome certain current disparities in e-Research support across the system and disciplines, that will be to the benefit of all researchers and research groups.

Closing the digital divide is a problem that is not so easy for developing countries to solve. The lack of infrastructure and other factors, such as the rate of unemployment and low educational level, prevent the eradication of the gap. Community intervention is needed and one recommendation the study makes is that people in rural areas, affected by the lack of information, should develop a strategy to manage their own resources properly.

Digital libraries offer easy access to validated information via a single interface without the need for specialized knowledge of reference materials, indices or materials (Smith and Phillips 1999). A wide range of information resources and skills, including virtual librarians that assist users to access everything from transaction data and computerized databases to external reference materials, are generally available.

The previous three articles in this series focused on elements of competitive intelligence that would, if applied well, contribute to a successful and effective competitive intelligence (CI) programme in a company or organization. Various constructs or dimensions of CI were used as areas in which certain things must go right! These were mentioned briefly as being planning and focus, collection, data analysis and quality control, intelligence dissemination (communication), awareness and culture, process and structure and skills development.

When a new discipline emerges, it usually takes some time and a great deal of academic discussion before concepts and terms become standardized. Text mining is one such new discipline. In a groundbreaking article, Untangling text data mining, Hearst (1999) tackled the problem of clarifying text-mining concepts and terminology. This article is aimed at building on Hearst's ideas by pointing out some inconsistencies and inaccuracies, and suggesting an improved and extended categorization of data-mining and text-mining approaches.

This article deals with information that managers need to access and use for decision making. However, the information that is used does not always specify how accurate and up to date it is. Searches are frequently conducted by intermediaries; however managers do not always specify precisely what information they require, the specific period that should be searched, and what should be searched for. This is problematic for searchers.

Without a proper and appropriate intelligence process and structure, it is difficult to develop intelligence in an enterprise. Companies' efforts to weigh the determining factors of strategic versus tactical needs, decentralized organizational structures, and the focus of decision making lead to the availability of three general organizational structures for the intelligence function, namely highly centralized systems that report to a single corporate entity, decentralized systems that typically incorporate multiple intelligence units serving several organizational components, or hybrid systems that combine features of both previous options. A case study of how competitive intelligence is organized in a South African company, Automaker Inc., is presented.

The corporate intranet is a common feature of both public and private sector enterprises today. It has been found that once the infrastructure and architecture are in place, the real challenge for enterprises is to get users to contribute their own knowledge willingly and to use that of others. The culture of the enterprise needs to promote it. To stay competitive, enterprises need relevant and current knowledge from a variety of sources to allow them to innovate and create new knowledge and consequently new products or solutions for their clients. The enterprise intranet could be the ideal tool to make this possible. For effective knowledge sharing to take place, a knowledge sharing culture and proper knowledge sharing tools and facilities are required.