1.1 Title for the Study:
"Integrating Knowledge Management and Human Resource Practices for Reducing Organizational Knowledge Loss in South African State-Owned Enterprises"
, 1.1 Title for the Study:
"Integrating Knowledge Management and Human Resource Practices for Reducing
Organisational Knowledge Loss in South African State-Owned Enterprises"
1.2 Real-World Problem:
The real-world problem addressed in this research is the significant knowledge loss
experienced by South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs) due to the attrition of valuable
firm-specific human resources. This loss of knowledge is driven by both voluntary and
involuntary turnover of employees and a lack of effective retention strategies. Despite being
custodians of firm-specific human resources, the human resource management (HRM)
departments within SOEs have failed to effectively manage and retain critical organizational
knowledge. This poses a serious risk to the developmental mandate of SOEs and their
sustained competitive advantage.
1.3 Origin of the Problem:
The problem of organisational knowledge loss in SOEs originated from various factors such as
high turnover rates of employees, both voluntary (employees leaving on their own accord)
and involuntary (employees being laid off), which results in the departure of valuable tacit
knowledge. Additionally, the absence of effective knowledge management practices,
dedicated knowledge management roles, silo mentalities, and bureaucratic barriers
exacerbates this problem. These factors collectively contribute to the erosion of critical
knowledge assets within SOEs.
1.4 Research Area of Information Science:
The study addresses the research area of "Knowledge Management" within Information
Science. It specifically focuses on the integration of knowledge management practices and
human resource management practices to mitigate the loss of organisational knowledge.
1.5 Research Approach:
The research approach adopted in this study is a "mixed methods research approach" using
an "exploratory sequential design." This approach combines both qualitative and quantitative
methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem and then validate the
findings. The exploratory sequential design involves initiating the research with a qualitative
phase, where interviews with HR managers and analysis of annual reports were conducted to
comprehensively understand the factors contributing to organisational knowledge loss in
South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The qualitative insights gathered from this
phase were then utilized to develop a survey questionnaire for the subsequent quantitative
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