UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Science, Engineering and Technology
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INS3705: Information and
Knowledge Management
Assignment 2 — Semester 1, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INS3705
Module Code:
Information and Knowledge Manage-
Module Name:
ment
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
April 2026
Due Date:
100
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for INS3705 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | INS3705 Information and Knowledge Management
Question 1: Knowledge Management at ImbizoTech Solutions
1.1 Critical Evaluation of Current Knowledge Management Practices at ImbizoTech So-
lutions
ImbizoTech Solutions operates in a sector where competitive advantage is almost en-
tirely a function of what its people know, how quickly they can apply that knowledge,
and how effectively they share it across teams. Understanding the current state of
KM at ImbizoTech therefore requires examining strengths, weaknesses, and risks to-
gether, before considering what a more integrated strategy might look like (Davenport
and Prusak, 1998).
Strengths
ImbizoTech has made real investments in digital collaboration platforms and project
knowledge repositories. These tools reflect a deliberate effort to codify and store
explicit knowledge, making it accessible and reusable across projects. Alavi and Leid-
ner (2001:107) describe this function as central to a knowledge management system:
the objective is to support the creation, transfer, and application of knowledge by pro-
moting technological infrastructure that captures what an organisation has learned.
The existence of this infrastructure is a genuine strength.
The use of project-based teams is equally significant. When consultants work to-
gether under time pressure on complex client problems, they are not just delivering
work; they are socialising tacit knowledge through shared experience, observation,
and joint problem-solving. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) describe this as the Socialisa-
tion phase of knowledge creation, through which tacit knowledge transfers between
individuals without necessarily being documented. Finally, the firm’s mentoring and
training initiatives facilitate a structured channel for experiential knowledge to flow
from senior consultants to newer staff, supporting capacity development and knowl-
edge continuity (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995).
Page 2 of 29
, UNISA | INS3705 Information and Knowledge Management
Weaknesses and Knowledge-Related Risks
Despite these strengths, three persistent weaknesses undermine ImbizoTech’s KM
effectiveness.
The first is knowledge silos. When information flows within teams but not between
them, the organisation loses the cross-functional learning that drives innovation.
Davenport and Prusak (1998) argue that knowledge trapped in silos becomes frag-
mented and underutilised, which limits both collaboration and competitive respon-
siveness. At ImbizoTech, silos may mean that a solution developed by one project
team is never adopted by another facing the same problem, creating duplication of
effort and missed learning opportunities.
The second weakness is knowledge hoarding among senior consultants. De Long
and Fahey (2000:113) identify this as a culturally driven barrier: individuals retain
critical tacit knowledge when the organisational culture does not actively reward
sharing, when trust is insufficient, or when incentive structures make knowledge a
private source of job security. This behaviour increases organisational vulnerability by
creating single points of knowledge failure. If a senior consultant leaves, the organ-
isation has no accessible record of their expertise, their client relationships, or their
problem-solving approaches.
The third weakness, staff turnover, is directly connected to this failure to externalise
tacit knowledge. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) describe Externalisation as the SECI
process through which tacit knowledge is converted into explicit, shareable forms
such as documentation, models, or frameworks. Where this process does not hap-
pen, knowledge walks out the door with departing employees, and organisational
memory diminishes with each departure. The cumulative effect is reduced decision-
making quality, repeated problem-solving from scratch, and declining innovation
capacity (Davenport and Prusak, 1998).
Page 3 of 29
College of Science, Engineering and Technology
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INS3705: Information and
Knowledge Management
Assignment 2 — Semester 1, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INS3705
Module Code:
Information and Knowledge Manage-
Module Name:
ment
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
April 2026
Due Date:
100
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for INS3705 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | INS3705 Information and Knowledge Management
Question 1: Knowledge Management at ImbizoTech Solutions
1.1 Critical Evaluation of Current Knowledge Management Practices at ImbizoTech So-
lutions
ImbizoTech Solutions operates in a sector where competitive advantage is almost en-
tirely a function of what its people know, how quickly they can apply that knowledge,
and how effectively they share it across teams. Understanding the current state of
KM at ImbizoTech therefore requires examining strengths, weaknesses, and risks to-
gether, before considering what a more integrated strategy might look like (Davenport
and Prusak, 1998).
Strengths
ImbizoTech has made real investments in digital collaboration platforms and project
knowledge repositories. These tools reflect a deliberate effort to codify and store
explicit knowledge, making it accessible and reusable across projects. Alavi and Leid-
ner (2001:107) describe this function as central to a knowledge management system:
the objective is to support the creation, transfer, and application of knowledge by pro-
moting technological infrastructure that captures what an organisation has learned.
The existence of this infrastructure is a genuine strength.
The use of project-based teams is equally significant. When consultants work to-
gether under time pressure on complex client problems, they are not just delivering
work; they are socialising tacit knowledge through shared experience, observation,
and joint problem-solving. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) describe this as the Socialisa-
tion phase of knowledge creation, through which tacit knowledge transfers between
individuals without necessarily being documented. Finally, the firm’s mentoring and
training initiatives facilitate a structured channel for experiential knowledge to flow
from senior consultants to newer staff, supporting capacity development and knowl-
edge continuity (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995).
Page 2 of 29
, UNISA | INS3705 Information and Knowledge Management
Weaknesses and Knowledge-Related Risks
Despite these strengths, three persistent weaknesses undermine ImbizoTech’s KM
effectiveness.
The first is knowledge silos. When information flows within teams but not between
them, the organisation loses the cross-functional learning that drives innovation.
Davenport and Prusak (1998) argue that knowledge trapped in silos becomes frag-
mented and underutilised, which limits both collaboration and competitive respon-
siveness. At ImbizoTech, silos may mean that a solution developed by one project
team is never adopted by another facing the same problem, creating duplication of
effort and missed learning opportunities.
The second weakness is knowledge hoarding among senior consultants. De Long
and Fahey (2000:113) identify this as a culturally driven barrier: individuals retain
critical tacit knowledge when the organisational culture does not actively reward
sharing, when trust is insufficient, or when incentive structures make knowledge a
private source of job security. This behaviour increases organisational vulnerability by
creating single points of knowledge failure. If a senior consultant leaves, the organ-
isation has no accessible record of their expertise, their client relationships, or their
problem-solving approaches.
The third weakness, staff turnover, is directly connected to this failure to externalise
tacit knowledge. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) describe Externalisation as the SECI
process through which tacit knowledge is converted into explicit, shareable forms
such as documentation, models, or frameworks. Where this process does not hap-
pen, knowledge walks out the door with departing employees, and organisational
memory diminishes with each departure. The cumulative effect is reduced decision-
making quality, repeated problem-solving from scratch, and declining innovation
capacity (Davenport and Prusak, 1998).
Page 3 of 29
