Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa

Norma Romm; Bongani Nkambule

doi:10.17275/per.22.60.9.3

EN

Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa

Abstract

In this article, we consider the instituting of effective and ethical knowledge management in the arena of public schooling, with reference to a multiple case study involving three schools in Emalahleni Circuit 1, 2 and 3 in South Africa. Teachers, HoDs, administrative clerks, and principals (20 participants altogether) were interviewed in depth concerning their understandings of knowledge management. We explicate Nonaka and colleagues’ model of knowledge management, which they developed to apply to business and public organizations and which is considered seminal in the literature on knowledge management. It is tied to (Japanese) principles of ba – where people recognize their occupation of a shared space with others. We relate this model to a discussion on the applicability of the African concept of Ubuntu to the knowledge management practices in the selected public schools. We use these cases to consider Ubuntu-directed knowledge management as a process of developing sharedness of purpose among the stakeholders within the schools (internal stakeholders) and outside thereof (in the wider community and society). We indicate to what extent and in what ways the participants experienced knowledge management in this way

Keywords

ba principles, collective orientation, knowledge construction, shared space, sociocultural milieu, social responsibility, stakeholder engagement, Ubuntu.

Supporting Institution

This research was done towards Bongani Nkambuli's doctoral thesis. (He has now graduated from Unisa.)

Project Number

There was no project number. I have uploaded his ethical clearance certificate

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Other Fields of Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Norma Romm ^*
0000-0002-1722-9720
South Africa

Bongani Nkambule This is me
0000-0001-9022-0960
South Africa

Publication Date

May 1, 2022

Submission Date

November 20, 2021

Acceptance Date

December 11, 2021

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Volume: 9 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.60.9.3

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA36XR98XM

APA

Romm, N., & Nkambule, B. (2022). Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa. Participatory Educational Research, 9(3), 166-179. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.60.9.3

AMA

1.Romm N, Nkambule B. Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa. PER. 2022;9(3):166-179. doi:10.17275/per.22.60.9.3

Chicago

Romm, Norma, and Bongani Nkambule. 2022. “Knowledge Management for Effective and Ethical Management of Public Schools: Perspectives from South Africa”. Participatory Educational Research 9 (3): 166-79. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.60.9.3.

EndNote

Romm N, Nkambule B (May 1, 2022) Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa. Participatory Educational Research 9 3 166–179.

IEEE

[1]N. Romm and B. Nkambule, “Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa”, PER, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 166–179, May 2022, doi: 10.17275/per.22.60.9.3.

ISNAD

Romm, Norma - Nkambule, Bongani. “Knowledge Management for Effective and Ethical Management of Public Schools: Perspectives from South Africa”. Participatory Educational Research 9/3 (May 1, 2022): 166-179. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.60.9.3.

JAMA

1.Romm N, Nkambule B. Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa. PER. 2022;9:166–179.

MLA

Romm, Norma, and Bongani Nkambule. “Knowledge Management for Effective and Ethical Management of Public Schools: Perspectives from South Africa”. Participatory Educational Research, vol. 9, no. 3, May 2022, pp. 166-79, doi:10.17275/per.22.60.9.3.

Vancouver

1.Norma Romm, Bongani Nkambule. Knowledge management for effective and ethical management of public schools: Perspectives from South Africa. PER. 2022 May 1;9(3):166-79. doi:10.17275/per.22.60.9.3