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Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.

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Main Author: Denner, Lize
Other Authors: Van der Walt, M. S.
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
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access_status_str Open Access
author Denner, Lize
author2 Van der Walt, M. S.
author_browse Denner, Lize
Van der Walt, M. S.
author_facet Van der Walt, M. S.
Denner, Lize
author_sort Denner, Lize
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53465
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:41:19.170Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2012
publishDateRange 2012
publishDateSort 2012
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53465 Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa Denner, Lize Van der Walt, M. S. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. Knowledge management -- South Africa Small business -- South Africa Small, micro and medium enterprises Dissertations -- Information science Theses -- Information science Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study was conducted to determine the need of SMMEs with regard to the availability and organisation of information. Literature on the subjects of information that is available in SMMEs and how this information should be organised was studied to determine whether it provides SMMEs with enough knowledge to find external information and extract internal information. The literature regarding information management and organisation was also studied to determine whether it can be used by a owner/manager of an SMME to organise its information in such a way that it can be retrieved and used. The study also included an empirical part with the purpose of discovering the current practices regarding the collection, organisation and use of information in SMMEs. Twenty-four structured interviews were conducted in four towns, namely Kuilsriver, Stellenbosch, Upington and Makhado (Louis Trichardt). During the interviews a questionnaire was used to investigate the uses of computers, the availability and need for information from the external and internal environment, and lastly electronic and manual systems used to organise information. When the interviews were concluded the systems were, especially the electronic folder systems, further investigated through observation. This provided an excellent opportunity to discover the usefulness of a system and even what type of information is really available and needed. It was found that SMME owner/managers are mostly aware of internal information, but do not know how to extract it or what other application possibilities it has. External information is not widely available or used. The only external information available is that which the SMMEs are required to have by law. Information organisation, although critically important to all SMMEs, was mostly not done effectively. Electronic folder structures and manual filing systems are mostly used for information organisation, but they are not effectively used because of lack of skill and no other literature or association to turn to. To assist SMMEs in the development of a folder structure system a number of guidelines are provided that will help to design a natural or structured language system tailored to the specific needs of the business. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is gedoen om vas te stel wat klein, medium en mikro ondernemings se behoeftes rakende die beskikbaarheid en die organisering van inligting, is. Literatuur wat hierdie twee onderwerpsareas dek, is bestudeer om vas te stel of dit genoeg kennis aan die ondernemings oordra om eksterne inligting op te spoor, en interne inligting te onttrek. Literatuur wat handel oor inligtingsbestuur en inligtingsorganisering is bestudeer om uit te vind of dit deur 'n eienaar/bestuurder van 'n klein onderneming gebruik sou kon word om inligting te organiseer, sodat dit weer opgespoor kan word. 'n Empiriese studie het ook deeI uitgemaak van die algehele studie en het daarop gefokus om vas te stel wat die huidige praktyke rakende versameling, organisering en gebruik van inligting in klein ondernemings is. Vier en twintig gestruktureerde onderhoude is in vier dorpe, naamlik Kuilsrivier, Stellenbosch, Upington en Makhado (Louis Trichardt), gevoer. Gedurende die onderhoude is 'n vraelys gebruik om ondersoek in te stel na die gebruike van rekenaars, die beskikbaarheid en gebruik van interne en eksterne inligting en, laastens, die elektroniese en handstelsels wat gebruik word in klein ondernemings. Na afloop van die onderhoude is stelsels verder ondersoek deur middel van observasie van veral elektroniese leergidsstelsels. Die observasie het 'n guldige geleentheid gebied om die bruikbaarheid van die stelsel en selfs die inligtingsbehoeftes van die onderneming te toets. Daar is bevind dat die eienaars/bestuurders van klein ondernemings wel bewus is van die interne inligting, maar nie die kennis het om dit te herwin of om inligting in ander prosesse toe te pas nie. Eksterne inligting word nie algemeen gebruik nie. Die enigste wat meestal voorkom is eksterne inligting wat volgens wet in die besit van die onderneming moet wees. Inligtingsorganisering is wel as van kritieke belang aangedui deur alle klein besighede, maar in die meeste word dit glad nie effektief toegepas nie. Elektroniese leerqidsstelsels en liasseerkabinette word algemeen gebruik, maar 'n tekort aan vaardighede en literatuur om leiding te gee veroorsaak dat hulle nie effektief gebruik kan word nie. Om klein besighede behulpsaam te wees met die ontwikkeling van leerstelsels is 'n aantal riglyne verskaf. Hierdie riglyne sal die klein besighede van hulp kan wees in die ontwikkeling van 'n natuurlike- of gestruktuurde taal stelsel wat by die behoeftes van die besigheid aangepas kan word. Masters 2012-08-27T11:35:29Z 2012-08-27T11:35:29Z 2003-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53465 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 156 p. : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Knowledge management -- South Africa
Small business -- South Africa
Small, micro and medium enterprises
Dissertations -- Information science
Theses -- Information science
Denner, Lize
Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
title Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
title_full Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
title_fullStr Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
title_short Information organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
title_sort information organisation in small medium and micro enterprises smmes in south africa
topic Knowledge management -- South Africa
Small business -- South Africa
Small, micro and medium enterprises
Dissertations -- Information science
Theses -- Information science
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53465
work_keys_str_mv AT dennerlize informationorganisationinsmallmediumandmicroenterprisessmmesinsouthafrica