The role of knowledge management in a tax service environment, Durban, South Africa.

Abstract

Knowledge is one of the key assets that needs to be managed carefully by organizations in the provision of services in the 21st century. However, the concept is relatively new to the public sector in South Africa such that its potential is largely undermined. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of knowledge management in a tax service environment in Durban. A qualitative research method was selected for this study and nine operations managers as participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data was collected through face to face interviews conducted with Operations Managers from the service centre within the Durban region to gain their in-depth understanding and experiences of the role of knowledge management within the branch office. The collected data was analysed by means of content analysis. In this study, results show that knowledge management has both positive and negative effects on the provision of services at South African Revenue Service (SARS). Knowledge management enhance efficiency in customer service delivery, improve customer service by knowledgeable employees and reduces the number of taxpayer complaints. This study also revealed that negative effects of knowledge management at SARS include poor scheduling of knowledge management activities such as assessments which impede service delivery while lack of knowledge by employees leads to poor quality of responses to queries by taxpayers. In terms of the impact of knowledge management on the performance of employees, the study revealed that the creation and use of shared knowledge was key to make informed decision, while reinforcement of interdependencies enhanced resolution of problems. Furthermore, knowledge also enhanced employee efficiency in meeting performance objectives but also improved teamwork and communication. To enhance the provision of tax service through knowledge management, operations managers recommend that a well-defined knowledge management infrastructure and culture, improved delivery mode of training and improved communication streams to ensure accurate and timeous information are key. Areas for future research are highlighted in this study.