The Sharing of Knowledge to Gain a Competitive Advantage by Small Businesses in Africa: Some critical comments

The application of knowledge management methods by small businesses in Africa can contribute to the continent's growth rate. Africa's wealth lies in its human resources, and in its indigenous knowledge. Investing in the intellectual development of African people, and preserving their indigenous knowledge is an important route towards sustainable development. If small African businesses learn to apply knowledge management methods — particularly the SECI model in order to preserve and use their indigenous knowledge in their local markets, they will indeed reach new horizons of competitive advantage and market profitability.     

High‐resolution geospatial surveying techniques provide new insights into rock‐art landscapes at Shuwaymis,Saudi Arabia

Many parts of the Arabian Peninsula contain rock art that has received minimal archaeological attention or has not yet been thoroughly surveyed. In 2001 an extensive rock‐art complex called Shuwaymis, Ha'il Province, Saudi Arabia was brought to the attention of the Saudi General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. This paper sets out the results of the first high‐resolution geospatial mapping and recording of rock art at this remote site. The research saw the innovative use of a differential GPS to record rock‐art panels to within 5 mm of accuracy at the site of Shuwaymis‐2, the first time that such technology has been used to record rock art in the Arabian Peninsula. With such technology it was possible to show which of eighty‐three late prehistoric rock‐art panels surveyed were in their original position and which had fallen, and to demonstrate that there was spatial homogeneity of rock‐art styles and composition across the site. The mapping recorded multiple panels of cattle, ibex, equid, large cat and other animals. The depictions of lions and cattle in particular indicate that the rock art must have been engraved no later than the early Holocene humid phase (c.10–6 ka BP).