CHAPTER
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
5.8 Personal reflection and future directions
rather see them as service providers. A similar qualitative study with marketers could yield interesting results.
ii. Whether CoPs actually work in the B2B media sector. Further study and analysis of actual B2B media CoPs active in the current industry could yield interesting results which could add greatly to this study which has raised questions and provided research into an under- researched arena, as well as from a unique angle: that of knowledge management with communities of practice.
iii. Further study into how media contribute to knowledge in the knowledge management paradigm, particularly from a new media perspective could yield interesting results in the future as this is a sector which is undergoing radical change and innovation due to the rise of the internet.
If there is one hallmark of the process of inductive data analysis, it is that it is thorough in getting to the heart of a matter. The rich data generated in these, the first formal research interviews within the B2B media industry in South Africa, has created a storm of chatter and requests for the data to be shared for the benefit of the industry - no matter the eventual outcome of the project. It is the process that matters most. In a research-starved and often disregarded industry such as the B2B media industry - while still being relatively youthful in the South African media landscape - the passion and regard the respondents have for their craft has inspired this researcher to disseminate the process and outcome of the study in an open source manner (free). This will be done on the internet through a blog set up especially to continue the dialogue, as well as other more formal channels such as local and international B2B media web forums and websites already established and those set up for the express purpose of promoting the efforts of TABPI South Africa, which this researcher is a part of. Requests have also come from the interview respondents to feedback the study results direct in closed sessions to their teams, as well as in open presentations to the industry, marketers and communications specialists, as well as to the international business-to-business association based in the United States of America: TABPI, to which this researcher has been invited to address in Kansas, USA in July 2008. This researcher has been instrumental in launching a chapter of TABPI in South Africa to assist B2B editors and is in the process of launching a B2B media blog online to continue the conversation and share the process and findings of this research study in an 'open source' manner online. It is hoped that the researcher's blog will grow to be a true B2B media community of practice online, but that emergence will be up to the community that chooses to engage with the information.
Additional questions as to the current deconstruction of the media landscape with the evolution of new media tools and the upsurge in social media applications also emerged in the research process.
Issues arose that have nothing to do with this research dissertation, but have impact for the business- to-business publishing industry in South Africa. These findings have been workshopped separately with the industry in various forums already and will continue to do so to add to the conversation on excellence within the business-to-business industry, for example, in forums with: the Public Relations Institute of South Africa (PRISA); the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC);
PR-Net peer group for public relations professionals in Johannesburg and Cape Town; as well as at conferences on media relations, marketing and communications excellence. The Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa (MPASA) has requested that an executive summary of these research findings been added to their new website as a resource. Various articles will also be disseminated through business-to-business publications in the media industry in South Africa and internationally through TABPI, the global organisation for business-to-business publishers, as well as through the researchers own media, Bizcommunity.com which reaches 85 000 subscribers across Africa on a weekly basis, with 250 000 unique users of the website per month. The researcher's 22 year career in
the industry and position as a leading editor and media commentator has been greatly added to and informed by the intensive learning experience that was the journey for this study.
Further outreach is needed to mainstream media organisations to ensure that the business-to-business media sector in South Africa is supported fully by relevant and regulatory industry bodies. It is hoped that the establishment of a South African Editor's Chapter of TABPI will go some way in addressing reputational, support and research issues currently highlighted in the industry locally. It is also recommended that representations be made to educational institutions in South Africa which offer journalism qualifications to review the curriculum to include study on the business-to-business/trade
media sector and highlight opportunities within this growing and dynamic sector. This researcher has volunteered for the 'training portfolio' on the working committee of TABPI SA and will also be preparing a series of lectures and training courses for various industry and journalism institutions to 'spread the word' and uplift the profile of the industry in South Africa specifically in the short term and it is envisaged, Africa, in the longer term.
It would be hoped that B2B media in South Africa, in particular, would consider the results of this study and add to the narrative.
ends.