Thesis (M.Sc.)-Unversity of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.The dissertation explores and explains the design and development of the researcher's Real Value© methodology, through participative action research. The action research (participative exploratory research) was undertaken in the form of professional pilot projects as real world commercial research, for the formulation and emergence of the value-based business development leadership metrics system: The Real Value© Methodology. The outcomes of the action research are captured in select strategic knowledge reports (i.e. client pilot project research reports) which demonstrate the emergence of the Real Value© methodology, in the client and commercial context, through the entire action research process. The clients were contracted on a professional basis and the fees generated from the commercial projects were utilised to fund the resources required to do the knowledge investigations of the client organisations. The methodology was intended as a strategic management system, and subsequently developed, through the action research and pilot projects, into a value-based business development leadership metrics system. The Real Value© methodology aims to create, develop and measure the real value of intangible assets (vs. physical assets) in a continuous and discontinuous process of business development: value that is created and sustained through the highest and best application and utilisation of intangible assets in the knowledge (and industrial) economic context. (Intangible assets herein classified as brand, intellectual property, technology, and human and customer capital). The participative action research was originally inspired by the first Module of the MSc programme 'Managing Complexity' facilitated by Professor Steen Martiny (Copenhagen Business School) during the comparative exercise on 'Extraordinary and Ordinary Management', and specifically during the reading of the first precept of Stacey's (2000) 'Extraordinary Management Theory': "Detect and attract attention to important external and internal issues, ordinarily not noticed." The above precept captures the essence and intrinsic motivation of the researcher for undertaking and performing the participative action research of the dissertation. The dissertation explains the real world professional pilot projects and participative exploratory action research that was undertaken by the researcher in the design and development of the Real Value© methodology