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“Every change is difficult” A case study of employee behavior in Mölnlycke Health Care's intranet
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Traditionally, consumers used the Internet to simply expend content: they read it, they watched it, and they used it to buy products and services. Increasingly, however, consumers are utilizing platforms--such as content sharing sites, blogs, social networking, and wikis--to create, modify, share, and discuss Internet content. This represents the social media phenomenon, which can now significantly impact a firm's reputation, sales, and even survival. Yet, many executives eschew or ignore this form of media because they don't understand what it is, the various forms it can take, and how to engage with it and learn. In response, we present a framework that defines social media by using seven functional building blocks: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups. As different social media activities are defined by the extent to which they focus on some or all of these blocks, we explain the implications that each block can have for how firms should engage with social media. To conclude, we present a number of recommendations regarding how firms should develop strategies for monitoring, understanding, and responding to different social media activities.
There is much talk about the Web 2.0 in the trade p ress but it is still very difficult to precisely define what it is. Is it yet another technology buzz word or does the concept capture something genuinely new? In this paper we review the literature and exa mine the main arguments for and against Web 2.0 as a useful concept. From a supportive/obstructive and active/passive management perspective we devise four possible scenarios for Web 2.0 and the enterprise. Based on traditional intranet management principles we discuss whether or not the se ideas can successfully be applied to intranets.We argue that although the Web 2.0 concep t does contain a core of attitudes, ideas, and services that mark a shift in the way we interact o ver the Web, the edges are too difficult to define. Hence, Web 2.0 may be an empirical phenomenon that people talk about but as an analytical concept it has little to offer. Still, the technologies associated with Web 2.0 have made their entrance in th e corporate world, and commentators already speak of intranet 2.0 or Enterprise 2.0. We conclude that more research on intranet 2.0 or Enterprise 2.0 is needed in order to guide tomorrow's managers.
Identification, generation, transfer, storage and efficient integration of knowledge occupy today’s corporate managers, and there is increasing interest in different strategies for managing knowledge. Many strategies correspond to different kinds of information technology, for example, intranet. An intranet can be regarded both as an information and strategic management tool in the context of knowledge management. A lack of reflexivity in intranet use is based on the assumption that an intranet is a tool in its masters’ hands. Key elements in managing an intranet (such as, activity level and information input) are not just tools to control the transportation of information and knowledge in a convenient and efficient way. Rather, as constituents, these elements create the intranet. Several empirical examples suggest how information presented in an intranet – and knowledge about the information – is co-created in the process of using an intranet. A Foucauldian vision of knowledge as discursive practices, including representation, extends the overly static realist version of knowledge found in much KM. Furthermore, if highest demand for intranet activity levels were met, professional investment managers would be forced to become generalists
The scope of this paper is to report on an interpretation of the significance and the meanings of the signage of intranet sites. Based on the theories of structuralist semiology, we examined 22 intranet sites of companies and public sector organizations, as well as six intranet construction systems. Analysis and interpretation of such sources indicates that web sites conceal a virtual segregation structure, under the guise of integration of information. The text contributes to an understanding of relationships between the fields of information technology and domination systems, with practical implications for the development of points of interaction between the fields of information science and management science.
We report on a study of the relationship between collaboration and knowledge management. Successful knowledge management projects encourage and enhance collaboration between employees. The presence of `collaborative' technologies might help that process but does not automatically increase collaboration. Empirical evidence is taken from a broad range of organisations: Anglian Water plc, BG Technology, BP Amoco plc, Ernst and Young and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Four of these organisations focus their knowledge management policy on the development of their corporate intranet. The empirical evidence shows that knowledge management is a collaborative activity, which depends on the creation of `shared context' between the participants. This is more likely to occur with a combination of face-toface meetings and machine-mediated communications. __________________ The copyright of this paper belongs to the paper's authors. Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted provide that copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage Proc. of the Third Int. Conf. On Practical Aspects of Knowledge Management (PAKM2000) Basel, Switzerland , 30 -- 31 Oct. 2000, (U Reimer, ed.) http://sunsite.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/Publications/SEUR-WS/Vol-34/ 1
The problem and the solution. This article integrates literature on organizational factors that influence knowledge management (KM) effectiveness that have been identified in several bodies of literature: HRD, information technology, and management. A framework has been developed that categorizes the various organizational factors and their paths of influence on KM effectiveness. It advances knowledge in the field of HRD by summarizing existing knowledge, identifying gaps, and providing agenda for future research in KM. It also provides practitioners of KM a holistic understanding of how organizational context influences KM effectiveness. This knowledge may help them to (a) diagnose their organizational environment before launching KM projects, (b) communicate with stakeholders the importance of ensuring a KM-friendly environment, and (c) optimize their resources and strategies to remove organizational barriers and cultivate organizational enablers for KM.
Knowledge management (KM) is one of the growing interests in today's business, and the number of enterprises turning to knowledge management is increasing quickly, as they have found there are definite benefits. Therefore, with the importance of KM being realized, businesses are viewing KM as a critical success factor in today's dynamic borderless society. In the light of this, it is easy to understand why a multitude of factors become considerations in implementing a knowledge management function.
The article focuses on Intranet technology as the result of overlapping negotiations among social actors inside organizations. Such negotiations are aimed at establishing and embedding specific relations and representations of work, communication, and learning into the technological artifact. Two case studies are presented to analyze practices and processes of implementation and use of the Intranet. The fieldwork, carried out in two companies in Italy and the United Kingdom, shows how specific contexts and organizational histories can affect such processes. Despite the “optimistic” imagery associated with Intranet technology and the high expectations about its communicative and economic efficiency, the article points out many constraints in the process of implementation and use. Company history and culture, skills and work groups, and use of other technologies and media are relevant factors to account for the current use of the two systems and their low degree of integration into everyday working and communicative practices.
Purpose
– Leading business thinkers agree that knowing how to collaborate is the key to effective knowledge creation and sharing, and to future business success. But collaboration is voluntary, and difficult to manage for hierarchical organizations accustomed to top‐down control. This is reflected in the difficulties organizations typically encounter when trying to persuade people to use technology tools designed to support collaboration. Social software, such as wikis and blogs, appears to be different. Wikis and blogs have become established outside the business world in phenomena such as Wikipedia and are now moving into mainstream business practice. The purpose of this article is to explore the role of wikis and blogs in supporting collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
– The article explores the use of social software in organizations through three case studies produced as part of a Henley Knowledge Management Forum research project.
Findings
– The findings suggest that social software has the potential to help organizations develop collaboration capability, but the bottom‐up features that make it attractive to users can also make it unattractive to groups of people with a stake in preserving existing organizational structures.
Originality/value
– The paper suggests that the impact of social software in an organization depends on the nature of the existing hierarchy and bureaucracy, and that social software can help organizations break down traditional hierarchies that impede collaboration and knowledge sharing. Preliminary work to develop a framework for understanding and managing these interactions is also presented.
Within the context of knowledge management, little research has been conducted that identifies the antecedents of a knowledge-centered culture—those organizational qualities that encourage knowledge creation and dissemination. In this study, the existing literature on organizational climate, job characteristics, and organizational learning (in the form of cooperative learning theory) are linked with the current thinking and research findings related to knowledge management to develop a theoretical model explaining the relationships among organizational climate, the level of cooperative learning that takes place between knowledge workers, and the resulting level of knowledge created and disseminated as measured by team performance and individual satisfaction levels. The study goes on to empirically test the proposed research model by investigating the climate of organizations, and seeks to understand the linkage between a set of organizational and individual characteristics and knowledge-related activities found in cooperative learning groups and the resulting work outcomes. The hypothesized research model is tested using LISREL with data collected from 203 information systems (IS) professionals engaged in systems development activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications the results have for future research and managerial practice.
One of the most frequent causes of partial or total failure of an Intranet project is certainly the undervaluation of the importance of the organizational aspects. In fact, most of the companies manage the implementation project in a purely technical perspective without systematically facing the organizational and the change management aspects.Particularly critical is the definition of governance—the organizational choices that determine the division of the responsibilities and the key criteria to be followed in the planning and management of an Intranet initiative. Inadequate decisions regarding governance are often difficult to be modified and can jeopardize the development possibilities and the Intranet effectiveness.Basing on the results of the Permanent Observatory on Intranets in the period 2003–2007, and a multiple case studies methodology, this article aims at analyzing and interpreting the choices of governance carried out in the several phases of the evolution path. 110 cases were developed and analysed using a retrospective logic, in order to verify the evolution of the observed variables; some are also longitudinal cases. For each phase it has been identified the typical approaches, the main criticalities and some guidelines emerging from the analysis of the best practices and the cases of failure. The management guidelines have been systematized in the “Intranet roadmap” that offers actionable knowledge to effectively govern the evolution of the Intranet towards an advanced Virtual Workspace.
The biggest challenge in fostering a virtual community is the supply of knowledge, namely the willingness to share knowledge with other members. This paper integrates the Social Cognitive Theory and the Social Capital Theory to construct a model for investigating the motivations behind people's knowledge sharing in virtual communities. The study holds that the facets of social capital — social interaction ties, trust, norm of reciprocity, identification, shared vision and shared language — will influence individuals' knowledge sharing in virtual communities. We also argue that outcome expectations — community-related outcome expectations and personal outcome expectations — can engender knowledge sharing in virtual communities. Data collected from 310 members of one professional virtual community provide support for the proposed model. The results help in identifying the motivation underlying individuals' knowledge sharing behavior in professional virtual communities. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.
Purpose
To date, critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing knowledge management (KM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not been systematically investigated. Existing studies have derived their CSFs from large companies' perspectives and have not considered the needs of smaller businesses. This paper is aimed to bridge this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
Existing studies on CSFs were reviewed and their limitations were identified. By integrating insights drawn from these studies as well as adding some new factors, the author proposed a set of 11 CSFs which is believed to be more suitable for SMEs. The importance of the proposed CSFs was theoretically discussed and justified. In addition, an empirical assessment was conducted to evaluate the extent of success of this proposition.
Findings
The overall results from the empirical assessment were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed CSFs.
Practical implications
The set of CSFs can act as a list of items for SMEs to address when adopting KM. This helps to ensure that the essential issues and factors are covered during implementation. For academics, it provides a common language for them to discuss and study the factors crucial for the success of KM in SMEs.
Originality/value
This study is probably the first to provide an integrative perspective of CSFs for implementing KM in the SME sector. It gives valuable information, which hopefully will help this business sector to accomplish KM.
The theme of knowledge sharing is discussed extensively in the knowledge management literature. Such work tends to focus on the barriers that impede knowledge sharing activity. Of these "culture" is commonly cited as a major obstacle. This article examines what is meant by the term "culture". In the context of efforts to promote good practice in knowledge management, it is argued that straightforward reference to culture as barrier to knowledge sharing is inadequate. Rather, firms should be looking at power issues and, in particular, organisational politics to explain success and failure in attempts to motivate knowledg e sharing. The domain of sociotechnical studies is considered as a means of unpicking cultural issues at work in specific environments through the deployment of actor -network theory to identify shifting organisational power relationships.
The rise of the computer and the increasing importance of intellectual assets have compelled executives to examine the knowledge underlying their businesses and how it is used. Because knowledge management as a conscious practice is so young, however, executives have lacked models to use as guides. To help fill that gap, the authors recently studied knowledge management practices at management consulting firms, health care providers, and computer manufacturers. They found two very different knowledge management strategies in place. In companies that sell relatively standardized products that fill common needs, knowledge is carefully codified and stored in databases, where it can be accessed and used--over and over again--by anyone in the organization. The authors call this the codification strategy. In companies that provide highly customized solutions to unique problems, knowledge is shared mainly through person-to-person contacts; the chief purpose of computers is to help people communicate. They call this the personalization strategy. A company's choice of knowledge management strategy is not arbitrary--it must be driven by the company's competitive strategy. Emphasizing the wrong approach or trying to pursue both can quickly undermine a business. The authors warn that knowledge management should not be isolated in a functional department like HR or IT. They emphasize that the benefits are greatest--to both the company and its customers--when a CEO and other general managers actively choose one of the approaches as a primary strategy.
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