Where is the Knowledge?! - reflections on social networking in corporate environments Gabriela Avram Interaction Design Centre & Lero University of Limerick

Outline Background Context – current research KM & Social Capital as lenses IM – vehicle for communication – its uses Research in a distributed environment An alternative to SNA? Tools mash-up

Background

Context – current research

KM & Social Capital as lenses

IM – vehicle for communication – its uses

Research in a distributed environment

An alternative to SNA?

Tools mash-up

My background 13 years in software development 9 years in academia ERCIM postdoc research grant (2003-2005) on KM and e-learning in Software Engineering Fraunhofer IESE CRP Henri Tudor Luxembourg Strong interest in social software, Web 2.0

13 years in software development

9 years in academia

ERCIM postdoc research grant (2003-2005) on KM and e-learning in Software Engineering

Fraunhofer IESE

CRP Henri Tudor Luxembourg

Strong interest in social software, Web 2.0

My background(2) Currently at UL (since 2005) as senior research fellow Project: Social Organisational and Cultural Practices of Global Software Development Topic: Collaborative Work Practices in GSD Research approach: Focused on: participants in workplaces in GSD settings, organising and evolving working arrangements live, in real time; Field studies of workplace activity over extended spans of time informed by CSCW and Knowledge Management; Work in progress: MNC – CROWOLF team(45 observation days since March 06) OS community –PyPy – ongoing observation of the community since August 06 Small-scale study on Romanian vendors as partners in outsourcing relationships

Currently at UL (since 2005) as senior research fellow

Project: Social Organisational and Cultural Practices of Global Software Development

Topic: Collaborative Work Practices in GSD

Research approach:

Focused on: participants in workplaces in GSD settings, organising and evolving working arrangements live, in real time;

Field studies of workplace activity over extended spans of time informed by CSCW and Knowledge Management;

Work in progress:

MNC – CROWOLF team(45 observation days since March 06)

OS community –PyPy – ongoing observation of the community since August 06

Small-scale study on Romanian vendors as partners in outsourcing relationships

How do people make decisions? “ We found that despite easy access to a world class knowledge management system and other accessible information sources, 85% of the managers indicated getting information that had an impact on the success of a project from their personal network. Four attributes of these relationships were discovered to promote effective learning: 1) knowing another person’s expertise and thus when to turn to them; 2) being able to gain timely access to that person; 3) willingness of the person sought out to engage in problem solving and 4) a degree of safety in the relationship that promotes learning and creativity.” Knowing What We Know: Supporting Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Social Networks Rob Cross, Andrew Parker, Laurence Prusak, Stephen P. Borgatti

“ We found that despite easy access to a world class knowledge management system and other accessible information sources, 85% of the managers indicated getting information that had an impact on the success of a project from their personal network. Four attributes of these relationships were discovered to promote effective learning:

1) knowing another person’s expertise and thus when to turn to them;

2) being able to gain timely access to that person;

3) willingness of the person sought out to engage in problem solving and

4) a degree of safety in the relationship that promotes learning and creativity.”

Knowing What We Know: Supporting Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Social Networks

Rob Cross, Andrew Parker, Laurence Prusak, Stephen P. Borgatti

Knowledge Management Two directions Dave Snowden on techno-fetishists vs. fluffy-bunnies Source: Gurteen Knowledge Knowledge Management is the explicit and systematic management of vital knowledge - and its associated processes of creation, organization, diffusion, use and exploitation. (David Skyrme)

Two directions

Dave Snowden on techno-fetishists vs. fluffy-bunnies

Knowledge Management The need for human guides to point us to knowledge repositories Otherwise, they turn into knowledge cemeteries Multiple factors here: technical, organisational, social

The need for human guides to point us to knowledge repositories

Otherwise, they turn into knowledge cemeteries

Multiple factors here:

technical,

organisational,

social

Navigating through the organisation It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know! How do you find the right people? IM as a vehicle; the tool and the organisational culture surrounding it The perceived importance of social capital

It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know!

How do you find the right people?

IM as a vehicle; the tool and the organisational culture surrounding it

The perceived importance of social capital

Instant Messaging Synchronous communication tool Alternative to the phone and e-mail Used by 70% of all businesses (Gartner), 135 million users Status visibility, persistent, less intrusive “ In many ways instant messaging does seem to support the serendipitous kinds of interactions that are lost when employees are not co-located.” (Parker et al) IM as an alternative to the break room, coffee meeting, water cooler?!

Synchronous communication tool

Alternative to the phone and e-mail

Used by 70% of all businesses (Gartner), 135 million users

Status visibility, persistent, less intrusive

“ In many ways instant messaging does seem to support the serendipitous kinds of interactions that are lost when employees are not co-located.” (Parker et al)

IM as an alternative to the break room, coffee meeting, water cooler?!

The specific tool and the practices around it IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5 Features presence awareness, business instant messaging and Web conferencing. Benefits: brings together geographically dispersed individuals and teams Helps enable decision-making by bringing experts together Provides the ability to inject presence awareness and instant messaging into other applications Enables social networking via white pages, open discussion forums, instant polls and more Source: www.ibm.com/ lotus / sametime

IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5

Features

presence awareness,

business instant messaging and

Web conferencing.

Benefits:

brings together geographically dispersed individuals and teams

Helps enable decision-making by bringing experts together

Provides the ability to inject presence awareness and instant messaging into other applications

Enables social networking via white pages, open discussion forums, instant polls and more

Presence indicator When to talk to someone When to walk to his desk When to call someone to join a meeting Status information Source: www.ibm.com/ lotus / sametime

When to talk to someone

When to walk to his desk

When to call someone to join a meeting

Status information

Checking availability assistant organising a meeting (phone call) Initiating face-to-face meetings Inviting people ad-hoc in ongoing meetings Source: www.ibm.com/ lotus / sametime

assistant organising a meeting (phone call)

Initiating face-to-face meetings

Inviting people ad-hoc in ongoing meetings

Contacting people Existing contacts Team mates Managers Support staff Experts Knowledgeable peers Liaisons New contacts Following recommendations Found on the organisation chart Authors of documents published on the intranet Indicated by folksonomies

Existing contacts

Team mates

Managers

Support staff

Experts

Knowledgeable peers

Liaisons

New contacts

Following recommendations

Found on the organisation chart

Authors of documents published on the intranet

Indicated by folksonomies

Solving an urgent situation Context: translation testing; Two days before the deadline Coordinator at the Irish site Fix provided; tester refuses to apply it, because “he got tired of fixes that don’t work” Extended chat: the coordinator explains the situation He asks again the tester to apply the fix A B C

Context: translation testing;

Two days before the deadline

Coordinator at the Irish site

Fix provided; tester refuses to apply it, because “he got tired of fixes that don’t work”

Extended chat: the coordinator explains the situation

He asks again the tester to apply the fix

Web conference back channel A back-up channel for private conversations during meetings Source: www.ibm.com/ lotus / sametime

A back-up channel for private conversations during meetings

Obtaining information from third parties 18 people in five different locations are taking part in a virtual meeting On the agenda - defect prioritization A runs the show – audio, screen sharing Back channel: B contacts C(different location) for details A B C D E

18 people in five different locations are taking part in a virtual meeting

On the agenda - defect prioritization

A runs the show – audio, screen sharing

Back channel: B contacts C(different location) for details

IM contact list as directory Organising contacts list Keeping track of conversations (chat archive) Source: www.ibm.com/ lotus / sametime

Organising contacts list

Keeping track of conversations (chat archive)

Office etiquette for IM Introduce yourself. Don't confuse "presence" with permission. Mute the "ping." Keep chats fast and simple. Act professionally. Keep personal chatting to a minimum Limit multitasking. Use abbreviations sparingly. Instant messages may be more permanent than you think. Source: Ken Bisconti - Taming the ping: Office etiquette for instant messages

Introduce yourself.

Don't confuse "presence" with permission.

Mute the "ping."

Keep chats fast and simple.

Act professionally.

Keep personal chatting to a minimum

Limit multitasking.

Use abbreviations sparingly.

Instant messages may be more permanent than you think.

Mapping social networks “ Tell me who are the people you communicate with most frequently, both on site and in remote locations.” “ Can I go and check my IM list?”

“ Tell me who are the people you communicate with most frequently, both on site and in remote locations.”

“ Can I go and check my IM list?”

Conversations vs.SNA Possible for collocated small teams Limited – uni-directional Teaser for informal conversation Not possible when looking at a large distributed team/community SNA as a diagnose step to guide organisational change

Possible for collocated small teams

Limited – uni-directional

Teaser for informal conversation

Not possible when looking at a large distributed team/community

SNA as a diagnose step to guide organisational change

The researcher’s perspective Making appointments Interviewing people in remote locations Obtaining transcripts Observing virtual interaction Netnography(Kozinets), Virtual Ethnography (Christine Hine)

Making appointments

Interviewing people in remote locations

Obtaining transcripts

Observing virtual interaction

Netnography(Kozinets),

Virtual Ethnography (Christine Hine)

Organising a field trip Fri – visit at the Irish site idea approved in principle Selection of possible interviewees Introduction mail to be forwarded to 12 German counterparts Mon – Bank Holiday Contacting people at the German site 5 yes, 1 tentatively accepted Tue – off line day Wed – holiday in Germany Thu – visit at the German site False assumptions: Office configuration People Finding places Meeting spaces

Fri – visit at the Irish site

idea approved in principle

Selection of possible interviewees

Introduction mail to be forwarded to 12 German counterparts

Mon – Bank Holiday

Contacting people at the German site

5 yes, 1 tentatively accepted

Tue – off line day

Wed – holiday in Germany

Thu – visit at the German site

False assumptions:

Office configuration

People

Finding places

Meeting spaces

Dealing with distance(s) IM instead of email for solving matters asap Culture of communication and availability Newcomers learn by responding and lurking Hierarchy, coded language – process of “enculturation”

IM instead of email for solving matters asap

Culture of communication and availability

Newcomers learn by responding and lurking

Hierarchy, coded language – process of “enculturation”

Seamless integration IM integrated with White Pages and with the organization chart Blogs, social bookmarking, wikis,activities Integration with MS Office, other IM clients Audio integration Version Control, defect tracking What next?!

IM integrated with White Pages and with the organization chart

Blogs, social bookmarking, wikis,activities

Integration with MS Office, other IM clients

Audio integration

Version Control, defect tracking

What next?!

Thank you!