Social software for collaboration and innovtion purposes: Assumptions versus experiences, Marika Lüders, Sintef

Social software for collaboration and innovtion purposes: Assumptions versus experiences VERDIKT conference 2010 Oslo, November 1-2, 2010 Marika Lüders, Research Scientist at SINTEF ICT

NETworked Power (2009-2013) 1.How can we design social software for innovation, collaboration and knowledge management/sharing in organizations? 2.How should social software for the above purposes be implemented in organizations? Case-studies: The Norwegian Labour Party Oslo University Hospital Devoteam daVinci Seniornett FUNDED BY THE NORWEGIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

A buzz-word world

Two of our cases Devoteam daVinci Implements the enterprise 2.0 tool Jive aiming to increase knowledge sharing internally in the enterprise. The Norwegian Labour Party Has a widespread presence in different social media, and a particular emphasis on the value of MyLabourParty to increase citizen involvement

Is it possible to develop a general framework for faciliating participation (and thus potentially innovation) through social media?

Theoretical approaches CSCW: Social software migth overcome shortcomings of the communication technologies currently used by knowledge workers. The enterprise2.0 (Andrew McAfee). Open and user-oriented innovation (Tapscott and Willams, Chesbrough, vonHippel) Networked media and democracy: new public spheres, more symmetrical communication lines, involving citizens in policy-making (Mayo and Steinberg)

What should an organization do when actors perceive and experience the objectives differently? Or when Company X uses social software objectives clash? (but why are we here?) What should an organization do when the offering is not experienced as initially perceived? How do external users perceive and experience the objective of using s.s?

Improve knowledge management and sharing Methods applied ? Survey Improve company culture Field-studies Interviews Improve collaboration with Devoteam customers/clients uses social  Improve services software (JIVE)  Improve profit How do external users perceive and experience the objective of using s.s? ?

Negative expectations at Devoteam Time- 20 consuming Hype 10 Risk 7 Privacy, security, intimacy Bragging 4 Boasting, bragging, personal branding Gossip 3 Annoying 9 Messy, chaotic, annoying, nonsense, useless, irrelevant, nagging Bothersome 3 Disturbing 2 Disturbing, distracting Other 8 Information overlad, asocial, same shit new wrapping, difficult, wrong focus, an addition to existing means of communicaiton, too many sources. 9

Positive expectations at Devoteam Co-operation 30 Co-operation, collaboration, exchange, sharing,1+1=3, share thoughts, share knowledge, Relations 22 Social, making connections, communication, friends, contacts, circle of friends, community, relations, extending networks, closer communication Fun 9 Exciting 7 Knowledge 5 Knowledge, information, enlightening Effective 5 Effective, fast Engaging 3 Engaging, involving Useful 3 Useful, partly useful Opportunities 3 Helpful 3 Help, ask questions, contribute Interesting 2 Accessible 2 Other 15 Intuitive, better, results, new era, peace, updated, smooth, future, flexible,dialog with the market, challenging, by på seg selv, democratic, gather, people, innovating 10

Devoteam-employees discuss JIVE what is this, how should we use it, I cannot find anything here, notifications spam my e-mail, I don’t understand the structure, is this really useful for us?

”The desire path strategy” Photo by Skuds (CC): http://www.flickr.com/photos/skuds/271501341/

Improve knowledge Methods applied management and sharing ? Interviews with internally in the party. party members and politicians Enable communication The Labour between the party and citizens/voters, and increase Party Citizen involvement. uses social Campaigning tool software Methods applied Text/content-analysis How do citizens/voters perceive and experience the objective of using s.s? ? Methods applied Open-ended survey.

Improving communication processes Internal as well as external users share the perception that the offering enables dialogue between politicians and citizens. However, when looking more closely into the material it becomes evident that there are several conflicting expectations and experiences. 14

How citizens experience MyLabourParty I regard Mitt Arbeiderparti and blogs to be a new mode of working, which will slowly and irrefutably become part of the societal discourse. Combined with increased acccess to the debates taking place within political parties and in the organisations overall, societal debates will belong to everyone who lives in Norway. Debates and decisions have for a long time taken place in closed arenas that ordinary citizens cannot influence or access. I am decidedly of the opinon that Mitt Arbeiderparti etc and particularly the blog may invigorate political involvement and secure democracy for the future. Stoltenberg and Støre’s blogs strengthen my political involvement and my respect for politicians in general. Democracy is access and participation. (Respondent in open-ended survey)

How citizens experience MyLabourParty They have to create the impression that your contributions are assessed, and that you actually have some influence. I want to know how comments and input are taken and treated in the Labour party. I wonder how the Labour Party makes use of our viewpoints? Is there any point in being involved? I find it difficult to get through to the party as long as no-one actually responds to my comments. I think this is a democratic problem: whether we are taken seriously and whether we are acknowledged for wanting to participate in order to create a better society. (Respondents in open-ended survey)

Solving conflicting perceptions and experiences 1. Re-define offering: clarify for internal and external users what to expect? 2. Improve/change the system: is it possible to make system- iterations which improve the user-experience? 3. Change user-practices: e.g. should politicians take a more active role in replying to user-comments?

Conclusion Is it possible to develop a general framework for faciliating participation (and thus potentially innovation) through social media? Eh, no it isn’t. But a viable framework needs to include all relevant actors, a clearly defined offering (though remember the desire path strategy) and a strategy making sure that expecations and experiences are not completely in conflict.

http://networkedpower.origo.no/

THANKS! marika.luders@sintef.no

Social software for collaboration and innovtion purposes: Assumptions versus experiences, Marika Lüders, Sintef

by The Research Council of Norway, VERDIKT on Nov 17, 2010

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Social software for collaboration and innovtion purposes: Assumptions versus experiences, Marika Lüders, Sintef — Presentation Transcript