Can Intra-Organizational Wikis Facilitate Knowledge Transfer and Learning? An Explorative Case-Study eLBa eLearning Baltics 2009 Alexander Stocker, Gisela Granitzer and Klaus Tochtermann Know-Center , Knowledge Management Institute@TU-Graz, Institute for Networked Media@JOANNEUM Research

Benefit Show concept and implementation and operation of a wiki for knowledge transfer and learning within the enterprise Provide quantitative and qualitative data from my evaluation Evaluate success of the deployed solution Stimulate ideas for your own business / research

Show concept and implementation and operation of a wiki for knowledge transfer and learning within the enterprise

Provide quantitative and qualitative data from my evaluation

Evaluate success of the deployed solution

Stimulate ideas for your own business / research

Agenda Introduction & m otivation Wikis Study design Study results Qualitative results (interviews) Quantitative results (online survey) Conclusion

Introduction & m otivation

Wikis

Study design

Study results

Qualitative results (interviews)

Quantitative results (online survey)

Conclusion

Introduction Web 2.0 impacts knowledge sharing and learning Participative environment: From consumers to prod users Rich sources for knowledge acquisition

Web 2.0 impacts knowledge sharing and learning

Participative environment: From consumers to prod users

Rich sources for knowledge acquisition

Motivation Technology enhanced learning looks back on 15 years history From one-way provision of standardized learning material within monolithic platforms to service based modular systems Application of more innovative ways of sharing information (Web 2.0) Knowledge in the enterprise remains worthless, if not effectively exchanged Lack of empirical studies from academia on how wikis are effectively used in corporate environments

Technology enhanced learning looks back on 15 years history

From one-way provision of standardized learning material within monolithic platforms to service based modular systems

Application of more innovative ways of sharing information (Web 2.0)

Knowledge in the enterprise remains worthless, if not effectively exchanged

Lack of empirical studies from academia on how wikis are effectively used in corporate environments

Motivation Technology enhanced learning looks back on 15 years history From one-way provision of standardized learning material within monolithic platforms to service based modular systems Application of more innovative ways of sharing information (Web 2.0) Knowledge in the enterprise remains worthless, if not effectively exchanged Lack of empirical studies from academia on how wikis are effectively used in corporate environments

Technology enhanced learning looks back on 15 years history

From one-way provision of standardized learning material within monolithic platforms to service based modular systems

Application of more innovative ways of sharing information (Web 2.0)

Knowledge in the enterprise remains worthless, if not effectively exchanged

Lack of empirical studies from academia on how wikis are effectively used in corporate environments

Wiki “ A Wiki is a freely expandable collection of interlinked Web pages, a hypertext system for storing and modifying information [and] a database, where each page is easily editable by any user.” [LC 01] Motivation to implement Corporate Wikis driven by the success of Wikipedia on the Web

“ A Wiki is a freely expandable collection of interlinked Web pages, a hypertext system for storing and modifying information [and] a database, where each page is easily editable by any user.” [LC 01]

Motivation to implement Corporate Wikis driven by the success of Wikipedia on the Web

Study design Explorative case study [YIN, 1984] Empirical inquiry Investigates contemporary phenomenon In its real life context Boundaries between pheonomenon and context not clearly evident Single Case

Explorative case study [YIN, 1984]

Empirical inquiry

Investigates contemporary phenomenon

In its real life context

Boundaries between pheonomenon and context not clearly evident

Single Case

Study Design Investigated Case Austrian subsidiary of a large-scale multinational enterprise developing innovative electronic parts Qualitative data Structured interview of two managers (~3 hours) 40 questions on motivation, concept, implementation, success Quantitative data Online Survey of 59/210 non-executive employees (28% response rate)

Investigated Case

Austrian subsidiary of a large-scale multinational enterprise developing innovative electronic parts

Qualitative data

Structured interview of two managers (~3 hours) 40 questions on motivation, concept, implementation, success

Quantitative data

Online Survey of 59/210 non-executive employees (28% response rate)

Qualitative Results Starting point SUP-DEP provides guidance in technical and methodical issues for all researchers and developers One SUP-DEP member is responsible for one group of researchers Decentralized working environments limit the knowledge transfer between SUP-DEP members

Starting point

SUP-DEP provides guidance in technical and methodical issues for all researchers and developers

One SUP-DEP member is responsible for one group of researchers

Decentralized working environments limit the knowledge transfer between SUP-DEP members

Qualitative Results Short term goal Long term goal

Qualitative Results A new Solution ? Wiki to support knowledge transfer and interconnectedness .. ..to raise effectiveness and efficiency of support (=domain) Why a wiki? Implementation and usage Top down introduction by SUP-DEP’s manager .. .. but creation of articles should happen bottom-up Manifold actions to increase awareness and communicate benefit

A new Solution ?

Wiki to support knowledge transfer and interconnectedness ..

..to raise effectiveness and efficiency of support (=domain)

Why a wiki?

Implementation and usage

Top down introduction by SUP-DEP’s manager ..

.. but creation of articles should happen bottom-up

Manifold actions to increase awareness and communicate benefit

Qualitative Results Evaluation concerning operation 500 articles in 1,5 years .. .. periodically read by over 70 employees, .. .. about 15 employees highly involved in content creation 130.000 accesses / 10.000 total edits Originally, the wiki was intended to stimulate knowledge transfer of SUP-DEP .. .. but also the researchers themselves could benefit from the wiki in the long term

Evaluation concerning operation

500 articles in 1,5 years ..

.. periodically read by over 70 employees, ..

.. about 15 employees highly involved in content creation

130.000 accesses / 10.000 total edits

Originally, the wiki was intended to stimulate knowledge transfer of SUP-DEP ..

.. but also the researchers themselves could benefit from the wiki in the long term

Qualitative Results Individual benefits Wiki-full-text search: quick guidance for emerging problems Wiki articles: formulations of both problems and their solutions on an adequate (user-centric) level Platform independent access Transparency on knowledge and knowledge holders Organizational (group) benefits More efficiency and effectiveness in SUP-DEP support (SUP-DEP’s core-business)

Individual benefits

Wiki-full-text search: quick guidance for emerging problems

Wiki articles: formulations of both problems and their solutions on an adequate (user-centric) level

Platform independent access

Transparency on knowledge and knowledge holders

Organizational (group) benefits

More efficiency and effectiveness in SUP-DEP support (SUP-DEP’s core-business)

Quantitative Results Selected quantitative results from the online survey on Reading and writing behavior Motivation to read / edit articles Individual and organizational benefit Perceived obstacles of successful wiki adoption

Selected quantitative results from the online survey on

Reading and writing behavior

Motivation to read / edit articles

Individual and organizational benefit

Perceived obstacles of successful wiki adoption

Quantitative Results Reading behavior

Reading behavior

Quantitative Results Writing behavior

Writing behavior

Quantitative Results For which of the following purposes do you read Wiki articles?

For which of the following purposes do you read Wiki articles?

Quantitative Results When you edit information in the wiki, what do you expect ?

When you edit information in the wiki, what do you expect ?

Quantitative Results In which aspects has the wiki helped you ?

In which aspects has the wiki helped you ?

Quantitative Results From your point of view, in which aspects has the wiki helped team / organization ?

From your point of view, in which aspects has the wiki helped team / organization ?

Quantitative Results From your point of view, what are obstacles for a successful wiki adoption? content privacy

From your point of view, what are obstacles for a successful wiki adoption?

Conclusion From Web 2.0 to Enterprise 2.0 Evolution in knowledge sharing and learning Corporate Wiki in Austrian Enterprise Starting point, implementation, benefits A ‘clean’ business-case as success-factor Wiki-goals, content and forecasted benefits have to be clearly conceptualized and communicated Focused target group(s) (primary, secondary)

From Web 2.0 to Enterprise 2.0

Evolution in knowledge sharing and learning

Corporate Wiki in Austrian Enterprise

Starting point, implementation, benefits

A ‘clean’ business-case as success-factor

Wiki-goals, content and forecasted benefits have to be clearly conceptualized and communicated

Focused target group(s) (primary, secondary)