Virtual communities allow geographically dispersed people and organizations to connect and share knowledge online. Knowledge is created through continuous dialogue as users ask questions and answer each other. Common tools for sharing knowledge in virtual communities include forums, blogs, social networks, and wikis. Each tool has different characteristics that determine how and when companies and governments can best use them to facilitate information exchange.

1. Virtual community:Virtual community:
creating and sharingcreating and sharing
knowledgeknowledge
Class of May, 15th
Federica Cacciavillani
Riccardo Chini
Raffaele Milillo
Loredana Giovinazzi

2. Virtual community:Virtual community:
frontierless, geographically dispersed community of people
and organizations connected via internet or other networks

3. Conversational exchangesConversational exchanges
Within the virtual community the knowledge is created
and shared through a continuos dialog, with questions and
answers, between users.

4. Conversational model ofConversational model of
knowledge creation is:knowledge creation is:
• economical and technology undemanding
• fast
• suitable for environments with multiple owners
• high impact knowledge management

5. Conversational tools:Conversational tools:
• E-mail
• Static and DB backed web pages
• Forum
• Group Decision Support System (GDSS)
• Blog
• Social Network
• Wiki

6. focus on:focus on:
• Forum
• Blog
• Social Network
• Wiki
• their characteristics
• how they are used by companies
• specifcity when they are used by the Public
Administration

7. FORUMSFORUMS
1. What are the forums?
They are meeting points in the
network where users can
debate, discuss, meet and
exchange ideas about specifc
topics .
2. Why companies
should use forums?
In essence forums are cheap but
effective tools that can be used to
ameliorate the communication
and the knowledge sharing within
the firm.

8. A practical exampleA practical example
Poste Italiane has a specifc forum
in which employees can interact
and discuss about specifc topics.
They share their knowledge and
experiencies, and the result is an
improvement of work processes that
leads to an increase productivity.

9. A personal journal
consisting of posts
displayed in reverse
chronological order.
An interactive tool that
allows visitors to leave
comments and even
messages each other.
What is a blog?
Interactivity distinguishes blogs from other static websites.
Blogging can be seen as a form of social networking,
building social relations with readers.

10. Personal blog: an ongoing diary by an individual is
the most common. It becomes a way to reflect on life.
Types of blogs

11. Corporate and organizational blog: for business
purposes. Used internally to enhance the
communication and culture or externally for
marketing, branding or public relations.

12. “A Thousand Words” is a
place for stories from the
people of Kodak
http://1000words.kodak.com/thousandwords/
SOME EXAMPLES
has three kind of blogs:

13. “PLUGGED IN” is a
place for ideas and
knowledge sharing from
the people of Kodak
about technology.
“GROW YOUR BIZ “is a
place for sharing insights
about Kodak products,
services, technologies
and to see how they can
enrich the business
applications most
important to users and
their industry.
http://pluggedin.kodak.com/pluggedin/
http://growyourbiz.kodak.com/growyourbiz/

14. Social networksSocial networks
What are social network?
• Social structure determined by interactions;
• Nodes;
• Common criticism.

15. Most popular S.N.Most popular S.N.

16. A practical exampleA practical example
Song sharing
Product spread
Knowledge sharing

17. AdvantagesAdvantages
• Interest sharing;
• People meeting;
• Business expantion;
• Connecting people

18. DisadvantagesDisadvantages
Privacy;
Reliability;

19. WIKIWIKI
is a website where users can add, modify, or delete its
content via a web browser.

20. A wiki:A wiki:
• is a database for creating, browsing and serching information
• enables communities to write documents collaboratively, using a
simple markup language and a web browser
• allows for non-linear, evolving, networked text, argument and
interaction

21. The Socially Darwinian process:The Socially Darwinian process:
• The openness of wikis and the rapidity with which wiki pages can
be edited
• may invite 'vandalism' and the posting of untrue information
• but this same openness also makes it possible to rapidly correct or
restore a 'quality' wiki page."

22. Wiki in the company:Wiki in the company:
• Wiki as groupware: some companies use wikis as their only
collaborative software and as a replacement for static intranets.
• Wiki as a help system: the emphasis is on the knowledge structure
and representation in a question-and-answer format.

23. Unconventional knowledgeUnconventional knowledge
creation and sharing paradigm:creation and sharing paradigm:
• In many organizations, the Intranet represents the organization’s
offcial channel (top-down, hierarchical culture of information)
• Wikis technology alone cannot be expected to change organization
culture, without the organization’s readiness and decision to use a
more even approach to knowledge creation.

24. Companies using wiki in theirCompanies using wiki in their
workplaces:workplaces:
used to form of project management, to customer/client collaboration,
documentation, to form online communities or to create company
policies, FAQ’s or guidelines.

25. Public Administrations andPublic Administrations and
local authoritieslocal authorities
MAIN METHOD OF CONTACT PA-CONSUMER
Year 2011, shares response rates by level of education
source :http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/58166
Approximately 14% of Italian consumers surveyed
said they had used the Internet last year as a
channel of contact with the Public Administration.

26. Some practical examplesSome practical examples
Software that allows you to create
collaborative work environments with
which the working groups or interest
groups can share resources, exchange
documents and work remotely
Search engine for
websites of Public
Administration
Wikitalia is a project aimed primarily at
local government . It’s a collaboration
platform that provides software,
organizational and social rules,
assembled together to form an
architecture of collaboration
https://circabc.europa.eu/faces/jsp/extension/wai/navigation/container.jsp
http://www.italia.gov.it/itagov2/
http://www.wikitalia.it/

27. ConclusionsConclusions
These media creates value by :
•Easier connection with customers
•Creation of new relationships
•Raise of the existing relationships

28. Two main hurdlesTwo main hurdles
Reputetional damage
Precautional check on
comments
ROI
determination
‘’Intangible assets
can deliver
intangible benefts’’

29. Which is the best tool?Which is the best tool?
Depends on :
•Firm dimension
•Company aim
•Referring market
•Firm’s culture

30. Thanks for following ourThanks for following our
team.team.
04/24/13