social computing tools for collaboration: perceptions of opportunity and risk

KIN webinar 29th April 2010

Social computing tools for collaboration

Perceptions of opportunity and risk

Dr Hazel Hall

Director - Centre for Social Informatics

School of Computing

Edinburgh Napier University

Introduction

Dr Hazel Hall Director – Centre for Social Informatics Edinburgh Napier University

TFPL Specialist professional services company Knowledge, information, library, records and web &

content management

Presentation content derives from1. Edinburgh Napier-TFPL project on social computing

2. Edinburgh Napier project on Twitter use amongst information professionals

3. Experience of Twitter and Yammer

Focus on social computing tools

Establish main opportunities and risks of social computing tools within organisations for collaborative work purposes, as perceived by information and knowledge management professionals

Licensed collaborative work platforms, e.g. SharePoint (Microsoft), Lotus Notes and Quickplace (IBM), E-rooms (Documentum)

“Mature” social software applications, e.g. instant messaging, blogs, wikis

More recent Web 2.0 applications, e.g. social networking, microblogging

Focus on collaborative work purposesEstablish main opportunities and risks of social

computing tools within organisations for collaborative work purposes, as perceived by information and knowledge management professionals

Early focus Freely available social software for personal use Academic studies that treat “older” applications in non-corporate

environments, e.g. educational settings Fewer studies on internal social computing environments Lack of extant literature on newer tools, e.g. social networking and

microblogging applications

Tools explored

Social computing for purposes of collaborative work

Blogs Wikis Social networking Instant messaging Microblogging

Focus on perceptions of I&KM community

Establish main opportunities and risks of social computing tools within organisations for collaborative work purposes, as perceived by information and knowledge management professionals

Rather than: Journalists, e.g. concern over vulnerable groups Educational researchers, e.g. goal of enhancement of classroom

environment Public relations professionals, e.g. efforts to improve corporate

communications

Research focus 1: scale of implementation

Organisational uptake of social computing Levels of adoption Degree of access to tools

In general By tool By tool function

Attitudes of IM/KM staff to social computing In general By tool

Research foci 2 & 3: opportunity & risk

Anticipated & actual, feared & realised (literature review)

Themes Opportunities Risks

Productivity Improved productivity through increased collaboration

Time-wasting

Practices Enhanced IM practice Erosion of IM practice, e.g. archiving & accessing exchanges, compromised security

Behaviours Positive cultural change Antisocial behaviour, e.g. bullying

Research activities: 12 weeks

Weeks 1-2 Weeks 3-8 Weeks 8-12 Weeks 10-12

Literature reviewing

Design of data collection tools and data collection

Data analysis Writing up

Preface to study

Web-based surveyFocus groupsInterviews

96 contributions, majority from public sector employees (725 = median organisation size)

Quantitative – ExcelQualitative - manual

14,500 word report

If you would like a copy of the report, please e-mail [email protected]

Uptake of social computing for collaborative workRange in levels of adoption

Non-provision

Sophisticated implementations with integrated “consumer” & licensed applications

Uptake of social computing for collaborative workRange in levels of adoption

Non-provision

Sophisticated implementations with integrated “consumer” & licensed applications

Sense that the study came “too early”

High number of “don’t know” and “neutral” responses to survey questions

Two thirds of respondents who provided additional free text comments at end of survey noted that the impacts of social computing were yet to be felt

Interviewees were cautious in drawing firm conclusions

Sense that the study came “too early”

High number of “don’t know” and “neutral” responses to survey questions

Two thirds of respondents who provided additional free text comments at end of survey noted that the impacts of social computing were yet to be felt

Interviewees were cautious in drawing firm conclusions

Access and encouragement

Access and encouragement General findingsMixed accessLow encouragement

Public sectorHigher levels of access and encouragement

Private sectorGreater levels of actual usage

Restricted useReported by 24% survey respondents

Change management investment concernsEven/especially in cases of high financial outlay

General findingsMixed accessLow encouragement

Public sectorHigher levels of access and encouragement

Private sectorGreater levels of actual usage

Restricted useReported by 24% survey respondents

Change management investment concernsEven/especially in cases of high financial outlay

Enthusiasm amongst IM and KM staff

Levels of enthusiasm for social computing for collaborative work amongst IM and KM staff = high Increases collaboration and improves productivity in general

Facilitates knowledge and information sharing Connects individuals and groups Widens communication channels

Enhances IM practice More obvious and better organisation of resources Consolidation of material and reduction of silos 24 hour access

Induces positive cultural change e.g. widen employee choice retention

The biggest risk?

The biggest risk?

Failure to capitalise on opportunities offered by social computing tools due to poor implementation management Respondents familiar with this risk from earlier experiences, e.g.

intranet developments from mid-90s onwards (This risk is not considered in the literature)

Like most things it’s about cultural change. A tool (however clever) can be used well/badly. Therefore usual considerations apply around what purpose does it serve, selling it to the business, understanding business benefits/risks, giving staff skills to use [it/them] properly, providing standards and guidance around use, encouraging good practice.

Like most things it’s about cultural change. A tool (however clever) can be used well/badly. Therefore usual considerations apply around what purpose does it serve, selling it to the business, understanding business benefits/risks, giving staff skills to use [it/them] properly, providing standards and guidance around use, encouraging good practice.

Less prominent risks

IM problems Information sprawl (but not overload); archiving; means of

accessing archives; (version control and information quality)

Compromised security (Legal infringement and disrepute theoretically valid, though not

realised in practice); some leakage of confidential information

Lowered productivity Coping with IM problems; failure to adopt social computing tools “If employees are going to waste time, they do not need social

computing tools to do it”

(Anti-social behaviour)

Top tools for IM and KM professionalsRank Tool Opportunities Risks posed

1 Wikis Information sharing

IM practice

Productivity

Information quality in terms of wiki accuracy;

Leakage of confidential data

2 Blogs Connecting individuals & groups, e.g. unite separated team members

Widening communication channels to large audiences, e.g. promotion of work, opening up of conversations, feedback

Disrepute

Leakage of confidential data

Tool availability & usefulness

Availability Usefulness

Wikis Wikis

Blogging Blogging

Social networking Instant messaging

Instant messaging Social networking

Microblogging Microblogging

Tool availability, usefulness & usage


Wikis Wikis

Blogging Blogging




Usage

Social networking

Instant messaging

Wikis

Blogging

Microblogging

Tool availability, usefulness & usage


Wikis Wikis

Blogging Blogging




Usage

Social networking

Instant messaging

Wikis

Blogging

Microblogging

Ready availability of a tool does not guarantee popularity Under-exploitation of most valuable tools? Microblogging barely on the radar, yet consider its features…

Microblogging

Elements of social networking End user determines source of information flow based on “social

network” that he/she builds

Elements of instant messaging (& texting) Interactions are brief and to the point, real time, “familiar” format

Elements of wiki Public nature of conversations encourages collaborative building of

new knowledge

Elements of blogging Microblog, with easy linking to other resources

Microblogging

Elements of social networking End user determines source of information flow based on “social

network” that he/she builds

Elements of instant messaging Interactions are brief and to the point, real time, “familiar” format

Elements of wiki Public nature of conversations encourages collaborative building of

new knowledge

Elements of blogging Microblog, with easy linking to other resources

Plus elements of conversation, providing:

1. Meta-knowledge2. Problem reformulation3. Validation4. Legitimisation

Plus elements of conversation, providing:

1. Meta-knowledge2. Problem reformulation3. Validation4. Legitimisation

Microblogging & KM 1

For codification Focus on tweeting, e.g.

Information services “twinforming”, often linked to other resources such as blog entries – move away from e-mail distribution lists

(Shared) note taking, e.g. at meetings, events, conferences Means of saving links to references/resources for own future use

For learning and professional development Focus on following (people, lists, hashtags) e.g.

Link to the many KMers tweet on Twitter – see, for example, http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/km-tweeters

Exploit power of asymmetrical relationships Engage in legitimate peripheral participation Remote participation at events

Microblogging & KM 2

For connecting Focus on building, observing and exploiting networks, e.g.

Extend own individual network with external contacts on Twitter Possible to uncover knowledge relationships through observing

internal and external following patterns (You can observe Twitter without an account)

As part of PR/marketing element of KM strategy Microblogging as additional communication tool e.g.

Status updates – projects, staff Advertise events

5 stages of Twitter acceptance

I think Twitter sounds stupid. Why would anyone care what other people are doing right now?


OK, I don’t really get why people love it, but I guess I should at least create an account.


I’m on Twitter and use it for pasting links to my blog posts and pointing people to my press releases.


I don’t always post useful stuff, but I do use Twitter to have authentic 1x1 conversations.


1. Denial

2. Presence

3. Dumping

4. Conversinghttp://www.slideshare.net/minxuan/how-twitter-changed-my-life-presentation










1. Denial

2. Presence

3. Dumping


I’m using Twitter to publish useful information that people read, and to converse 1x1 authentically.


5. Microblogging










1. Denial

2. Presence

3. Dumping




5. Microblogging

Plus KM functions related to 1. Codification2. Learning & professional development3. Connecting4. PR/marketing

Plus KM functions related to 1. Codification2. Learning & professional development3. Connecting4. PR/marketing

Opportunity & risk – some conclusions

I&KM staff recognise value of social computing tools …but opinions not necessarily shared with “ordinary” workers

Major concerns less to do with tools per se than with their implementation … and this is in contrast with what the media would have the

general population believe

Long-term value of tools is not yet apparent Microblogging parallels

e-mail 15 years ago: etiquette, e.g. work/social conversation; accounts and identities; underestimation of power of tool

e-commerce 10 years ago? Napier “virtual economy” & Yammer experiments

KIN webinar – 29th April 2010

Social computing tools for collaboration

Perceptions of opportunity and risk

Dr Hazel Hall

Director - Centre for Social Informatics

School of Computing

Edinburgh Napier University

social computing tools for collaboration: perceptions of opportunity and risk

Documents

dr hazel halldirector

usagesocial networkinginstant messagingwikisbloggingmicroblogging

converse 1x1 authentically

computingedinburgh napier university

knowledge management professionals

authentic 1x1 conversations

integrated consumer

information flow based