Input friendly intranets
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Hazel Hall discusses making intranets more input friendly to encourage knowledge sharing. She argues that employees are more likely to contribute if intranets have intuitive interfaces and critical masses of users and content. Additionally, organizations should establish environments where knowledge sharing is expected, communities promote collaboration, and experimentation is permitted. Proper incentives like rewards can also motivate contributions.
Input friendly intranets
- 1. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Hazel Hall Senior Lecturer in Information Management School of Computing Napier University h.hall@napier.ac.uk Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 1 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 2. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Sharing is important to efforts in Knowledge Management Employees with straightforward access to common resources • execute routine tasks quickly • aggregate information innovation in working practices/product design/service delivery • are less vulnerable to information loss Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 2 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 3. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Tools for information sharing • browsers • data warehouses • filters • intranets • process handbooks • software agents • yield management software Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 3 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 4. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Intranets as key platforms for information sharing • common resources for support of personal work, e.g. time sheets, travel bookings • integration of key business applications and tools • resources and “places”, e.g. shared databases, discussion space • sharing may extend beyond the organisation, e.g. extranet “shop window” Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 4 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 5. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Intranet dependencies • An intranet is an infrastructure. • An intranet’s business value is contingent on resources and applications made available. • Some resources and applications can be bought, e.g. conferencing software, access to commercial online services. • Unique internally produced resources must be sought from individuals and teams. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 5 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 6. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Research on motivating knowledge sharing and intranets • priority area for knowledge research (Holsthouse, 1998) • addresses KM research questions about teams • “input friendliness” depends largely on organisational incentives • literature reviewed from domains of business studies, information systems, organisational science and sociology • (limited) case study material Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 6 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 7. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivations to act happens when: • it is easy to do so • the usefulness of acting is obvious This is not a new research finding! Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 7 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 8. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Easy to act: intranet interfaces • HCI and systems design standards apply • channels for information flow important: dedicated mailboxes; speech input; requirement for all staff to become proficient in HTML • integration of tools into communities to match levels of formality to elicit high quality contributions (Brown and Duguid, 1998) • levels of “control” Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 8 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 9. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Usefulness of acting is obvious: intranet critical mass Dilemma There’s no point in submitting material to the intranet: no one uses it. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 9 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 10. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Usefulness of acting is obvious: intranet critical mass Dilemma There’s no point I don’t use the in submitting intranet. There’s material to the nothing of use to intranet: no one me there. uses it. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 10 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 11. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Usefulness of acting is obvious: intranet critical mass “Output” friendliness • PR efforts: promotion of services; cross linking; indexing for search services • sole platform for content and applications • realistic expectations of use, e.g. pointer systems Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 11 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 12. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Usefulness of acting is obvious: intranet critical mass Finding of Cap Gemini and Cranfield University (1999) “The critical mass has to appear in three key areas - users (success can only come from people using the intranet), content (there has to be ever-more useful and relevant material available) and utilisation (the extent to which users are connected per day).” Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 12 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 13. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Usefulness of acting is obvious: intranet critical mass Finding of Cap Gemini and Cranfield University (1999) “The critical mass has to appear in three key areas - users (success can only come from people using the intranet), content (there has to be ever-more useful and relevant material available) and utilisation (the extent to which users are connected per day)… a minimum of around 40% of potential users need to connect to the intranet for real value generation to begin.” Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 13 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 14. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivating knowledge sharing: broader issues • Providing good interfaces and establishing critical mass are just two issues to consider. • Creation of other more general enabling conditions is also important. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 14 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 15. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 1: environments that make knowledge sharing a key responsibility of staff Knowledge sharing is more likely to be encouraged in staff who: • know that it’s a job requirement: acquire expertise and disseminate it • know that it’s a legitimate activity Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 15 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 16. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 1: environments that make knowledge sharing a key responsibility of staff • encouraged through pro-active training, project debriefings, mentoring, assisting etc. • case study examples, e.g. Citibank - not until specific responsibilities were assigned to particular individuals were contributions to the online knowledge base elicited Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 16 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 17. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 2: environments that promote communities for knowledge sharing • Cultures that place high value on personal technical expertise and knowledge creation are less likely to provide conditions conducive to knowledge sharing. • Community strength comes through strong ties and shared social capital: norms, obligations, trust and identity. • Identity derives from common purpose and aspirations to which group members are committed. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 17 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 18. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 2: environments that promote communities for knowledge sharing • carrot of continued vitality of the group • stick of obligation to the group • commitment invigorates the community Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 18 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 19. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 2: environments that promote communities for knowledge sharing trust - sharing (input) - sense of community Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 19 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 20. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 2: environments that promote communities for knowledge sharing Intranet checks • degrees of input control, e.g. location and branding of input • willingness to accept/reject lurkers Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 20 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 21. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 3: environments that promote experimentation for knowledge sharing Importance of experimentation in Knowledge Management activity • “distinctly new knowledge comes from experimenting” (Fahey and Prusak, 1998) • “non-experimentation” simply reinforces, refines and sharpens what is already known • employees emboldened in environments that permit experimentation Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 21 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 22. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Enabling condition 3: environments that promote experimentation for knowledge sharing Intranet checks • status consciousness in the online environment • facilities for anonymity Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 22 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 23. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivation to act: rewards Knowledge management strategies need to be linked to people by building reward and recognition programmes. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 23 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 24. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivation to act: rewards Develop an appropriate Knowledge management reward system and strategies need to be incentive scheme to get linked to people by the message across that building reward and knowledge and learning recognition programmes. are crucial. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 24 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 25. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivation to act: “hard” rewards Economic incentives • increased pay • bonuses • stock options Employees will seek ways to input, but some research shows “short-termism” in this activity. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 25 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 26. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivation to act: “soft” rewards Access to information and knowledge • receipt of valuable knowledge in return for giving it, e.g. Toyota network (Dyer and Nobeoka, 2000). • anticipated return may be far in the future e.g. news groups and mailing lists Ease of intranet access is important to reap reward. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 26 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 27. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivation to act: “soft” rewards Career advancement/security/reputation • partnerships in professional consulting firms • tenure/promotion in academic institutions • future contracts for partner firms Resource ownership and protection of this needs to be made obvious across the intranet. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 27 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 28. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Motivation to act: “soft” rewards Personal satisfaction through: • acts of altruistic and pro-social behaviour • seeing results of altruistic and pro-social behaviour Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 28 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000
- 29. Input friendly intranets Hazel Hall - Napier University Some conclusions • Input friendliness is not limited to “obvious” issues of interface design. • “Output” friendliness is important, especially to create critical mass. • Incentives and reward systems have their part to play, but further research is needed to assess which type of incentives are the most effective. Knowledge Management in an Age of Networks 29 Redwood House, Edinburgh - 27th October 2000