The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing
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The document discusses the role of intranets in knowledge sharing within large organizations, highlighting their potential benefits and challenges. It details previous research and findings about intranet implementation, staff engagement, and the sociotechnical dynamics that affect knowledge sharing practices. The work emphasizes the multiple roles of intranets, their influence on organizational culture, and the impact of structural and power relationships on knowledge management initiatives.
The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing
- 1. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Presented by Hazel Hall Senior Lecturer School of Computing Napier University, Edinburgh h.hall@napier.ac.uk http://www.bim.napier.ac.uk/~hazel/esis/hazel.html 1
- 2. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Intranets in large, information-intensive organisations – are useful – are used – are “successful” … but often fail to deliver on exactly what is expected of them 2
- 3. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Recent work – identifies that companies implement sub-optimal systems – make suggestions on how to avoid this e.g. Huysman & De Wit (2002) 3
- 4. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Previous work – numerous difficulties of introducing new technologies into large, distributed firms – specific problems with changing established work practice related to knowledge sharing • staff pre-occupied with billable client work • staff reluctant to share “currency” for future career success Orlikowski (1996) 4
- 5. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Early work – operation and enhancement of computer implementations are compromised by complexities of shifting social and technical relationships Kling & Scacchi (1982) 5
- 6. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing This work – sociotechnical analysis of knowledge sharing practice in large, distributed, case study organisation – develops subject of ICTs and knowledge sharing – clarifies the (multiple) role(s) of the intranet in knowledge sharing – highlights issues of status and power – demonstrates importance of research approach in the generation of findings 6
- 7. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Intranet adoption Formalisation of KM Doubt 1 2 3 Phase 1 UK - demo national intranet created 1995, formal trial 1996, “live” 1996 Global - global intranet initiated 1997 7
- 8. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Intranet adoption Formalisation of KM Doubt 1 2 3 Phase 2 UK - larger centralised KM function, corporate briefing, KM staff appointed across business Global - launch of global intranet 8
- 9. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Intranet adoption Formalisation of KM Doubt 1 2 3 Phase 3 Intranets - integration plans abandoned, global system becomes portal KM - budget cuts, US KM function to close, career anxieties, knowledge sharing concerns expressed at highest levels 9
- 10. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Intranet adoption Formalisation of KM Doubt 1 2 3 Plans - corporate documentation on policy Practice - corporate documentation on implementation 10 Supplemented with interview data from KM directorate staff
- 11. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Intranet adoption Formalisation of KM Doubt 1 2 3 Plans - as for 1995-2000 Additional source Practice - as for 1995-2000 on practice - interview data Supplemented with interview data as before from KM staff 11
- 12. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Intranet adoption Formalisation of KM Doubt 1 2 3 Awareness Entry Fieldwork 12
- 13. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Data collected Sources 100+ documents Formal interviews with 3 members of KM Directorate, plus ad hoc queries 20 in-depth interviews with KM staff 13
- 14. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Date Data Source 8 November 2001 Functionality – technical (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, Slow loading of UK intranet pages: load time of 12 November 8) seconds unacceptable. 8 November 2001 Functionality – technical Discussion forums: Internal Communications (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, November 8) Sample extract of reviewing documentation and issues of discussion 8 November 2001 forums. Functionality – technical (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, coded notes from Nimda virus: disruption caused by Nimda virus November 8) 8 November 2001 discussed. Content – external Factiva: Factiva available from 30 November 2001. (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, November 8) company 8 November 2001 Content – external Investext: desktop access to Investext launched 9 November 2001. (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, November 8) documentation 8 November 2001 Policy – games (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, “It was agreed that protocols should not permit November 8) games on websites” 8 November 2001 History – investment (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, Budget cut impact on projects – examples: ICT work November 8) on client directory and FTSE 350+ version 2 started in 1999/2000 was at a standstill by March 2001 due to budget cuts. 12 November 2001 Uptake – stats (UK Knowledge Management Group, Record hits to UK intranet: 8282 on Monday 12 2001, December 21) November. 22 November 2001 Content – internal (UK Knowledge Management Group, Middle market site: launch to occur soon. 2001, November 22) 23 November 2001 Functionality – technical (UK Knowledge Management Group, Verity: launch of tools to improve search capability on 2001, November 22) UK intranet. December 2001 Policy – e-discussions (UK Knowledge Management Group, Protocols and best practice for e-discussions 2001, December-a) published. December 2001 History – national intranets (UK Knowledge Management Group, National intranets established for Canada and Hong 2001, December-b) Kong. 14 December 2001 Uptake – stats (UK Knowledge Management Group, 14% up on December 2000. 2002, January)
- 15. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Date Data Source 8 November 2001 Functionality – technical (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, Slow loading of UK intranet pages: load time of 12 November 8) seconds unacceptable. 8 November 2001 Date of “event” Functionality – technical Discussion forums: Internal Communications (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, November 8) Sample extract of reviewing documentation and issues of discussion 8 November 2001 forums. Functionality – technical (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, coded notes from Nimda virus: disruption caused by Nimda virus November 8) 8 November 2001 discussed. Content – external Code category Factiva: Factiva available from 30 November 2001. (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, November 8) company 8 November 2001 Content – external Investext: desktop access to Investext launched 9 November 2001. (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, November 8) documentation 8 November 2001 Policy – games (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, “It was agreed that protocols should not permit November 8) games on websites” 8 November 2001 History – investment (Intranet editorial panel, 2001, Budget cut impact on projects – examples: ICT work November 8) on client directory and FTSE 350+ version 2 started in 1999/2000 was at a standstill by March 2001 due Data coded to budget cuts. 12 November 2001 Uptake – stats (UK Knowledge Management Group, Record hits to UK intranet: 8282 on Monday 12 2001, December 21) November. 22 November 2001 Content – internal (UK Knowledge Management Group, Middle market site: launch to occur soon. 2001, November 22) 23 November 2001 Functionality – technical (UK Knowledge Management Group, Verity: launch of tools to improve search capability on UK intranet. 2001, November 22) Source of data December 2001 Policy – e-discussions (UK Knowledge Management Group, Protocols and best practice for e-discussions 2001, December-a) published. December 2001 History – national intranets (UK Knowledge Management Group, National intranets established for Canada and Hong 2001, December-b) Kong. 15 December 2001 Uptake – stats (UK Knowledge Management Group, 14% up on December 2000. 2002, January)
- 16. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing H: Who controls 422 the Intranet content, is it 423 controlled by you in XX … rather than 424 from the centre, from the KM group …? 425 #-CONTROL $-RELS KMG Sample of interview P: Well, in terms of what tools and what facilities are made available to us, 427 428 -#-$ | | transcript coded up with the that's obviously controlled by the 429 | | central group. But in terms of the XX content and the XX presence, that's 430 431 |-$ | use of The Ethnograph entirely controlled by me … simply 432 | because it wouldn't be relevant to go 433 | through a central group. 434 -# H: Yeh, OK. You've told me about 436 #-INT BUY-IN ownership. How … it sounds as if 437 -# you've got really good buy-in from 438 | your own set of people … 439 | | P: Absolutely. 441 -# #-INT BUY-IN H: What about the Intranet as a whole in 443 -# the UK? What are your perceptions of 444 | buy-in there? 445 | | $-KM SPONS P: I think it varies. I mean, I'm very 447 -#-$ fortunate in that I report into the 448 | 16 KM partner, who's also one of the 449 | senior partners … 450 -$ H: Which, who …? 452
- 17. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing H: Who controls 422 the Intranet content, is it 423 controlled by you in XX … rather than 424 from the centre, from the KM group …? 425 #-CONTROL $-RELS KMG Sample of interview Speaker P: Well, in terms of what tools and what 427 -#-$ transcript coded up with the facilities are made available to us, 428 | | that's obviously controlled by the 429 | | central group. But in terms of the XX content and the XX presence, that's 430 431 |-$ | use of The Ethnograph entirely controlled by me … simply 432 | because it wouldn't be relevant to go 433 | through a central group. 434 -# H: Yeh, OK. You've told me about 436 #-INT BUY-IN Code ownership. How … it sounds as if 437 -# you've got really good buy-in from 438 | your own set of people … 439 | Line numbers | P: Absolutely. 441 -# #-INT BUY-IN H: What about the Intranet as a whole in 443 -# the UK? What are your perceptions of 444 | buy-in there? 445 | | $-KM SPONS P: I think it varies. I mean, I'm very 447 -#-$ fortunate in that I report into the KM partner, who's also one of the 448 449 | | Data coded 17 senior partners … 450 -$ H: Which, who …? 452
- 18. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Data collected Data analysed into findings Web model (Kling & Scacchi, 1982) Four conceptual elements 1. Lines of work and going concerns 2. Production lattice 3. Infrastructure 4. Macrostructure 18
- 19. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Lines of work Going concerns - Overview of KM staff roles - KM and intranet responsibilities - IM as KM - Intranet as KM - Multi-channel knowledge sharing - Systems subversion - Status 19
- 20. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Production lattice, infrastructure & macrostructure - Overview of KM at firm - KM and intranet staffing plans - Intranet implementation plans - Knowledge sharing plans - Staff roles in practice - Actual intranet development - Actual knowledge sharing practice 20
- 21. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Lines of work Production lattice, infrastructure & Going concerns macrostructure - Overview of KM staff - Overview of KM at firm roles - KM and intranet - KM and intranet staffing plans responsibilities - Intranet implementation plans - Knowledge sharing plans - IM as KM - Intranet as KM - Staff roles in practice - Multi-channel - Actual intranet development knowledge sharing - Actual knowledge sharing practice - Systems subversion - Status 21 Interview data Documentation data
- 22. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Data collected Data analysed into findings Findings reframed Actor-network theory Three episodes 1. 1995/1996 2. 1998 22 3. 2001
- 23. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 1995/1996 Policy documentation Partner KM as a concept IM specialist Prototype intranet Technology enthusiast 23
- 24. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Policy documentation 1998 Partner KM staff (centre) IM/KM specialist KM as a concept Web specialist Intranet Technology enthusiast KM staff (business) 24 Non-KM staff (business)
- 25. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Policy documentation 2001 Partner KM staff (centre) IM/KM specialist KM as a concept Web specialist Intranet KM staff (business) 25 Non-KM staff (business)
- 26. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Data collected Data analysed into findings Findings reframed Research output 7 roles 26
- 27. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 7 roles of the intranet 1. Furnish individuals with special projects 2. Demonstrate status 3. Connect people for the purposes of knowledge sharing 4. Focus corporate attention on knowledge sharing 5. Inhibit knowledge sharing 6. Provide career direction 7. Measure engagement with KM initiatives 27
- 28. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 7 roles of the intranet - some intended by firm 1. Furnish individuals with special projects 2. Demonstrate status 3. Connect people for the purposes of knowledge sharing 4. Focus corporate attention on knowledge sharing 5. Inhibit knowledge sharing 6. Provide career direction 7. Measure engagement with KM initiatives 28
- 29. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 7 roles of the intranet - some tie to previous research 1. Furnish individuals with special projects 2. Demonstrate status 3. Connect people for the purposes of knowledge sharing 4. Focus corporate attention on knowledge sharing 5. Inhibit knowledge sharing 6. Provide career direction 7. Measure engagement with KM initiatives 29
- 30. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 7 roles of the intranet - some novel 1. Furnish individuals with special projects 2. Demonstrate status 3. Connect people for the purposes of knowledge sharing 4. Focus corporate attention on knowledge sharing 5. Inhibit knowledge sharing 6. Provide career direction 7. Measure engagement with KM initiatives 30
- 31. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing 7 roles of the intranet Power 1. Furnish individuals with special projects 2. Demonstrate status PR - firm as innovator 3. Connect people for the purposes of knowledge sharing 4. Focus corporate attention on knowledge sharing 5. Inhibit knowledge sharing 6. Provide career direction Individual’s progress 7. Measure engagement with KM initiatives Generate support 31 for further work
- 32. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Accounting for multiple roles Shared perceptions of appropriate technology use within specific environments differ. For example - intranet deployed to demonstrate status of organisation, role determined internally for benefit of external constituency. 32
- 33. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Accounting for failure of system to deliver as anticipated Actor power of those charged with the implementation – assigned by others – assigned to themselves 33
- 34. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing Accounting for emergence of these findings Consideration of wider environment in which system was situated - focus not on system per se Academic sociotechnical study – not consultancy project looking for “solutions” – disregarded managerial “taboos”, e.g. nagging for content, “culture” as umbrella excuse 34
- 35. The intranet as actor: the role of the intranet in knowledge sharing References Huysman, M. & De Wit, D. (2002). Knowledge sharing in practice. London: Kluwer. Kling, R. & Scacchi, W. (1982). The web of computing: computer technology as social organization. Advances in Computers, 21, 1-90. Orlikowski, W. J. (1996). Learning from notes: organizational issues in groupware implementation. In R. Kling (Ed.), Computerization and controversy: value conflicts and social choices (2nd ed.).San Diego, CA: Academic Press. 35