Social software for collaboration and innovtion purposes: Assumptions

versus experiences VERDIKT conference 2010

Oslo, November 1-2, 2010

Marika Lüders, Research Scientist at SINTEF ICT

1.How can we design social software for innovation, collaboration and knowledge management/sharing in organizations?

2.How should social software for the above purposes be implemented in organizations?

Case-studies:

The Norwegian Labour Party Oslo University Hospital Devoteam daVinci Seniornett

FUNDED BY THE NORWEGIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

NETworked Power (2009-2013)

A buzz-word world

Two of our cases

Devoteam daVinci Implements the enterprise 2.0 tool Jive aiming to increase knowledge sharing internally in the enterprise.

The Norwegian Labour Party Has a widespread presence in different social media, and a particular emphasis on the value of MyLabourParty to increase citizen involvement

Is it possible to develop a general framework for faciliating participation (and thus potentially innovation) through social media?

CSCW: Social software migth overcome shortcomings of the

communication technologies currently used by knowledge workers. The enterprise2.0 (Andrew McAfee).

Open and user-oriented innovation (Tapscott and

Willams, Chesbrough, vonHippel)

Networked media and democracy: new public spheres,

more symmetrical communication lines, involving citizens in policy-making (Mayo and Steinberg)

Theoretical approaches

Company X uses social software

(but why are we here?)

How do external users perceive and experience the objective of using s.s?

What should an

organization do when

actors perceive and

experience the objectives

differently? Or when

objectives clash?

What should an

organization do when the

offering is not experienced

as initially perceived?

Devoteam uses social

software (JIVE)

How do external users perceive and experience the objective of using s.s?

Improve knowledge management and sharing Improve company culture Improve collaboration with customers/clients Improve services Improve profit

?

?

Methods applied Survey Field-studies Interviews

Negative expectations at Devoteam

9

Time-consuming

20

Hype 10

Risk 7 Privacy, security, intimacy

Bragging 4 Boasting, bragging, personal branding

Gossip 3

Annoying 9 Messy, chaotic, annoying, nonsense, useless, irrelevant, nagging

Bothersome 3

Disturbing 2 Disturbing, distracting

Other 8 Information overlad, asocial, same shit new wrapping, difficult, wrong focus, an addition to existing means of communicaiton, too many sources.

Positive expectations at Devoteam

10

Co-operation 30 Co-operation, collaboration, exchange, sharing,1+1=3, share thoughts, share knowledge,

Relations 22 Social, making connections, communication, friends, contacts, circle of friends, community, relations, extending networks, closer communication

Fun 9

Exciting 7

Knowledge 5 Knowledge, information, enlightening

Effective 5 Effective, fast

Engaging 3 Engaging, involving

Useful 3 Useful, partly useful

Opportunities 3

Helpful 3 Help, ask questions, contribute

Interesting 2

Accessible 2

Other 15 Intuitive, better, results, new era, peace, updated, smooth, future, flexible,dialog with the market, challenging, by på seg selv, democratic, gather, people, innovating

Devoteam-employees discuss JIVE what is this, how should we use it, I cannot find anything here, notifications spam my e-mail, I don’t understand the structure, is this really useful for us?

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The Labour Party

uses social software

How do citizens/voters perceive and experience the objective of using s.s?

Improve knowledge management and sharing internally in the party. Enable communication between the party and citizens/voters, and increase Citizen involvement. Campaigning tool

?

?

Methods applied Interviews with party members and politicians

Methods applied Open-ended survey.

Methods applied Text/content-analysis

14

Improving communication processes Internal as well as external users share the perception that the offering enables dialogue between politicians and citizens. However, when looking more closely into the material it becomes evident that there are several conflicting expectations and experiences.

How citizens experience MyLabourParty

I regard Mitt Arbeiderparti and blogs to be a new mode of working, which will

slowly and irrefutably become part of the societal discourse. Combined with

increased acccess to the debates taking place within political parties and in the

organisations overall, societal debates will belong to everyone who lives in

Norway. Debates and decisions have for a long time taken place in closed

arenas that ordinary citizens cannot influence or access. I am decidedly of the

opinon that Mitt Arbeiderparti etc and particularly the blog may invigorate

political involvement and secure democracy for the future. Stoltenberg and

Støre’s blogs strengthen my political involvement and my respect for

politicians in general. Democracy is access and participation.

(Respondent in open-ended survey)

How citizens experience MyLabourParty

They have to create the impression that your contributions are assessed, and that you

actually have some influence.

I want to know how comments and input are taken and treated in the Labour party.

I wonder how the Labour Party makes use of our viewpoints? Is there any point in

being involved?

I find it difficult to get through to the party as long as no-one actually responds to my

comments. I think this is a democratic problem: whether we are taken seriously and

whether we are acknowledged for wanting to participate in order to create a better

society.

(Respondents in open-ended survey)

Solving conflicting perceptions and experiences

1. Re-define offering: clarify for internal and external users what to expect?

2. Improve/change the system: is it possible to make system-iterations which improve the user-experience?

3. Change user-practices: e.g. should politicians take a more active role in replying to user-comments?

Conclusion

Is it possible to develop a general framework for faciliating participation (and thus potentially innovation) through social media?

Eh, no it isn’t.

But a viable framework needs to include all relevant actors, a clearly defined offering (though remember the desire path strategy) and a strategy making sure that expecations and experiences are not completely in conflict.

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THANKS! marika.luders@sintef.no