15.599 The Future of Work and

Collaborative Innovation Networks

7. Knowledge Flow Optimization

3/5/2005 Peter Gloor pgloor@mit.edu

Aligning process and organization by knowledge flow

ServicesTeam 1

ServicesTeam 2 Pool

Department Manager

Business processCommunication flow(Relationships)Org. structure+ +

role competency

BUhas has

belongs toreports to

is substitute of

connectivityinteractivitysharing

1.VisualizeKnowledge Flow

2.Find COINs

3.Redesign & Optimize

4.Monitor

personal

community

high

high(m-m)

small(1-1)

COINMembers

Degree ofInteractivity

Degree ofSharing

Degree ofConnectivity

low

(1-m)

CINCollaborative Interest Network

CLNCollaborative Learning Network

COINCollaborative

Innovation Network

creativeintelligence

swarmintelligence

transparencyconsistency

code ofethics

ethicalconscience

knowledgesharing

trustrelationship

team

individual

innovation collaboration communication

organizationmeritocracy

Knowledge Flow Optimization(KFO)

1. Visualize Knowledge Flow

• Convert Outlook to Eudora (converter.exe)

• Spider online mailinglists (online.jar)• Collect Weblogs• Load Excel spreadsheets

(Fileloader.jar)• Load *.mbx files (TeCFlow.jar)

TeCFlow Tips• Get files TeCFlow.bat, TeCFlow.jar, fr.dll into same

folder in Windows• Log into MySQL database (using new name creates

new database)• If not enough access rights in MySQL: From a

command window call “mysql” and enter: grant all on *.* to ""@localhost

• Can parse single*.mbx files and entire directories• Can parse with/without subject line, contents• Use MySQL Control Center tool MySQLCC to

inspect, change database tables

TeCFlow database structure

TeCFlow Scalability• 500-1000 actors• 2000-10000 messages (links,ties)Four ways of scaling down:1. “Want to set time constraints” (uses less memory)

2. Merge addresses (uses less memory)3. Reduce communication frequency4. Run without history• Reducing number of actors saves most memory

Delete mailing list addresses

Edges per keyframe

2. Discover COINs

with history without history

Discover COIN/CLN/CIN

Find COIN Benchmarks

• Financial results• Ask experts for rating• Use speed of innovation diffusion,

innovation acceptance, SNA measures

3. Redesign & Optimize(1) Establish Swarm Creativity – Give up central

control!(2) Fill the critical roles of innovator, communicator,

and collaborator!(3) Establish distributed trust!(4) Establish a common code of ethics!(5) Establish a small world structure of high

connectivity, interactivity, and knowledge sharing!(6) Set up a Collaborative Web Workplace!(7) Know when to change the organizational

structure!

3.1 Establish Swarm Creativity – Give up central control

• Find structural holes

• Find gatekeepers

• Find centers (influentials)

• Create “democratic structure” of generally high betwenness

• “Creative chaos” (changes in GBC) compared to “high-performance continuity”

3.2 Fill the roles of innovator, communicator, collaborator

• Contribution index plot identifies

•Coordinators

•Creators/Innovators

•Communicators/Ambassadors

•Collaborators/Knowledge Experts

• Dynamic view movie identifies centers/gatekeepers etc. and shortages

3.3 Establish distributed trust

• Identify “hubs” for each subteam

• Re-enforce “hubs” if needed

• Search for “creative chaos” oscillating GBC

• Recommend supporting trust-building steps if needed:

•Connect hubs of “trust”

•Initiate f2f interaction

3.4 Establish a common code of ethics

• Meritocracy (identify coordinator, creator, communicator, collaborator)

• Transparency (through TeCFLow)

• Knowledge Sharing (contribution index)

• Consistency - establish shared goals

• Respect for individual

• Reward system (Heisenberg & Hawthorne effect)

3.5 Establish a small world structure

• Find structural holes

• Find gatekeepers

• Find centers (influentials)

• Create “democratic structure” of generally high betwenness

• “Creative chaos” (changes in GBC) compared to “high-performance continuity”

3.6 Set up a Collaborative Web Workplace

highly personalizedglobally accessiblecollaborative workspace

personal

community

high

high(m-m)

small(1-1)

Degree ofInteractivity

Degree ofSharing

e-mail chat

Degree ofConnectivity

bulletin board

mailing list Webcast

virtual meeting(Webconference)

low

(1-m)

3.7 Know when to change organizational structure

• Emphasis on “creativity” or “performance”

• Emphasis on “self-organizing” or “hierarchical”

• Rewarding “swarm creativity” (measure it first)

KFO Application Areas• Research and Development/New Product

Development– Spot innovations

• Sales Force– Communication sales rep - customer

• Project Management– Knowledge flow in project

• Mergers & acquisitions– Link hubs of trust

Privacy is a primary concern• Buy-in of study population crucial• Identity of individuals has to be protected

– Replace names by identifiers – Results only reported in anonymous form

• Proper measures to safeguard data– Only anonymized data goes outside of company– Content is encrypted

• Open & honest communication with users– Share results with study population