Virtual community: Virtual community: creating and sharing creating and sharing

knowledgeknowledge

Class of May, 15th

Federica CacciavillaniRiccardo ChiniRaffaele MililloLoredana Giovinazzi

Virtual community:Virtual community:frontierless, geographically dispersed community of people and organizations connected via internet or other networks

Conversational exchangesConversational exchangesWithin the virtual community the knowledge is created

and shared through a continuos dialog, with questions and

answers, between users.

Conversational model of Conversational model of knowledge creation is:knowledge creation is:

• economical and technology undemanding

• fast

• suitable for environments with multiple owners

• high impact knowledge management

Conversational tools:Conversational tools:

• E-mail

• Static and DB backed web pages

• Forum

• Group Decision Support System (GDSS)

• Blog

• Social Network

• Wiki

focus on:focus on:• Forum

• Blog

• Social Network

• Wiki

• their characteristics

• how they are used by companies

• specifcity when they are used by the Public Administration

FORUMSFORUMS1. What are the forums?

They are meeting points in the network where users can debate, discuss, meet and exchange ideas about specifc topics .

2. Why companies should use forums?

In essence forums are cheap but effective tools that can be used to ameliorate the communication and the knowledge sharing within the firm.

A practical exampleA practical examplePoste Italiane has a specifc forum in which employees can interact and discuss about specifc topics.

They share their knowledge and experiencies, and the result is an improvement of work processes that leads to an increase productivity.

A personal journal consisting of posts displayed in reverse chronological order.

An interactive tool that allows visitors to leave comments and even messages each other.

What is a blog?

Interactivity distinguishes blogs from other static websites.

Blogging can be seen as a form of social networking, building social relations with readers.

Personal blog: an ongoing diary by an individual is the most common. It becomes a way to reflect on life.

Types of blogs

Corporate and organizational blog: for business purposes. Used internally to enhance the communication and culture or externally for marketing, branding or public relations.

“A Thousand Words” is a place for stories from the people of Kodak

http://1000words.kodak.com/thousandwords/

SOME EXAMPLES

has three kind of blogs:

“PLUGGED IN” is a place for ideas and knowledge sharing from the people of Kodak about technology.

“GROW YOUR BIZ “is a place for sharing insights about Kodak products, services, technologies and to see how they can enrich the business applications most important to users and their industry.

http://pluggedin.kodak.com/pluggedin/

http://growyourbiz.kodak.com/growyourbiz/

Social networksSocial networks

What are social network?

• Social structure determined by interactions;

• Nodes;

• Common criticism.

Most popular S.N.Most popular S.N.

A practical exampleA practical example

Song sharing

Product spread

Knowledge sharing

AdvantagesAdvantages

• Interest sharing;

• People meeting;

• Business expantion;

• Connecting people

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Privacy;

Reliability;

WIKIWIKI

is a website where users can add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser.

A wiki:A wiki:• is a database for creating, browsing and serching information

• enables communities to write documents collaboratively, using a

simple markup language and a web browser

• allows for non-linear, evolving, networked text, argument and

interaction

The Socially Darwinian process:The Socially Darwinian process:

• The openness of wikis and the rapidity with which wiki pages can

be edited

• may invite 'vandalism' and the posting of untrue information

• but this same openness also makes it possible to rapidly correct or

restore a 'quality' wiki page."

Wiki in the company:Wiki in the company:

• Wiki as groupware: some companies use wikis as their only

collaborative software and as a replacement for static intranets.

• Wiki as a help system: the emphasis is on the knowledge structure

and representation in a question-and-answer format.

Unconventional knowledge Unconventional knowledge creation and sharing paradigm:creation and sharing paradigm:

• In many organizations, the Intranet represents the organization’s

offcial channel (top-down, hierarchical culture of information)

• Wikis technology alone cannot be expected to change organization

culture, without the organization’s readiness and decision to use a

more even approach to knowledge creation.

Companies using wiki in their Companies using wiki in their workplaces:workplaces:

used to form of project management, to customer/client collaboration,

documentation, to form online communities or to create company

policies, FAQ’s or guidelines.

Public Administrations and Public Administrations and local authoritieslocal authorities

MAIN METHOD OF CONTACT PA-CONSUMERYear 2011, shares response rates by level of education

source :http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/58166

Approximately 14% of Italian consumers surveyed said they had used the Internet last year as a channel of contact with the Public Administration.

Some practical examplesSome practical examples

Software that allows you to create collaborative work environments with which the working groups or interest groups can share resources, exchange documents and work remotely

Search engine for websites of Public Administration

Wikitalia is a project aimed primarily at local government . It’s a collaboration platform that provides software, organizational and social rules, assembled together to form an architecture of collaboration

https://circabc.europa.eu/faces/jsp/extension/wai/navigation/container.jsp

http://www.italia.gov.it/itagov2/

http://www.wikitalia.it/

Conclusions Conclusions

These media creates value by :

•Easier connection with customers

•Creation of new relationships

•Raise of the existing relationships

Two main hurdlesTwo main hurdles

Reputetional damage

Precautional check on comments

ROI determination

‘’Intangible assets can deliver intangible benefts’’

Which is the best tool?Which is the best tool?

Depends on :

•Firm dimension

•Company aim

•Referring market

•Firm’s culture

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04/24/13