The Networked organisation Jan Damsgaard Dept. of Informatics Copenhagen Business School.
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Transcript of The Networked organisation Jan Damsgaard Dept. of Informatics Copenhagen Business School.
The Networked organisation
Jan DamsgaardDept. of Informatics
Copenhagen Business School
OrganizationalIntranetThe Internet
Extranet
Firewall
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 2
Agenda What is an Intranet? The networked organization Intranet use modes How to align organizational needs and the intranet? Four stages and three crises in Intranet implementation Two intranets The deceptive ease of intranet implementation Intranet knowledge management Que Vadis?
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 3
Organizational Organizational DatabasesDatabases
Discussion Discussion groups, Email, groups, Email, news, FTPnews, FTP
An “Internet” within the organization
User with User with BrowserBrowser
IntranetIntranetWeb ServerWeb Server
““Legacy” systemsLegacy” systems
““Static” Static” InformationInformation
Corporate Home pageCorporate Home page
D ep t 1 D ep t 2 D ep t 3
C orp ora te H om e
Search EngineSearch Engine ?
Different Different computing computing platformsplatforms
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 4
The networked organization
OrganizationalIntranetThe Internet
Extranet
Firewall
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 5
Traits of the networked organization
Exterior traits– Volatile – Global
Interior traits– Organic and dynamic– Project organized and inter-disciplinary– Knowledge intensive and well-educated work force
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 6
Empirical foundation Research interest since 1996 Supervised (all empirical based or hands on)
– 1 Ph.D. Thesis– 7 Master Theses– A dozen undergraduate student projects
Longitudinal qualitative field studies of Danish and South African companies
Part of Danish research project (Design of MM) Industry network with bimonthly meetings for two
years (50+ participants) Invited speaker at several national industry conferences
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Intranet uses modes
Use mode– (P)ublishing
– (T)ransacting
– (I)nteracting
– (S)earching
– (R)ecording
Examples– Newsletters and documents
– Electronic forms, interface to existing information systems
– Collaborative work spaces, discussion groups
– Search engines, indexes
– Knowledge management
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 8
How to align organizational needs and the Intranet?
Information and PR department versus IT department The voluntariness of Intranet adoption The “blur” between users and developers The dependence on network externalities The Chicken or Egg problem (critical mass) All or nothing technology, but also a fragile
technology
Deg
ree
ofIn
stitu
tiona
lisat
ion
Initiation
Stagnation
Contagion Control Integration
Sponsor grabsintranet
Critical massreached
IntranetcontrolledSaturation
Stage
Noorder
Nocriticalmass
Nosponsor
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 10
The Seven S’sElement Description
(Pascale & Athos 1981, p.82)Meaning in an intranet context
Strategy Plan or course of action leading to theallocation of a firm’s scarce resources, overtime, to reach identified goals.
The intranet strategy that deals with how thesuperordinate goals in terms of the intranet areto be achieved.
Structure Characterisation of the organisation chart (i.e.functional, decentralised, etc.)
Describes where the responsibility for theintranet resides in the organisation.
Systems Proceduralized reports and routinizedprocesses such as meeting formats.
The intranet itself as it is used in theorganisation. This includes its content andfunctionality, its use modes and its relationshipto other organisational processes and systems.
Staff “Demographics” description of importantpersonnel categories within the firm (i.e.,engineers, entrepreneurs, MBAs, etc.).“Staff” is not meant in line-staff terms.
Important role players with regard to theintranet, such as senior managers, technical andorganisational intranet champions, contentproviders, developers and users.
Style Characterisation of how key managers behavein achieving the organisation’s goals; also thecultural style of the organisation.
Describes how key managers behave withregards to the intranet.
Skills Distinctive capabilities of key personnel orthe firm as a whole.
The capabilities of staff who are involved withthe intranet.
SuperordinateGoals
The significant meanings or guiding conceptsthat an organisation imbues in its members.
The guiding concepts regarding the use ofintranet technology in the organisation.
Stages of intranet use and managementElements/
stageInitiation Contagion Control Integration
Strategy “Selling” theintranet concept
“Reach” followed by“range” strategy;Intra-functional orInter-functionalgrowth
Control viastandardisation andformalisation
Continuous optimising
Structure IndependentIndividuals
Informal project team Intranet steering group Dispersed multi-disciplinary entity
Use mode:Publishing;
Use modes:Publishing,Interacting,Searching;
Use modes: Publishing,Interacting, Searching,Transacting;
Use modes: Publishing,Interacting, Searching,Transacting, Recording;
Systems
“This is me andthis is my team”sites;Intranet islands
Intranet “killerapplications”;Multitude of sites;Some outdatedinformation andbroken hyperlinks
Integration with othersystems, workprocesses;Intranet becomes“universal platform”;Access limitations
Centralised anddecentralised solutionscoexist;“Organisationalmemory”
Staff Technologychampions
Technology sponsor;Informal projecttechnology agents
Formal intranetpositions e.g.coordinator; developers,content providers
Decentralised contentand process owners
Style Suspicion Laissez-faire Formal Committed
Skills Technical Marketing;communicating
Project management Knowledgemanagement
Super-ordinate
Goals
Engaging anintranet sponsor
Reaching a criticalmass of users andcontent
Rationalisation andmanagement control
IntranetInstitutionalisation
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 12
Organizational needs and Intranet technology?
Rethink the classical assumptions!– Intranet technology is organic and its implementation emergent– Needs are less explicit/not known at all– Coexisting Intranets within the same organization
Intranet “users”– Users can also be developers– User behavior (grazing, browsing, hunting) – The “faceless” user (the rifle, the shotgun or the repository)
Some new considerations– Creativity <=> Standards– Rich content <=> Maintainability– Ownership (Centralized <=> Decentralized)
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 13
A Tale of two Intranets PlayCo Web PharmaCo IntraWeb Initiative ‘Top-down’ ‘Bottom-up’ & ‘top-down’ Scope Corporate-wide Corporate-wide Focus Inter-departmental
communication Intra- as well as inter-departmental communication
Users Managers and employees at all levels
Managers and employees at all levels
Control and Ownership
Centralized Decentralized
Standards Design guidelines No standards Resources 1 Web coordinator
4 programmers 80 ‘content providers’
1 Web master 20 programmers 140 ‘super users’
Content and services
Streamlined Polished content, fancy design Well-structured
Unruly, very dynamic Mixed quality “Chaotic”
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 14
PlayCO
Business Unit
Content Provider
Corporate information and PR Dept.
Web Coordinator
Corporate IT Dept.
Web Developers
Intranet sponsor
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 15
PharmaCo
Corporate IT Dept.
Business UnitWCC
WebmasterInformation Owner
Web Super User
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 16
The deceptive ease of intranet implementation
Support technology versus transformational technology Making explicit what was earlier implicit
– The Wall at Telkom– Discussion groups at PlayCo– The emergence of internal firewalls at CSIR (tragedy of the commons)
– The chaos at PharmaCo Thus an Intranet seems to amplify and enforce existing
organizational structures, processes and culture and become a thick barrier to change
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 17
Knowledge management Motivation
– KM as a strategic resource– Increased flexibility and readiness to change– Extend and strengthen the relations to partners
and customers Caused by changes in
– The market (global and volatile)– The workforce (changing and demanding)– Collaboration with trusted partners
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 18
Intranet and KM Many organizations justify their investment in intranet
technology with knowledge management Few success stories for intranet based KM Questionable how well intranet fits KM
– But the organizations are using it for that purpose– A need to understand the tehnology better
A attempt to provide a way forward for implementers that wish to avoid the “deceptive ease” of intranet implementation
Framework combines general KM model and our intranet use modes
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 19
Knowledge Worker
Agenter Filter Workflow Søgning Data mining
HTML XML UN/EDIFACTHTTP TCP/IP
BROWSER
Extranet Intranet Internet
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Knowledge worker Different from both the industrial worker and the
information worker Traits of the knowledge worker
– Highly educated, has a career and demanding
– High degree of autonomy, faithful to projects
– Comes from the outside and stays only for short while
Change in strategy– From: How do I keep my employees?
– To: How do I attract the best knowledge base?
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 21
2 Types of Knowledge
Explicit knowledge – can be expressed in words and numbers and
shared in the form of data, scientific formula, specification and manuals
Tacit knowledge– is deeply rooted in an individual’s actions,
skills, and experience as well as in his/hers ideals, values and emotions
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 22
Nonaka and Konno’s (1998) model of knowledge creation processes
Socializsation Externalization
Internalization Combination
TACIT KNOWLEDGE
TA
CIT
KN
OW
LE
DG
EE
XP
LIC
IT K
NO
WL
ED
GE
EX
PL
ICIT
KN
OW
LE
DG
E
EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGEEXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE
TA
CIT
KN
OW
LE
DG
E
TACIT KNOWLEDGE
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 23
A summary …
Use mode Description
PublishingUsing the technology to publish information (e.g. home pages, newsletters, technical documents, product catalogues, employee directories).
TransactingUsing the technology to transact with functionality on intranet pages and other organisational computer-based information systems e.g. via web forms.
InteractingUsing the technology to interact with other individuals and groups in the organisation (e.g. via discussion groups, collaborative applications).
SearchingUsing the technology to search for organisational information (e.g. via search engines, indexes, search agents).
RecordingUsing the technology to record the computer-based “organisational memory” (such as capturing best practices, business processes, frequently asked questions).
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 24
Socialization Externalization
Internalization Combination
TACIT KNOWLEDGE
TA
CIT
KN
OW
LED
GE
EX
PLIC
IT K
NO
WLE
DG
EE
XP
LICIT
KN
OW
LED
GE
EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGEEXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE
TA
CIT
KN
OW
LED
GE
TACIT KNOWLEDGE
Transacting Searching
Publishing
RecordingInteracting
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 25
Sozialization
Connecting knowledgeable individuals
Many-to-many interaction Poor substitute for face-2-face, but
reality for many dispersed settings Extend and sustain existing
relationships Example: The Wall
Publishing
Transacting
Interacting
Searching
Recording
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 26
Combination
Intranet-based searching (flat, indexed, portals, engines, agents)
Integrating existing pockets of knowledge dispersed throughout the organization
Example: to prevent…reinventing the wheel
Publishing
Transacting
Interacting
Searching
Recording
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 27
Internalization
Transaction with intranet-enabled knowledge repositories, systems, databases
Access possible with intranet (often for first time)
You ask without revealing your ignorance Example: Important for new employees
Publishing
Transacting
Interacting
Searching
Recording
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 28
Externalization
Capturing organizational processes as they occur
Like having a tape recorder running in the organization, building up an electronic record
This record can be excavated later (even by others, with hindsight)
Knowledge only apparent ex post Example: post-project, cross analysis
Publishing
Transacting
Interacting
Searching
Recording
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 29
KM Discussion Focus is on knowledge creation, rather than
generalized KM Our processes are archetypical, all applications are a
mixture Malleability of intranet technology Importance of a vocabulary for KM and intranet
managers With combined model possible to map organizational
KM requirements onto the intranet (as opposed to just letting it happen)
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 30
KM conclusion Returning to disappointing early results we argue:
– Many of the results can be attributed to a fixation on publication as primary intranet use mode (at expense of other modes)
– Static views of intranet technology as packaged, given technology, rather than emergent, organic technology appropriated to particular contexts
We expect more fruitful results in contexts that foster KM process with a richer array of the other intranet use modes
Despite the inadequacies of technology, knowledge processes do occur naturally:– Most effective KM technology can be the coffee machine!– Harnessing intranet technology more effectively can foster such naturally
occurring processes We have proposed and illustrated a combined model, it’s value
should be assessed by it practical applicability
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 31
Quo Vadis? What implementers should consider
– Central or decentralized strategy– The Deceptive Ease of implementation– IT or Information and PR department?– The chicken and egg problem– Richness vs. maintainability– Relation to Electronic Commerce, Extranet and
Internet initiatives, and Knowledge Management
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 32
The Virtual Organizationhttp://www.cs.auc.dk/research/IS/PITNIT
Purchasing
Production
Marketing
Design
Production
Design
ERP Extranet
EDI
Internet
Intranet
Purchasing
Network perspective of industrial processes:
A look at the technologies that can be used for different communication links in and between two organisations in the network:
Enlarged
EBUSS © Jan Damsgaard, 2004 33
References Bansler J. P., J. Damsgaard, E. Havn, J. Thommesen, and R. Scheepers (2000).
Corporate Intranet Implementation: Managing emergent technologies and organizational practices. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 1(10), 40 pages
Damsgaard, Jan and Scheepers, Rens (2000). Managing the Crises in intranet Implementation: a Stage Model. Information Systems Journal. 10(2):131-150.
Damsgaard, Jan and Scheepers, Rens (1999). Power, Influence and Intranet Implementation: A Safari of South African Organizations. Information, Technology and People12(4):333-358.
Damsgaard, Jan and Rens Scheepers (2001). Harnessing Intranet Technology for Organizational Knowledge Creation. Australian Journal of Information Systems, Special Issue on Knowledge Management, pp 4 – 15, December 2001.
Karlsbjerg, Jan & Jan Damsgaard (2001) Make or buy - A taxonomy of intranet implementation strategies. Proceedings of The 9th European Conference on Information Systems, "Global Co-operation in the New Millennium" Bled, Slovenia. Under journal review.