Socail Networking: A social network service focuses on establishing and online communities for people who share same interests and activities. The social network will introduce people who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
A typical social network will display a directory of people or topics of common interest. When you find someone with similar interests, you can send them a message asking to be added to their contact lists. This in turn allows you to meet other like-minded people. It in turn gets you connected with that person's network. Apparently expanding your organizational or personal contacts more efficiently and quickly easily rather than you could in the real world. Your network grows exponentially with each person you add, and you can interact with others using messaging tools.
According to research organization YuoGov (2006) the average internet user now spends three hours a week on social-networking sites that adds up to six days a year, and makes social networking more popular than online banking, shopping or music downloads
The most popular social networks are Linkedin, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Friendster and many more.
Community of Practice: The concept of a community of practice (often abbreviated as CoP) refers to the process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in some subject or problem collaborate over an extended period to share ideas, find solutions, and build innovations. It refers as well to the stable group that is formed from such regular interactions.
The term was first used in 1991 by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger who used it in relation to situated learning as part of an attempt to "rethink learning" at the Institute for Research on Learning. In 1998, the theorist Etienne Wenger extended the concept and applied it to other contexts, including organizational settings. More recently, Communities of Practice have become associated with knowledge management as people have begun to see them as ways of developing social capital, nurturing new knowledge, stimulating innovation, or sharing existing tacit knowledge within an organization. It is now an accepted part of organizational development (OD).
7.2 Benefits of Social Networking for an Organization
According to Kimball. L et. al 2003 emphasised on the benefits on knowledgeably online social networks in context to an organization are as follows:
- Connect people and build relationships across boundaries of geography or discipline.
- Provide an ongoing context for knowledge exchange that can be far more effective than memoranda.
- Attune everyone in the organization to each other's needs – more people will know who knows who knows what, and will know it faster.
- Multiply intellectual capital by the power of social capital, reducing social friction and encouraging social cohesion.
- Create an ongoing, shared social space for people who are geographically dispersed.
- Amplify innovation – when groups get turned on by what they can do online, they go beyond problem-solving and start inventing together.
- Create a community memory for group deliberation and brainstorming that stimulates the capture of ideas and facilitates finding information when it is needed.
- Improve the way individuals think collectively – moving from knowledge-sharing to collective knowing.
- Turn training into a continuous process, not divorced from normal business processes.
- Attract and retain the best employees by providing access to social capital that is only available within the organization.
7.3 Benefits of CoP for Individuals and Organization
According to M. Bettoni et al. 2002 firms that understand how to translate the power of communities into successful knowledge organizations will be the architects of tomorrow.
Participation in a Community of Practice gives individuals and their organisation these benefits:
For Oraganization
- Opportunity to execute strategic plan
- Improved quality of decisions making capabilities
- focus on solving on problems approaches
- Develop Solutions for problem within a short time and low cost
- Ability to forecast technological changes and development
For Members
- Gain access to the experience of other individuals
- Obtain new ideas from various people and various countries
- Develops an ability to contribute to team task
- Develops professional reputation
CoPs are usually formed based on the individual or organizations focus towards a specific area of common interest in sharing knowledge, solving problems, or innovative ventures within that context. This is described as single disciplinary by various authors. The current complex organizations with diversified technological usage in which organizations function has given rise to multidisciplinary participations. The multi disciplinary participation provides an advantage in these efforts because of the expanded focus and even holistic goal that can be achieved.
7.4 Illustration of above factors with real-time examples
According to a survey by King Research (2007), 100 percent of IT professionals who use online communities say they get professional benefits from the experience.
Firstly, According to IBM (2007) recently announced the availability of IBM Atlas for Lotus Connections, a corporate social-networking visualization and analysis tool. It will help users spot the important connections and relationships between various groups and navigate their personal and corporate networks. Reach, the social software dashboard feature in Atlas, helps users navigate up to six degrees of separation that divide them from a colleague.
Secondly, According to Whittle. S (2007) Viadeo is an example of the new breed of business-focused social-networking sites. Its three million members use the site to find partners, suppliers, funding or employees, said Peter Cunningham, country manager for Viadeo UK. "On our site, most profiles are linked closely to a business, and they're written to promote a business, or as an invitation for potential partners and clients," said Cunningham. "The idea is to use social-networking technology to enable members to share non-core business advice and information."
For example, Viadeo members in France have used the platform to find overseas distributors for products. This is easier to do in a social-networking setting because the site allows for precise keyword searching and the network includes dozens of "business hubs and clubs" which can provide introductions to trusted partners and suppliers, Cunningham (2006) explained that other members have used the site's video and other features to provide tutorials, advertisements and demonstrations of their own products, and linked to external websites and blogs from their profiles.
7.5 How Social Networking & CoP can be implemented in my own organization
We emerging ERP Consultancy Entrepreneur planning to make use of use of existing social networking tools and form a Knowledge Management System. The said proposal is carried out in four phases.
In Phase I, the professional social networking tools like Linkedin will be used to establish communication between individuals. The pre-requisite will be adequate Skills and Knowledge in ERP applications. Once appropriate amounts of contacts are generated we would move on to Phase II of selecting the right members matching individual skill sets with the company requirements. In Phase III, we would form a ERP Community of Practice. This community consists of expertise coming from different levels of EPR. These individuals are accepted into the community based on the self declaration made by individuals about their ERP Skills & Knowledge and company requirements. In Phase IV, we select a group of people from the ERP Community to form a Team. The Team focuses on defining / developing / implementing business process for clients and bring value to ERP Consultancy. The team is given a task to accomplish based on the business process. Once the task is delivered successfully, this can be tagged into Organisation Knowledge Depositories.
This approach will enable the social networking & CoP to become a Knowledge Management System.
7.6 REFLECTIONS FROM GROUP LEARNING
After participating in group discussions and seminars has highlighted certain aspects of Social Networking as a phenomenon that is helping individual to bridge the communications without any geographic limitations. Based on the above facts here are my learning outcomes are
- Social Networking is tool to integrate people with common interests and activities
- CoP is process of knowledge sharing based on the similar area of interest. This can exist within or beyond the boundaries of organisation
Explanation: According to Hinds F (2008), Social knowledge integrates people with common interest and activities. According to Azeez T (2008), social networks integration forms a network of people interested in sharing information by messaging and also avails in getting connected to their networks. According my other colleagues, Social network mainly focuses on establishing online communities which is comparatively faster and easier in expanding organization than doing in the real world.
Apparently Kasala P (2008) argues that CoP helps in expanding organisation and personal contacts exponentially and effectively in his example. But, Hinds F (2008) argued organisations may not encourage implementation of social networks as employees tend to get diversified from their job routines. In a discussion addressed by Kasala P (2008), Basnayake A (2008) and Shaikh S (2008) argued that CoP can be preferred in that instance rather than social network provided it is gradually incorporated into organisations and there is a strong governance of technology.
Hence, I would conclude my learning outcome in support of authors like Brian Satterfield (2006), Kimball & Rheingold (2003), M. Bettoni et al. 2002 that Knowledge Networks establish communication between individuals and enable knowledge sharing in a broader perspective of the organization. This argument is further supported by my colleagues Hinds F (2008), Azeez T (2008), Basnayake A (2008) and Shaikh S (2008).
7.7 REFERENCES
Satterfield, Brian (2006), “What Can Social Networking Do for Your Organization” Retrieved on February 22, 2008 from http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page5504.cfm
Whittle, S. 2007 “How to use social networks for business gain” Retrieved on February 22, 2008 from http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/features/0,1000002000,39290463,00.htm?r=2
YuoGov (2006) “How to use social networks for business gain” Retrieved on February 22, 2008 from http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/features/0,1000002000,39290463,00.htm?r=2
Kimball, L., and Rheingold, H. (2003). How online social networks benefit organisations. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from
http://www.rheingold.com/Associates/onlinenetworks.html
IBM (2007) “IBM Launches Tool to Help Businesses Visualize Social Networks” Retrieved on February 23, 2008 from http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=31672
King Research (2007), “Survey: IT Pros Get Professional Benefits from Online Communities”, Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=31672
Lave, J. & Wenger E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Retrieved on February 25, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice
Wenger, Etienne (1998), Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 318, ISBN 978-0-521-66363-2. Retrieved on February 25, 2008 from www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_practice
M. Bettoni et al. 2002 - KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 2002, ROMA, 6.11.2002
Azeez, Tobosun (2008), Blog: Knowledge Management Strategies by Tobosun Azeez. Retrieved on March 10, 2008 from http://tubokms.blogspot.com/
Hinds, Fiona (2008), Blog: Knowledge Management Strategies by thinking Souljah. Retrieved on January 30, 2008 from http://souljah-on-knowledge-management.blogspot.com/
Shaikh, Samir (2008), Blog: Samir Shaikh- Knowledge Management. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from http://m00188617.blogspot.com
Kasala, Pavan Kumar (2008), Blog: Pavan Kumar K: Knowledge Resources. Retrieved on February 29, 2008 from http://www.knowledgetechno.blogspot.com
Basnayake, Aruna (2008), Blog: Knowledge Management (Aruna B.). Retrieved on March 10, 2008 from http://arunakm.blogspot.com/
1 comment:
This is a useful collection of statements about what Social Networks and Communities of Practice are. However, much of what you have written has come from other sources (e.g. Wikipedia) without referencing those sources. What I see is a set of statements as if they are agreed facts. I cannot tell what your position is and how what you quote is relevant to your idea of an organisation.
I suggest you first make sure that anything you have quoted is clearly differentiated by quotes or different styles. Second, whether giving your own ideas or where you quote something, provide explanation and examples of how the points are found in organisations. For example, in what you refer to as Kimball et al (it's Kimball & Rheingold) you list 10 benefits. Do you agree or disagree with each of these? Please say what your position is and why, referring to specific examples where you can.
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