use of web 2.0 for external knowledge managment

HOW DO COMPANIES USE WEB

2.0 TECHNOLOGIES FOR

EXTERNAL KNOWLEDGE

MANAGEMENT?

Maxim Lobov

2Warwick Business School

Who am I

Was a Master student at the Warwick Business

School

The research was for my master dissertation.

Supervisor - Davide Nicolini From IKON


The objectives of my research

How do companies use Web 2.0 technologies for

managing “external knowledge”?

Use of this technology in marketing, recruitment,

partners and suppliers’ relationships, and R&D

practices to identify, acquire, and utilize external

knowledge.

Identify which tools companies use, how they use

them, what the main challenges are, and the

benefits that accrue from using such technologies.


General considerations

It was master’s project with stricktlimitation of

time, resources and access to the companies.

It was exploratory study of undeveloped area.

Findings of this research should be checked and

developed further in future researches.


Research sample - 1

In the research 12 companies took part and 23 interviews were conducted. Interviews were made in 6 countries, including UK, USA, Germany, Russia, Spain and the Netherlands.

Twenty-three interviews of 40 minutes in average were made. They were made via phone or Skype, excluding two, which were made via e-mail

Interviews were conducted with people from companies of different sizes, countries and industries. All interviews were made in different departments and on different organisational levels.

Such scope of countries, companies, departments and organizational levels allows researcher to formulate broader overview of the phenomenon development.


Research sample-2Company Country Number of

interviewed

people

Departments/position

Global confectionary company UK 2 Knowledge management;

Marketing

Multinational computer

technology and IT consulting

corporation

UK, Spain, Germany, The

Netherland, Russia, US.

11 Knowledge management;Marketing;

R&D;Consultancy;Developers relations;

Communications;Social media

Banking and investment funds

headhunting agency

UK 1 Headhunting

Headhunting agency Russia 1 Fashion division

Headhunting agency Russia 1 Headhunting

Coping and printing equipment

company

The Netherlands 1 Knowledge management

Advertising agency US 1 CEO

Marketing agency US 1 Marketing and communications

Web 2.0 consultancy US 1 Consulting

International social software

company

US 1 CEO

Social media research and

consulting company

US 1 Analyst department

Social computing consultancy UK 1 Co-founder

Total 23


The most popular tools for external use.

Social networks (Most popular worldwide

Facebook and LinkedIn, in Russia - Vkontakte

and Odnoklassniki),

Blogs,

Micro blogging tool

NB! Wiki was named as the most popular

internal tool.


Classifications of tools

Function Examples

To contact people Social networks, profiles

To listen and conversations Blogs, Forums

Both ways Micro-blogging

Type of created data Examples

Structured data Profiles

Unstructured data Blogs

Both type of data Social networks


Adoption

Web 2.0 is the most popular in marketing and

communication departments

(But!) also use in HR, R&D, Customer Service,

Consulting, Partners relations, etc.

Companies use agencies to implement Web 2.0

and then to gathered and analyse data, as they

do not have necessary own capabilities to do it.


Ways of analysing data

Way of analyzing data Type of data Ways of using data Frequency

Do not analyse - Do not transferred to

relevant people

Few companies

On individual level

without special tools

Structured and

unstructured data

Transferred, used in

work.

Some companies

On individual level with

use of analytical tools

Structured and

unstructured data


work and reports

Some companies

By departments with

use of tools

Structured Transferred, used in

work, reports and

decision-making.

Several companies

By departments with

use of tools

Structured and

unstructured


work, reports and

decision-making.

Most companies

On corporate level with

use of tools

Structured and

unstructured


work, reports and

decision-making.

One company.


Information from Web 2.0

Type of information Department Friqency of answers

Feedback about own products

and services

Marketing, R&D, Customer

service, Production.

All respondents

Competitors products and

activities

Marketing, Communications,

R&D, Developers relations,

Partners relations, Consultancy.

Most interviewees.

Customers' issues Marketing, R&D,

Communications, Production.

Most interviewees

Ideas about strategy and

development of vision

Board of directors, marketing,

R&D.

One company

Identifing of future trends and

products demand

Marketing, R&D, Production,

Boards of directors

Most interviewees

Talants outside the company;

people recruting

HR Several companies.

Influencers and experts Marketing, R&D,

Communications.

Most interviewees.

Demographic data about

customers and partners

Partners relations, Developers

relations

One company

New ideas and innovations R&D, Marketing. Some companies.


Adoption stage

from Norman, 1998: The Invisible Computer

Web 2.0 is on stage of early adopters.


Organisational benefits

Function Organisational

Finance Reduce cost and save money

Marketing and corporate relations Increase awareness, improve company

position, increase sales and help to predict

demand, create products and company

evangelists, create individuality of company

HR Increase atmosphere, increase personal

motivation, improve knowledge sharing,

increase productivity

R&D Help to co-create together with customers

and partners

Customer relations Help to identify issues


Individual benefits

Category Benefits

Tasks orientated Increase of productivity, accessibility of

knowledge and people

People orientated Increase of motivation

Identity orientated Creation of personal brand, increase

visibility and findability


Issues

Stage Organizational Individual

Implementation stage High investments and no

clear metrics of ROI;

resistance of employees;

difference between

organizational culture and

tools; loss of employees

productivity during

implementation

Changing of style of work,

too many disturbances.

Usage stage Security risks; Cultural and

language differences

between countries; different

level of adoption between

countries and individuals

Fast change and too many

new tools.

Main issue related to people not to technology

per se.


Factors influence of adoption of Web 2.0Factor Influence

Age Older people might be less keen to technology

Culture More open culture enable use of Web 2.0

Industry Web 2.0 can has different usage and speed of adoption in

different industries. Software, IT, marketing agency, FMCG

might be early adopters of Web 2.0

Size Large companies have more resources for adopting of Web 2.0,

but small companies can have closer relations with external

stakeholders and they are more flexible.

Characteristics of

the message

Characteristics of message influence of choice of particular tool

Experience People with previous experience of using Web 2.0 are more

keen on adopting it.

Gender Men and women might has difference in adaptation and using of

Web 2.0 technologies. Men are more task oriented, while

women are more social oriented.


Recommendations- 1

Web 2.0 has huge value as a channel for external

conversations, not for pushing information outside.

Therefore, it should be used for listening and

conversations.

Companies should consider Web 2.0 as a source of

external knowledge and start to develop capabilities

in this field.


Recommendations-2

It is necessary to make audit of capabilities before

implementation of Web 2.0. In case when there are

no necessary capabilities to implementation and use

Web 2.0, then agencies should be used. They can

help to develop necessary capabilities in Web 2.0.

However, in long-run period it might be better to use

them to gain capabilities, but not as constant

provider of service.

Management needs to support adoption of Web 2.0,

but initiative should come from employees.


Recommendations-3

Web 2.0 can be used by most departments in the

company. It should not be limited to marketing.

Main problem in Web 2.0 is people, not technology.

Companies have to develop strategy how to

motivate people to use Web 2.0. Organisations

need to consider goals and values first and only

after that to chose particular Web 2.0 tools that will

help to reach goals and will be in line with values

and culture.


Recommendations- 4

Organisations need to consider age, experience,

culture, industry, gender, and size factors during

adoption and use of Web 2.0

Companies should realize that Web 2.0 is context

dependant technology. It cannot just be taken from

one company and transferred without changes to

another.


My contact details

Maxim Lobov

MA Organizational Studies, Warwick Business

School

[email protected]

Phone - +79266094242

mailto:[email protected]


Thank you!