This document summarizes a presentation by Dr. Hazel Hall on the perceptions of opportunity and risk regarding social computing tools for collaboration. The presentation focused on establishing the main opportunities and risks of social computing tools as perceived by information and knowledge management professionals. It discussed research conducted on the scale of implementation of these tools in organizations, as well as attitudes toward the tools. Overall, the information and knowledge management community recognized the value of social computing tools but cited the biggest risk as poor implementation management failing to capitalize on opportunities.

1. KIN webinar 29th April 2010
Social computing tools for collaboration
Perceptions of opportunity and risk
Dr Hazel Hall
Director - Centre for Social Informatics
School of Computing
Edinburgh Napier University

2. Introduction
Dr Hazel Hall
 Director – Centre for Social Informatics
 Edinburgh Napier University
TFPL
 Specialist professional services company
 Knowledge, information, library, records and web &
content management
Presentation content derives from
1. Edinburgh Napier-TFPL project on social computing
2. Edinburgh Napier project on Twitter use amongst
information professionals
3. Experience of Twitter and Yammer

3. Focus on social computing tools
Establish main opportunities and risks of social
computing tools within organisations for collaborative
work purposes, as perceived by information and
knowledge management professionals
 Licensed collaborative work platforms, e.g. SharePoint (Microsoft),
Lotus Notes and Quickplace (IBM), E-rooms (Documentum)
 “Mature” social software applications, e.g. instant messaging,
blogs, wikis
 More recent Web 2.0 applications, e.g. social networking,
microblogging

4. Focus on collaborative work purposes
Establish main opportunities and risks of social
computing tools within organisations for collaborative
work purposes, as perceived by information and
knowledge management professionals
 Early focus
 Freely available social software for personal use
 Academic studies that treat “older” applications in non-corporate
environments, e.g. educational settings
 Fewer studies on internal social computing environments
 Lack of extant literature on newer tools, e.g. social networking and
microblogging applications

5. Tools explored
Social computing for purposes of collaborative work
 Blogs
 Wikis
 Social networking
 Instant messaging
 Microblogging

6. Focus on perceptions of I&KM community
Establish main opportunities and risks of social
computing tools within organisations for collaborative
work purposes, as perceived by information and
knowledge management professionals
 Rather than:
 Journalists, e.g. concern over vulnerable groups
 Educational researchers, e.g. goal of enhancement of classroom
environment
 Public relations professionals, e.g. efforts to improve corporate
communications

7. Research focus 1: scale of implementation
Organisational uptake of social computing
 Levels of adoption
 Degree of access to tools
 In general
 By tool
 By tool function
Attitudes of IM/KM staff to social computing
 In general
 By tool

8. Research foci 2 & 3: opportunity & risk
Anticipated & actual, feared & realised (literature review)
Themes Opportunities Risks
Productivity Improved productivity Time-wasting
through increased
collaboration
Practices Enhanced IM practice Erosion of IM practice, e.g.
archiving & accessing
exchanges, compromised
security
Behaviours Positive cultural change Antisocial behaviour, e.g.
bullying

9. Research activities: 12 weeks
Weeks 1-2 Weeks 3-8 Weeks 8-12 Weeks 10-12
Literature Design of data collection Data analysis Writing up
reviewing tools and data collection
Preface to Web-based survey Quantitative – Excel 14,500 word
study Focus groups Qualitative - manual report
Interviews
96 contributions, majority
from public sector
employees (725 = median
organisation size)
If you would like a copy of the report, please e-mail
h.hall@napier.ac.uk

10. Uptake of social computing for
collaborative work
Range in levels of adoption
Sophisticated implementations
with integrated “consumer” &
licensed applications
Non-provision

11. Uptake of social computing for
collaborative work
Range in levels of adoption
Sophisticated implementations
with integrated “consumer” &
licensed applications
Sense that the study came “too early”
Sense that the study came “too early”
High number of “don’t know” and “neutral”
High number of “don’t know” and “neutral”
responses to survey questions
responses to survey questions
Two thirds of respondents who provided additional
Two thirds of respondents who provided additional
free text comments at end of survey noted that the
free text comments at end of survey noted that the
impacts of social computing were yet to be felt
impacts of social computing were yet to be felt
Interviewees were cautious in drawing firm
Interviewees were cautious in drawing firm
conclusions
conclusions
Non-provision

12. Access and encouragement

13. Access and encouragement General findings
General findings
Mixed access
Mixed access
Low encouragement
Low encouragement
Public sector
Public sector
Higher levels of access and
Higher levels of access and
encouragement
encouragement
Private sector
Private sector
Greater levels of actual usage
Greater levels of actual usage
Restricted use
Restricted use
Reported by 24% survey
Reported by 24% survey
respondents
respondents
Change management
Change management
investment concerns
investment concerns
Even/especially in cases of high
Even/especially in cases of high
financial outlay
financial outlay

14. Enthusiasm amongst IM and KM staff
Levels of enthusiasm for social computing for
collaborative work amongst IM and KM staff = high
 Increases collaboration and improves productivity in general
 Facilitates knowledge and information sharing
 Connects individuals and groups
 Widens communication channels
 Enhances IM practice
 More obvious and better organisation of resources
 Consolidation of material and reduction of silos
 24 hour access
 Induces positive cultural change
 e.g. widen employee choice  retention

15. The biggest risk?

16. The biggest risk?
Failure to capitalise on opportunities offered by social
computing tools due to poor implementation
management
 Respondents familiar with this risk from earlier experiences, e.g.
intranet developments from mid-90s onwards
 (This risk is not considered in the literature)
Like most things it’s about cultural change. A
Like most things it’s about cultural change. A
tool (however clever) can be used well/badly.
tool (however clever) can be used well/badly.
Therefore usual considerations apply around
Therefore usual considerations apply around
what purpose does it serve, selling it to the
what purpose does it serve, selling it to the
business, understanding business
business, understanding business
benefits/risks, giving staff skills to use [it/them]
benefits/risks, giving staff skills to use [it/them]
properly, providing standards and guidance
properly, providing standards and guidance
around use, encouraging good practice.
around use, encouraging good practice.

17. Less prominent risks
IM problems
 Information sprawl (but not overload); archiving; means of
accessing archives; (version control and information quality)
Compromised security
 (Legal infringement and disrepute theoretically valid, though not
realised in practice); some leakage of confidential information
Lowered productivity
 Coping with IM problems; failure to adopt social computing tools
 “If employees are going to waste time, they do not need social
computing tools to do it”
(Anti-social behaviour)

18. Top tools for IM and KM professionals
Rank Tool Opportunities Risks posed
1 Wikis Information sharing Information quality in
terms of wiki accuracy;
IM practice
Leakage of confidential
Productivity data
2 Blogs Connecting individuals & groups, e.g. Disrepute
unite separated team members
Leakage of confidential
Widening communication channels to data
large audiences, e.g. promotion of
work, opening up of conversations,
feedback

19. Tool availability & usefulness
Availability Usefulness
Wikis Wikis
Blogging Blogging
Social networking Instant messaging
Instant messaging Social networking
Microblogging Microblogging

20. Tool availability, usefulness & usage
Availability Usefulness Usage
Wikis Wikis Social networking
Blogging Blogging Instant messaging
Social networking Instant messaging Wikis
Instant messaging Social networking Blogging
Microblogging Microblogging Microblogging

21. Tool availability, usefulness & usage
Availability Usefulness Usage
Wikis Wikis Social networking
Blogging Blogging Instant messaging
Social networking Instant messaging Wikis
Instant messaging Social networking Blogging
Microblogging Microblogging Microblogging

22. Tool availability, usefulness & usage
Availability Usefulness Usage
Wikis Wikis Social networking
Blogging Blogging Instant messaging
Social networking Instant messaging Wikis
Instant messaging Social networking Blogging
Microblogging Microblogging Microblogging

23. Tool availability, usefulness & usage
Availability Usefulness Usage
Wikis Wikis Social networking
Blogging Blogging Instant messaging
Social networking Instant messaging Wikis
Instant messaging Social networking Blogging
Microblogging Microblogging Microblogging
 Ready availability of a tool does not guarantee popularity
 Under-exploitation of most valuable tools?
 Microblogging barely on the radar, yet consider its features…

24. Microblogging
Elements of social networking
 End user determines source of information flow based on “social
network” that he/she builds
Elements of instant messaging (& texting)
 Interactions are brief and to the point, real time, “familiar” format
Elements of wiki
 Public nature of conversations encourages collaborative building of
new knowledge
Elements of blogging
 Microblog, with easy linking to other resources

25. Microblogging
Elements of social networking
 End user determines source of information flow based on “social
Plus elements of
network” that Plus elements of
he/she builds
conversation, providing:
conversation, providing:
Elements of instant messaging
1. Meta-knowledge
1. brief and to the
 Interactions are Meta-knowledge point, real time, “familiar” format
2. Problem reformulation
2. Problem reformulation
Elements of wiki Validation
3. Validation
3.
4. Legitimisation
 Public nature 4. Legitimisation encourages collaborative building of
of conversations
new knowledge
Elements of blogging
 Microblog, with easy linking to other resources

26. Microblogging & KM 1
For codification
 Focus on tweeting, e.g.
 Information services “twinforming”, often linked to other resources
such as blog entries – move away from e-mail distribution lists
 (Shared) note taking, e.g. at meetings, events, conferences
 Means of saving links to references/resources for own future use
For learning and professional development
 Focus on following (people, lists, hashtags) e.g.
 Link to the many KMers tweet on Twitter – see, for example,
http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/km-tweeters
 Exploit power of asymmetrical relationships
 Engage in legitimate peripheral participation
 Remote participation at events

27. Microblogging & KM 2
For connecting
 Focus on building, observing and exploiting networks, e.g.
 Extend own individual network with external contacts on Twitter
 Possible to uncover knowledge relationships through observing
internal and external following patterns
 (You can observe Twitter without an account)
As part of PR/marketing element of KM strategy
 Microblogging as additional communication tool e.g.
 Status updates – projects, staff
 Advertise events

29. X

30. 5 stages of Twitter acceptance
http://www.slideshare.net/minxuan/how-
twitter-changed-my-life-presentation 4. Conversing
II don’t always post useful
don’t always post useful
stuff, but II do use Twitter to
stuff, but do use Twitter to
have authentic 1x1
have authentic 1x1
3. Dumping conversations.
conversations.
I’m on Twitter and use it for
I’m on Twitter and use it for
pasting links to my blog
pasting links to my blog
posts and pointing people to
posts and pointing people to
2. Presence my press releases.
my press releases.
OK, II don’t really get why
OK, don’t really get why
people love it, but II guess
people love it, but guess
1. Denial II should at least create an
should at least create an
account.
account.
II think Twitter sounds stupid.
think Twitter sounds stupid.
Why would anyone care
Why would anyone care
what other people are doing
what other people are doing
right now?
right now?

31. 5 stages of Twitter acceptance
http://www.slideshare.net/minxuan/how-
twitter-changed-my-life-presentation 4. Conversing
II don’t always post useful
don’t always post useful
5. Microblogging stuff, but II do use Twitter to
stuff, but do use Twitter to
have authentic 1x1
have authentic 1x1
3. Dumping conversations.
conversations.
I’m using Twitter to publish
I’m on Twitter and use it for
I’m using Twitter to publish
I’m on Twitter and use it for
pasting links to my blog
pasting links to my blog
useful information that
posts and pointing people to
useful information that
2. Presence posts and pointing people to
my press releases.
my press releases.
people read, and to
people read, and to
OK, II don’t really get why
OK, don’t really get why
people love it, but I1x1 authentically.
converse I guess
people love it, but 1x1 authentically.
conversecreate an
I should at least
guess
1. Denial I should at least create an
account.
account.
II think Twitter sounds stupid.
think Twitter sounds stupid.
Why would anyone care
Why would anyone care
what other people are doing
what other people are doing
right now?
right now?

32. 5 stages of Twitter acceptance
http://www.slideshare.net/minxuan/how-
twitter-changed-my-life-presentation 4. Conversing
II don’t always post useful
don’t always post useful
5. Microblogging stuff, but II do use Twitter to
stuff, but do use Twitter to
have authentic 1x1
have authentic 1x1
3. Dumping conversations.
conversations.
I’m using Twitter to publish
I’m on Twitter and use it for
I’m using Twitter to publish
I’m on Twitter and use it for
pasting links to my blog
pasting links to my blog
useful information that
posts and pointing people to
useful information that
2. Presence posts and pointing people to
my press releases.
my press releases.
people read, and to
people read, and to
OK, II don’t really get why
OK, don’t really get why
people love it, but I1x1 authentically.
converse I guess
people love it, but 1x1 authentically.
conversecreate an
I should at least
guess
1. Denial I should at least create an
account. Plus KM functions related to
account. Plus KM functions related to
II think Twitter sounds stupid.
think Twitter sounds stupid. 1. Codification
1. Codification
Why would anyone care
Why would anyone care 2. Learning & professional development
2. Learning & professional development
what other people are doing
what other people are doing
right now? 3. Connecting
3. Connecting
right now?
4. PR/marketing
4. PR/marketing

33. Opportunity & risk – some conclusions
I&KM staff recognise value of social computing tools
 …but opinions not necessarily shared with “ordinary” workers
Major concerns less to do with tools per se than with
their implementation
 … and this is in contrast with what the media would have the
general population believe
Long-term value of tools is not yet apparent
 Microblogging parallels
 e-mail 15 years ago: etiquette, e.g. work/social conversation; accounts
and identities; underestimation of power of tool
 e-commerce 10 years ago?
 Napier “virtual economy” & Yammer experiments

34. KIN webinar – 29th April 2010
Social computing tools for collaboration
Perceptions of opportunity and risk
Dr Hazel Hall
Director - Centre for Social Informatics
School of Computing
Edinburgh Napier University