accelerating networking skills amongst junior researchers in a developing country context: a new...

ACCELERATING NETWORKING SKILLS AMONGST JUNIOR RESEARCHERS IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY CONTEXT: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR A NOVICE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTITIONER

Eckson Mokoena & Martie van DeventerDMS # 152755

New Realities, Roles and ResourcesInternet Librarian International 2007.

8-9 October 2007 • Copthorne Tara Hotel, London

© CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za

10.69.9

8.7

7.5 7.4 7.36.8

5.1

2.2 1.81.10

4

8

12

Sweden

Japan

Norway

France

Russia

Australia

South Korea

Spain

South Africa

Argentina

China

Nu

mb

er o

f fu

ll ti

me

exp

ert

rese

arch

ers

per

100

0 to

tal

emp

loye

d

National R&D Survey – 2003/4

A research career has a poor profile in the South African employment market


Context

Building and transforming

human capital

Strengthening the science and

technology base

Performing relevant knowledge-generating research and

transferring technology and skilled human capital

Contributing to national

programme of development and fulfilling

mandate

Building and transforming

human capital

Strengthening the science and

technology base

Performing relevant knowledge-generating research and

transferring technology and skilled human capital

Contributing to national

programme of development and fulfilling

mandate

The organisation renewal activities place science and human capital development on centre stage

This project is an experiment designed to assist HR practitioners, the training department as well as Line managers with the career development and mentoring of young professionals.

The Information Service is facilitating a Web 2.0 enabled, collaborative environment in which its current key responsibilities are to facilitate the environment, to train those not familiar with the technologies and to provide appropriate information where suitable.


The current organisational renewal drive is to place human capital development on centre stage• Career ladders are a key mechanism to

- monitor and assure the strength of the CSIR’s science and technology base

- provide structured development for the CSIR’s human capital

• Criteria for progression will be rooted in

- technical track record

- professional standing

• Remuneration and rewards will be explicitly linked to personal professional advancement


Human capital development component

Level Definition Indicators

1 Develops own skills Level of skills

2 Develops own career plan Career plan in place

3 Develops own career and provides guidance to junior staff

Recent advancement of own career (new qualifications, developing track record) and evidence of development of junior staff

4 Well established in own career. Develops others (leads research teams, provides training, role as a career mentor)

Progress of staff on career ladder

5 Creates environment for researchers to flourish

Attracts and employs leading researchers; sustained achievement by staff


Roadmap

• The research career @ CSIR

• CSIRIS drive: Results from VRE research at CSIR Mining

• Social networking and network analysis

• Mentoring vs VME

• Selection and construction of social network for VME

• New roles

• VME• Progress to date• Where to next


VRE research project

• Brief background to the project• Interviewed 10 researchers in the Mining

research area• Looked as if the social networks of juniors

were insufficient


Social networking

• Social networking relates to the media, the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with each other. Social media can take many different forms including text, images, audio and video. Popular social mediums include blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis and vlogs (Melcrum, 2007)

• Social networking relates to • Collaboration• Conversation• Empowerment• Sharing• Radical trust• Wisdom of the crowds (Ojala, 2007)


Social network analysis

• Can be an invaluable tool for systematically assessing and then intervening at critical points within an informal network.

• Powerful tool for individuals to actively shape their personal networks.

• Effective tool for promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing within important groups such as core functions of an organization, research and development departments or strategic business units.

• Provide tools for librarians and knowledge management practitioners which can help in the identification, diagnosis, and active modification of information routes.

• Has practical application in both assessing and modifying information needs and information delivery. (Cross et.al, 2002)

• Hypothesis: social networking theory could be applied in mentoring environments to effectively fast track the development of young researchers


Findings

• Noticeable differences in the networks of the experts and the young researchers• Not only smaller network – quality of network

points also differ• Not visibly linked to those who could assist

with career growth• Lack of understanding of the value of

professional networks• Lack of knowledge regarding networking

ground rules• Decision to experiment with a virtual

mentoring environment (VME) experiment

• Calibrated with HR & training


Mentoring

• Current practice at CSIR• Virtual Mentoring Environment (VME)• Role of management

• Managed/planned social network• Peers• Experts• HR• Training

• Control group• Includes the KM practitioner• Self selected & completed formal training


VME: Tools and structure

• Selection• Blog (Ask Mariaan)• Wiki (Mediawiki)• RSS • Lightweight portal (looking at Xoops not finalised)• Social tagging

• Structure• Personal space• Shared space• Open space

• Support network• HR• Training• ICT• Managers & experts


Virtual mentoring environment

• Peer mentoring • Equal partners with equal standing

• Expert mentoring team• Group chosen with expertise in scientific discipline/ subject

area … mining and earth sciences• Managed social (but professional) network

• All have a shared responsibility for ensuring progress• All trained to use social networking environment tools


New role(s) for a new practitioner

• Facilitator• Impetus of the relationship between the young researcher, his

mentoring social network and the technology used to support the environment

• Using his knowledge of CoPs and expanding that to the blog & wiki environment

• Ensuring continued management support• Awareness creator/ trusted contributor• Wise consult … things other than subject expertise• Introducing new employees

• Gatekeeper• Published resources & people• Identify people outside to pull them into the VRE

• Trainer• Providing continuity• Structured introduction to the environment

(only if necessary)


Progress

• Identified and briefed all participants• HR• Learning Academy• Mentors• Mentees

• Established environment• IT downloaded and set up the specified software• IT maintains server and infrastructure support• CSIRIS facilitates management of the content

• Started using the tools• Based upon three questions• What did I do right today?• What mistakes did I make?• What help do I need?


Conclusion

• Early days – but all participants appear positive about the process

• Will review results in April 2008• Impact on mentoring• Role of the KM practitioner


References• Bourdieu, P. 1986. The forms of capital. In J.G. Richardson (Ed). Handbook of the theory and

research for the sociology of education. 241-258. New York. Greenwood.

• Caldwell, T. 2007. Who shares, wins. Information World Review. Issue 230, 23-25.

• Cross, R., Nohria,N & Parker, A. (2002) Six myth about informal networks and how to overcome them. Sloan Management Review, 2002, Spring, Vol no 3, pp 67-75

• Cross, R., Parker, A., & Borgatti S.P. (2002). Making invisible work visible: using social network analysis to support strategic collaboration. California management review, winter, Vol 44no. 2, pp 25-46

• CSIR. 2006. Good research guide. Unpublished.

• CSIR. 2006. A career in research. Unpublished.

• Godfrey, S. 2006. Partnerships and networks in new materials development. In Krause G (Ed), Creating knowledge networks: working partnerships in higher education, industry and innovation. Pp 94-126. Cape Town. HSRC Press.

• Hansen, M & Nohria, N. 2004. How to build a collaborative advantage. MIT Sloan Review, Fall, Vol 46 issue 1, pp 22-30.

• Haythornthwaite, C. (1996). Social network analysis: An approach and technique for the study of information exchange. Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois, Urban-Champaign.

• How to use media to engage employees. 2007. Melcrum publishing.

• Kristiansen, S. (2004). Social networks and business success: the role of subcultures in an African context. The American Journal of Economic and Sociology, November.

• Nahapiet, J. & Ghoshal S. 1998. Social capital, intellectual Capital and the organizational advantage. The Academy of management review. Vol. 23 no. 2, April, 242-266.

• Ojala, M. 2007. Using social networks in the real world. SAOUG workshop – Pretoria, South Africa.

• 7Van Deventer, M & Pienaar, H. (2006). Identifying requirements of a specific VRE (Virtual research environment) in a South African Context. CSIR project proposal. Unpublished.

• Van Wilgen, B. 2006. CSIR guide to a career in research. Unpublished.

accelerating networking skills amongst junior researchers in a developing country context: a new...

Documents

london slide

insufficient slide

hr training slide

formal training slide

career development

research career

csir mining social networking

social network analysis