research & development what are professional virtual communities? servane crave – france...

research & development

WHAT ARE PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES?

Servane Crave – France Telecom Orange29th September 2006

Ecolead Summer School Helsinki September 2006 Servane Crave– p 2

research & development France Telecom Group

PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AS KEY

DRIVERS FOR INNOVATION AND COOPERATION IN

COLLABORATIVE NETWORKED ORGANISATIONS.



FROM VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES TO PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES Virtual Community and CoP : definitions and case studies Introduction to PVC in the Ecolead context

PRINCIPLES & CHALLENGES OF PVC A thought balanced PVC PVC principles PVC operating model PVC governance ICT to support the PVC development Social and societal Challenges behind PVC Establishing PVC to foster innovation in CNO

Conclusion & discussion

1

2

3

Summary



1FROM VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES TO PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Virtual Community and CoP : definitions and case studies



Virtual Community: some definitions

a community involves a limited number of people in a somewhat restricted social space or network held together by shared understandings and a sense of obligation. Relationships are close, often intimate, and usually face to face. Individuals are bound together by affective or emotional ties rather than by a perception of individual self-interest. There is a «we-ness» in a community: one is a member. (Bender 1982)

a computer-mediated social group which is based on the belief that humans are social creatures and that communities enable socializing, and the virtual community is the technological response to this inherent human need. (Sudweeks and Rafaeli 1996)



VC: Web community – Online communityOnline community: web

community

Kim, 2000: “So in a sense, a Web community is simply a community that happens to exist online rather than in a physical world”

Real world / virtual world

Online community: a network of stakeholders who use digital technology to create shared experience

3 dimensions:

Social (open networks IRC, AOL, Yahoo and MSN)

Informal (branded communities and customer service sites, ZDNet)

Practical (Open political action groups like MoveOn, creative Planet and SAP)

But a trend to use the term "Community" in every way imaginable: Search Communities (dating), Trading Communities (eBay), Education communities (University of Phoenix with annual revenues at over a hundred million dollars with e-learning programs), Scheduled Events Communities, Community Consulting Firms... All those communities are clearly business-oriented but it matches with Kim’s definition.



Virtual Community typology

Porter (2004)



What are Communities of Practice?

« set of people who share a concerns, a set of problems, or a passion about the topic, who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis » (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder, 2002).

Manville and Foote (1996) offered the following definition : “a group of professionals informally bound to one another through exposure to a common pursuit of solutions, and thereby themselves embodying a store of knowledge”.

According to Seely Brown and Solomon Gray (1998) : “at the simplest level, they are a small group of people who’ve worked together over a period of time. Not a team, not a task force, not necessarily an authorised or identified group. They are peers in the execution of « real work ». What holds them together is a common sense of purposes and a real need to know what each other knows”.

According to Lave & Wenger (1991) participation provides the key to understanding CoPs. “ CoPs do not necessarily imply Co-presence, a well-defined or identifiable group, or socially visible boundaries. However, CoPs do imply participation in an activity about which all participants have a common understanding about what it is and what it means for their lives and community”.



CoP Key dimensions

Joint-enterprise

Shared repertoire Mutual engagement

refers to the amount and pattern of interaction among the members of the community.

refers to the common purpose that binds the people together and provides a unifying goal and coherence for their actions.

refers to the continual development and maintenance of a shared repertoire of procedures, techniques, shortcuts, jargon, tools, forms, symbols, mental categories, actions, concepts, etc

A community of practice is a set of interacting people engaged in a common practice. Practice refers to the work people do, but also to the ideas behind it -- the shared understandings and the activities.

Practice does not exist in the abstract -- it exists because people are engaged in actions whose meanings they create and negotiate with each other. Practice is not in the books or tools or forms, though it may involve all these artefacts. Communities of practice are a basic way that humans accomplish work. (Wenger)



COP: development dynamics

Community life cycle

TimeImagine Put into

effectDevelop maintain Let it live

Potential

Constitution

Maturity

Active scattering

Wenger, 2000



Some elements of comparison

Communities of interest

Communities of practice Project communities

Thematic or geographic proximity: implicit

network

Practices proximity : informal, spontaneous (“volunteers members) and

transverse networks

Formal and non spontaneous community.

Idea of task

Open communities Open community but members need to act in the same domain

Closed communities: not more than 10 persons

Ex: business school alumnies

Ex: experts clubs, medical events Ex: project team of Twingo



Schneider Electric case study

Objective: develop a share-knowledge culture Cops appeared when the group intranets were settled: lot of blank sheets had to be fulfilled with Knowledge which was often tacit knowledge. Building CoPs in the group was the clever solution Acknowledgement: Schneider value lies more and more in people & in the knowledge they create on a day-to-day basis (because of: products more and more complex and "intelligent" - shorter life cycle - need for a better consistency of the offer - new partnerships, alliances and acquisition -e-business -market deregulation...)

6 lessons learned in Schneider Electric case study:• ICT help & facilitate but CoP do not find their roots in internet/intranet tools• The sponsorship of a company manager is a necessity at the beginning• Employees and managers motivations are different in a KM program. Both points of view must be analyzed differently.• Successful CoPs aren't those which have good databases or nice websites but those who have a good network of members CoPs are focused on training. They are a necessary vector of the organizations integration• Conventions and annual worldwide fairs mark out CoP life cycle.



COP: Schneider Electric : Knowledge scale in a COP

Confirmed participants

Beginners

Novices

Experts

Admission in the community

EvangelizationInformationFormationE-learning

ConventionsExperts invited

SimulationMentoring

ActionLearning



IBM case study 1

Gongla & Rizzuto (2001) realised a IBM case study during a five years period.

In 1995, IBM global Services began implementing a business model that included to support for the growth and development of communities of practice.

Gongla & Rizzuto described specific scenarios of communities within IBM Global Services at various stage of evolution: potential stage, building stage, engaged stage, active stage and adaptive stage.

Potential Building Engaged Active Adaptative

A community

is forming The community defines itself and formalizes its operating principles.

The community executes and improves its processes.

The community understands and demonstrates benefits from knowledge management and the collective work of the

community.

The community and its supporting organization(s) are using knowledge for competitive advantage.



IBM case study 2

Fundamental functions for the stages of evolution:

Potential Building Engaged Active Adaptative

Connection Memory and context creation

Access and learning Collaboration Innovation and

generation

“Communities of knowledge do not have to reach the later stages of evolution to contribute value to the business.

Even communities that are in a continual stage of building can provide a magnet for capturing and sharing intellectual capital and attracting skilled resources. And they are in a position to advance, if the business needs or community members require it.”



Lessons learned from this case study

Gongla & Rizzuto have shown existing gap between member's objectives (share and develop knowledge) and organisation's goals (create values and develop innovation)

=> hierarchical control is incompatible with communities (CoP’s) bases.



Key success factors of CoP Real exchanges between members: high level of participation Belonging feeling develops supported by recognition codes A hard core of permanent members, with strong interpersonal relationships Acknowledged leaders (animators, experts) who play their roles An understanding of common ICT

Ex: According to Dr. Ali Hossaini, Pantar Consultant :A successful community depends on:

- Well-defined goals- Focused research- Extensive planning- Appropriate applications- Ongoing support from sponsors- Flexibility to evolve

Also according to Dr. Ali Hossaini, Pantar Consultant:Ingredients for Success are:

- Shared purpose- Ease of use- Accountability of each member- Trust reward (prize context)- Continuity

Ex: Schumlberger

- Strong engagement from top management

- Clear objectives: real demand and opportunity of business

- roles of members established

- ICT’s ease of use

Keep it simple!



1FROM VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES TO PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Introduction to PVC in the Ecolead context



PVC definition

A Professional Virtual Community is an association of “individuals” (being those employed by Companies or Individual Professionals) explicitly pursuing an economic objective, identified by a specific knowledge scope and aimed at generating value through members’ interaction, sharing and collaboration. This interaction is optimized by the synergic use of ICT-mediated and face-to-face mechanisms. The overall PVC generated value consists of advanced knowledge, professional services and social cohesion among members.



VT definition

The PVC members temporarily aggregate in Virtual Teams (VT) for addressing specific business opportunities.

It is up to the members to decide the extent of their individual involvement in PVC activities, which is complementary to, and co-existent with, other classical occupational forms.



PVC & VBE: similarities and differences

VBE/VO PVC

Breeding Environment Virtual Community aiming at delivering professional services

Virtual Organization Virtual Team

Broker Broker/animator

Organisation /Enterprises Group of Experts



2 PRINCIPLES & CHALLENGES OF PVC



A thought balanced PVC

the absence of the business dimension would result in a limited activity scope, putting at risk the PVC sustainability and members’ viability to spend significant time in the community activities.

The lack of the social element, ensuring trusted relationships among the members, would limit the readiness to approach business opportunities and impair the free share of knowledge among members.

Not addressing the knowledge development element would limit the usefulness of the community for the build-up of the knowledge society, reduce motivation of the knowledge worker and impairs his aspiration to obtain higher recognition and even economical reward.

Business

Social

Knowledge

All the three elements are necessary for a sustainable,

motivated and durable community.



PVC principles

a balance is to be envisaged within the PVC between what an individual offers to the community and what he can get from the his membership.

the type of cooperation within a PVC shall be intended as non compulsory business oriented, i.e., the knowledge creation shall not necessarily be based on an immediate business opportunity. The members have the possibility to participate to the Community in a "neutral", business independent way.



PVC principles

When members decide to join their skills in response to a concrete business opportunity, and to form a virtual team. In that latter case a formal procedure shall be agreed and undertaken by the involved members that have become partner in a commercial activity.

PVC will fulfil the knowledge workers expectations by providing them services and tools to effectively cooperate and get the best advantages from the association. PVC are intended to enhance the social relationships among their members despite the geographical boundaries and to improve the sense of belonging to a consolidated social group. PVC will be based on mutually agreed social and ethical responsibility to which their members will be bound



PVC operating model

PVCevolution

Learn from experienceTuning Adapt to the customer’s requirements

PVCMetamorphosis

Major changes in the PVC objectives. Can also Be the end of the PVC to anExtend we should avoid.

Prove the value-added expertise of the PVC to the customer through theVirtual Teams operation.

PVCOperation

PVC Operation throughVirtual Teams

VT Creation

VT operation

VT dissolution

VT evolution

To highlight that this phase is a repetitive phase, According to Business opportunities.

PVCOperation

PVC Operation throughVirtual Teams

VT Creation

VT operation

VT dissolution

VT evolution

PVCCreation

Toward the READINESSto cooperate:

Share common objectivesExperts in the same domain

Specific business opportunityCoordination issue Attracts members



PVC governance

Empowerment. All decisions and responsibility must be taken, as far as possible, at the lowest hierarchical level. As a result, for instance, the PVC business activities are fully endorsed by the VT members. The contract is between VT and the client, the PVC itself carrying out a brokerage function.

Voluntary approach. The members’ participation to PVC activities, in terms of both quantity (which percentage of their working time) and typology (which kind of activities, such as research, industrial application, internal projects etc.), is decided by the member itself on a voluntary basis. The member is not an employee.

Self-organisation. The organisation of PVC collaborative activities is left, as much as possible, to its members actually performing those activities.

Peer assessment. Any time there is the necessity for subjective evaluation (e.g. project selection and award, prize award, quality control, subjective performance metrics) this is done by assembling an ad–hoc peer committee which is empowered to take the decision.



ICT to support the PVC development



ACP: functionalities

Collaborative business management

Human competencies management

Co-work management

Knowledge management

Portal and social management

Business

Social

Knowledge



Social Challenges behind PVC

Impact on personal welfare and well-being in the following areas: Flexibility Gender issue Patterns of work Welfare net Quality of life

Personal Welfare/Well-being

Managing integration of workers in PVC depends on: Voluntary approach Job security Risks preventionManage integration of new workers in existing PVC Manage relationships between members Conflicts between members Engagement and motivations Self organizationManage relationships with traditional firms

Relations’ Management

Deal with social and virtual environment in terms of: Managing time Sharing between virtual and physical communities Creating and stimulating trust between members and trust between the PVC and partners Avoiding isolation and negative “digital past” in a virtual world Bridging learning between physical and virtual environment

Social Virtual Environment

Drive multicultural and different members of PVC inside social community sponsorship to be part of the PVC Impact of different company's culture on the homogeneity of the PVC Embeddeness of ties between members

Social Capital



Societal challenges • ICT and Society: Ten issues

(Van der Mlen, 2003)

Social Cohesion, isolation and exclusion Social Norms and antisocial behaviour

Cognitive consequences, mental health, addiction Education and life long learning

Work and organisation E-business, e-commerce and entertainment

ICT and privacy Criminal and terrorist activities using ICT

Identity manipulation and self management within communications Shifting power relations and politics

Soc

ieta

l is

sues

Eth

ical

is

sues



Assesment of PVC social impactProvide tools and methodologies to Policy makers to enable them to assessimpact of PVC.Combining 3 broad groups of social impact (societal, economic & political) with 4 different stages of the PVC adoption (immediate, short-term, medium term, long-term)

The following approach was identified:1. Grouping identified social and societal implications

under Social/Economic/Political Impact

2. Each group of PVC implications (societal, economic and political) is provided with the scale from negative to positive impact with 4 impact defitions per negative and positive ends of the scale (8 impact items per group).

3. Impact items are identified on the basis of the previous impact analysis and graded from most negative to most positive one within the group of PVC implications.

4. Each group of the PVC implications is analyzed across 4 stages of the PVC adoption

5. Within given eco-, socio- and political- scenario, the most plausible scenario is defined across all three groups of PVC implications and four stages of PVC adoption(scenario building).



- I. II. III. IV.

One more technology-related subject to learn and become aware of

Access problems (limited promotion,

education options are bareers)

Strained work-life balance, more stress

Time spent on non-productive PVC activities

Changes to the organization culture

New layer of social interaction (member of PVC vs. a collegue at work)

Further domination of English and current

web culture

PVCs available only to certain social types,

egalitarism

Stress associated with the increased markets sophistication (options)

Dissolved social capital due to the layers of social interaction, avatarization

Loss of tacit knowledge and competencies (excessive digitalization)

Contribution to the digital gap, new form of digital exclusion

PVC-job balance (combination of medical, time, access issues)

Complicated tacit knowledge transfer process

Increased digital exclusion,

discrepancies among indsutries

with/without PVCRe-training and additional education needs

Easier access to knowledge and social networks

Provision of security nets to PVC members (knowlegde, social, economic)

PVC as a life-long education and training provider

Mean for certain groups to remain

more active in society (maternity leave)

Ability to utilize all skills and competencies as wanted personally

Security nets around vulnerable groups (knowledge, social

etc)

PVC as a part of education and training process

Spread welfare across regions and social

groups (social cohesion)

Improved existing social bonds and networks

More training delivered on-job or better training outside main employment

Access to knowledge and relevant services and markets for personal use

Meaningful online time (productive, socially rich)

Re-inforced importance of digital

participation

Activating closer virtual collaboration in existing networks

Provides incentive to evaluate one’s competencies and skills

Integration with the existing social networks fascilitated online

Education and Training

Individual and Collective Welfare

Social Inclusion

Social Capital

Healthcare and Well-

Being

+ I. Immediate II. Short-term III. Medium-term IV. Long-term

Simulation of Metholodogy for PVC Implications assessment

(at the level of Social impact)



3Findings and research issues



Establishing PVC to foster innovation in CNO: challenges PVC as a structured and long-term framework enabling

knowledge exchange & sharing, socialisation and success of collaboration opportunities for individuals

Need for: a focus of activities to involve individuals and prevents knowledge

dissipation a European legal framework enabling cross borders PVC. KPI to measure objectives reach Shared goals, transparency



Measuring Social Capital in PVC

Cooperation & Coordination

Structural dimension definedby the network connectivity

Relational dimension

Shared Cognitive dimension

Elements of social organization

Interpersonal relationship

Interactions/collective actions

Actionfeedback

Impacts on efficiency and effectivity of the action on

Based on Nahapiet & Goshal's model

To detect their propensity to trigger collaboration



Thanks for your attention!

Contact:

[email protected]

research & development what are professional virtual communities? servane crave – france...

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