Academic Matters

Nora

Master of Science in Information Studies

Semester 2, Academic Year 2006/2007

1 Introduction

Organizations are faced with the problems of having the tacit knowledge of their employees leaving the organization when the employee quits. Employees at Microsoft and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) are already using blogs to share and document their knowledge. Brown (1999) observed that explicit knowledge (know-whats) is gathered from concepts and theories which are easily learnt however, tacit knowledge (know-hows) are distributed through shared understanding. Learning is at its best when it happens naturally within a community of practice

With a small investment, organizations are ready to embark on using vlog to capture the knowledge of its employees. A typical hardware set-up for vlog consists of a desktop computer and a video camera .A fast internet connection, preferably broadband is needed to upload and

1 Also known as vblog, video blog, vodcasting

download the content. Employees without any technical knowledge can start vlogging quickly with the vlog software available freely on the internet. The ease of production saves time in distribution of knowledge and thus information disseminates faster to employees. Traditional memo and faxes could give way to vlogs as an economical sharing tool.Vlogs can be accessed by huge numbers of employees supported on the organization’s network without any usage of physical stationeries.

Vlog contents can be archived and thus acts as a repository for the organization’s memory as the entries are not automatically deleted. The entries on vlogs can be indexed and thus enables faster access to user’s topic of interest. An employee can look up specific information by browsing from the tags available or using the search functions available on the vlog page. Employees learn effectively as learning through video enhances one’s ability to comprehend and retain the memory gained from the visual experience.

Bill Gates, during the Microsoft CEO Summit 2004, noted that blogs had advantages over other ways of communication such the usually imposing email. The use of web feeds on vlog enables employees to access information at their own leisure. Web feeds, such as XML, RSS and Atom, uses data distribution protocol which tracks the updates on the webpage and automatically syndicates the information to the user without having to actively look at the webpage. A user need a feed reader to subscribe and display their feeds updates in a single browser. The frequency of updates is determined by users. Web feeds enable keyword filtering, which enables the users to include or discard an article if they contain certain keywords. In an organization, web feeds increase productivity by enabling updates on the user’s topic of interest and latest updates in their field.

The ability to attach documents such as presentation slides and electronic brochures promotes greater readers’ understanding on the subject of discussion. Employees are able to post questions directly to the author of the content immediately to clear their doubts on the entries. The discussions are documented and thus another colleague with the same doubts need not repeat the same questions again. Nonaka & Takeuchi (1995) emphasized that sharing process by socializing creates tacit knowledge such as technical skills. The interactive nature of vlogs provides a conducive environment for the generation and sharing of ideas among employees.

Sharing and dissemination of information using the web eliminates the difficulties organizations faced when the employees are spread over different geographical locations. Vlogging provides a platform for the employees to disseminate and get their message across faster with the availability of internet access as the distribution channel.

Video-enabled portable devices such mobile phones and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) allow employees to post and view video files at anytime of the day. The launch of Apple’s video-enabled iPod in 2005 provides another platform for users to view downloaded video files at any location and timing. The downloaded video files served as a portable manuals and textbooks for the employees in an organization.

One of the challenges facing organizations is getting updated and disseminating information among its employees effectively with low cost tools. Vlogs serve the purpose as an economical information sharing tool and it promotes best practices among employees. Vlogs capture the essence of the employees and provide a spontaneous environment for generating ideas. New employees joining the organization are able to capture the tacit knowledge of ex-employees through vlogs. Proper indexing of vlog entries is recommended to speed up the process for information searching.

Through vlogging, an organization will be able to bring its global staff together and creates a unified culture. Employees will have better awareness of the corporate culture and opportunity to bridge the gap of understanding another department or personnel within the organization.

Although vlogs serve as effective platform for internal communication and collaborative learning, employees must be reminded not to abuse vlogs. Organizations need to have clear guidance on their information policies to prevent the abuse of internal vlogs.