Social intranet
A social intranet is a software platform designed to promote the exchange of information and collaboration in companies. Like an intranet , it is only available to a certain group of people and can be used independently of the public network. However, it supplements the classic intranet with elements of social networks .
A social intranet is social software and belongs to the group "those applications that support information, identity and relationship management in the (partial) publics of hypertextual and social networks."
aims
The operators of a social intranet - usually a company - define the goals of the platform themselves. However, some points apply to the vast majority of social intranet projects:
- Improvement of cross-departmental and cross-location communication between employees
- Bundle internal knowledge resources and make knowledge optimally available
- Acceleration of internal information flows
- Reduction of internal email traffic
- Provision of a secure platform that bundles internal information
- Simplification of processes by giving all departments access to a common database
- Promotion of commitment and employee satisfaction
The following added values for a company are often discussed in research:
- Improvement of corporate communication
- Comprehensive knowledge management and knowledge transfer
- Facilitating the search for experts in the company
- Increase in innovation
- Building social capital
Differentiation from the classic intranet
The original aim of using the intranet in companies and authorities is to secure and improve the supply of information for employees. For this purpose, information is provided in a quality-assured manner and distributed in a personalized manner. As a rule, the contributions are editorially created using a content management system .
Social intranets also serve to improve the flow of information in companies. In contrast to the intranet, the information is not provided in a unidirectional manner by an editorial team; users themselves can write and comment on contributions.
The social intranet is by no means to be understood as a replacement for the intranet. Rather, it supplements the classic intranet with aspects of social media . This is intended to enable more direct communication.
The use of the platform for social collaboration is intended to ensure that company-wide collaboration is promoted. Employees can actively exchange knowledge and communicate on projects, etc. Top-down and bottom-up communication are combined.
This aspect becomes particularly important if you want to work together across different locations or departments. Since the social intranet is not tied to a location and can be accessed via various end devices, employees can also take part in the exchange while traveling or without a permanent PC workstation (e.g. in production).
A user interface that is standardized in accordance with the corporate design or corporate identity of the company can promote the company's internal sense of belonging among employees.
The typical functions are quite similar to those of social networks in the private sector, but are more optimized for business use:
- Groups can be formed within the network and z. B. serve as a virtual project room
- Creating blog posts or posting individual status messages, comments or questions
- The receipt and sending of notifications about various events such as new posts, newly posted pictures, new files, etc.
- Receiving and sending messages to other members
- Search functions
- The users have a personal profile page with various setting options
- A contact list including functions with which the connections to the colleagues listed here can be managed
If the social intranet also integrates data from other software programs used in the communication between employees, it can become a central work platform. In this case one can speak of a digital workplace .
When using the social intranet as a work platform, there may be a conflict between the confidentiality of the data and the range required for an intranet.
Social intranet as part of the corporate culture
When using a social intranet in a company, not only technical issues play a role. The term Enterprise 2.0 can also be used to describe a development in corporate culture that is supported by social intranets: away from hierarchical, central control and towards the autonomous self-control of teams that are moderated rather than led by managers.
The co-director of the "MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy" Andrew Paul McAfee describes the connection as follows:
"Enterprise 2.0 is the use of emergent social software platforms within companies, or between companies and their partners or customers"
McAfee states that the basic requirements for establishing Enterprise 2.0 in a company are:
- Creating an open corporate culture
- A platform (on the intranet) on which collaboration is possible
- Change management that addresses the needs of users instead of sticking to formal processes
- The commitment from the company management.
Companies aim to increase employee engagement through transparent exchange across departmental and hierarchical boundaries. In a survey by the management magazine Harvard Business Review , 91% of employees state that insufficient communication from their superiors reduces their motivation.
In contrast, social media features are used in the company according to the Federal Association of the Digital Economy
- "Creation of dialogic, transparent and inclusive processes that enable an organizational and leadership culture, with the help of which previously hidden efficiency, knowledge and innovation resources can be harnessed to increase corporate performance."
literature
- Frank Wolf (Ed.): Social Intranet: - Promote communication - Share knowledge - Work together efficiently . Carl Hanser Verlag (2011). ISBN 3-446-42791-0
- Michael Koch, Alexander Richter: Enterprise 2.0 - Planning, introduction and successful use of social software in companies. Oldenburg Verlag Munich (2009). ISBN 978-3-486-59054-8
Individual evidence
- ^ Schmidt, Jan: Weblogs: a study of the sociology of communication . UVK-Verl.-Ges, Konstanz 2006, ISBN 978-3-89669-580-2 .
- ↑ Meske, C., Stieglitz, S. & Middelbeck, D: Added values from intranet social software - status quo in science . In: Proceedings of the Multi-Conference Business Informatics 2014 . S. 1775-1785 .
- ↑ Alexander Richter, Michael Koch: On the use of social networking services in companies . In: Wirtschaftsinformatik Proceedings . tape 70 , 2009, p. 851-860 .
- ↑ a b Michael Koch, Alexander Richter: Enterprise 2.0 - Planning, introduction and successful use of social software in companies . Oldenburg Verlag, Munich 2009.
- ^ Ansgar Zerfaß., Neele Franke: Enabling, advising, supporting, executing: A theoretical framework for internal communication consulting within organizations . In: International Journal of Strategic Communication . 2013, p. 118-135 .
- ↑ Thomas Mickeleit: The third generation intranet . In: Manfred Piwinger, Ansgar Zerfaß (Hrsg.): Handbuch Unternehmenskommunikation . Wiesbaden 2007.
- ↑ Wolf, Frank .: Social Intranet: Promote communication - share knowledge - work together efficiently . Hanser, Munich 2011, ISBN 3-446-42791-0 .
- ↑ The 3 Problems of the Social Intranet Staffbase Blog. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ↑ McAfee, Andrew (2006b): Enterprise 2.0, version 2.0 , blog post from May 27, 2006, http://andrewmcafee.org/2006/05/enterprise_20_version_20/ Last accessed on September 21, 2016
- ^ The Top Complaints from Employees About Their Leaders. Retrieved September 22, 2016 .
- ↑ Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (Ed.): Enterprise 2.0 - Social Software in Companies . 2013.