Implementing Client-Support for Collaborative Spaces

This chapter examines the critical task of providing client support for virtual environments. The vast majority of information workers are not familiar with virtual solutions and need guidance on how to best utilize and integrate this technology into their day to day operations. A company’s ability to manage information effectively over its life cycle, including sensing, collecting, organizing, processing, and maintaining information, is crucial to the long term success in a global economy. Over the past few years, the case study organization has been actively engaged in building, deploying, and managing the procurement, education, and strategic direction for a Fortune 500 company. The success of the studied organization can be seen by reviewing the metrics as the collaborative content continues to grow by an average 28.08% per month and the usage rates have grown by 21% per month. This growth rate was accomplished by focusing on building communities of practice, physical and electronic training programs, promotional road shows, self-service procurement processes, templates, pattern libraries, and an evolving online environment that supports the business user every step in the learning process.

Design and Managing of Distributed Virtual Organizations

A framework is proposed that creates, uses, communicates, and distributes information whose organizational dynamics allow it to perform a distributed cooperative enterprise in public environments even over open source systems. The approach assumes Web services as the enacting paradigm, possibly over a grid, to formalize interaction as cooperative services on various computational nodes of a network. A framework is thus proposed that defines the responsibility of e-nodes in offering services and the set of rules under which each service can be accessed by e-nodes through service invocation. By discussing a case study, the chapter will detail how specific classes of interactions can be mapped into a serviceoriented model whose implementation will be carried out in a prototypical public environment.

Intranets

This chapter deals with the importance of intranets as knowledge management tools/media enabling efficient knowledge exchange and development within an organization and the “community” of stakeholders. Communities are analyzed as networked systems of interested parties. The importance of intranets is even more stressed today when most company activities are project based—with project members working together from all over the world. Intranets serve as project coordination support as well as organization functioning generalization through combining different project activities into organizational efficiency analysis. This chapter analyzes possibilities of different approaches to development and management of intranets, and thus of networked people creating a certain networked “community form.” These developments are crucial to virtual workplaces as well as for increasing business efficiency

Adoption of Wi-Fi Technologies and Creation of Virtual Workplaces

This chapter introduces adoption theory and applies it to examine the use of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), which has the potential to expand virtual workplaces significantly. Research shows that the use of Wi-Fi to access the Internet is surprisingly low. As understanding users and their needs is a prerequisite for the success of any new information technology, this chapter identifies factors accounting for the low usage of Wi-Fi in organizations and seeks to build a model to increase Wi-Fi usage. Empirical research reported in this chapter shows that motivations of Wi-Fi use, mass media use, and technology cluster have impacted on the awareness of, interest in, and likelihood to use Wi-Fi. More important, a chain-effect process in the adoption of Wi-Fi was presented: the awareness of Wi-Fi, which was influenced mostly by reading newspapers, had a direct effect on interest in Wi-Fi, which directly affected the likelihood to use Wi-Fi. Thus, to increase Wi-Fi usage, the awareness of and interest in this newer Internet technology must be in place. The chapter also discusses future trends in Wi-Fi technology and how increased adoption of Wi-Fi enhances the virtual workplace.

The Virtual Classroom @ Work

Before we can exploit new technologies to realize new ways of working, we must be able to imagine innovative possibilities for learning. Organizations seeking to improve the way they work and build knowledge reach for new learning paradigms. Possibilities emerge when exploring learning and working in virtual spaces from social learning perspectives, such as situated learning.. In this chapter, findings from a qualitative case study in a geographically dispersed organization are used as a springboard for exploring the challenges of introducing innovative e-learning initiatives. This chapter adds to our understanding of learning and working in virtual spaces by delving into: (1) workplace practices related to virtual learning and work that facilitate and frustrate new ways of learning; and (2) notions of online community, informal learning, and blended learning which offer promise for re-conceptualizing learning within virtual work spaces. Recommendations are provided to guide the creation of fresh teaching and learning practices.

Instructional Design and E-Training

Online training or, e-training, can be less expensive, more efficient, and more productive than traditional face-to-face instruction. This chapter reviews why businesses are adopting Web-based instruction, characteristics of exemplary e-trainers and skills online instructors must attain. The primary focus of the chapter is on the importance of instructional design in analyzing the online audience and context; developing instructional strategies and online materials; implementing a Web-based course; and evaluating an online training program. Future trends and a conclusion complete the chapter.

Ubiquitous Connectivity & Work-Related Stress

The way humans interact with one another in the 21st Century has been markedly influenced by the integration of a number of different communication technologies into everyday life, and the pace of communication has increased hugely over the past twenty-five years. This chapter introduces work by the authors that considers the ways one communication-based technology, namely e-mail, has impacted workers’ “thinking time”, and become both a “workplace stressor” and an indispensable communications tool. Our research involved both a longitudinal exploration (three months) of the daily e-mail interactions of a number of workers, and a survey of individuals’ perceptions of how e-mail influences their communication behaviour in general, and their work-related communication in particular. Initial findings, in the form of individual differences, are reported here. The findings are presented in relation to the way workplace stressors have changed over the past quarter century.

Successful Communication in Virtual Teams and the Role of the Virtual Team Leader

The world now lives and works in cyberspace. Often, organizations have their people perform functional tasks by working in virtual teams, where members use technology to cooperate across geographic and organizational boundaries. As the use of virtual teams in the workforce becomes more prevalent, those involved must have the knowledge to communicate efficiently and effectively, especially the virtual team leaders. This chapter provides a general overview of virtual teams and virtual team leadership, and discusses specific communication strategies and competencies necessary for virtual team leaders to be effective and successful communicators.

Removing Space and Time

Virtual teams are become more and more popular as the world becomes more connected; furthermore, research is suggesting that virtual teams are as effective as face-to-face teams (Baker, 2002). This chapter compares and contrasts virtual teams with face-to-face teams in order to determine what differences exist as the workplace become virtual. It investigates how relationships between team members change when geographic boundaries are removed and how managers should adjust managerial styles when leading a virtual team. Also, a discussion of team dynamics—including the development of trust, team cohesion, and communication barriers—is included. Tips and techniques for developing an effective team are provided for virtual team managers.

Semi Virtual Workplaces in German Financial Service Enterprises

In this chapter we will present semi virtual workplace (SVWP) concepts in the German financial sector (FS) industry. We give a short introduction into the problem and an overview of the German FS market and its recent developments under European Community (EC) legislation. In the next sections we present three German FS companies that apply successfully semi virtual workplace concepts, followed by detailed descriptions of two semi virtual concepts: strict alternating use of a workplace by two employees (every other day an employee is in his home office) and the concept of the business club, where the employees choose daily their workplace out of a workplace pool when they work on-site. In the last section we compare the concepts and draw conclusion. Further we outline our future research.