Organizational
Social Context
Albert Simard
President, Integrated
Knowledge ServicesPresented to:
SIKM, Oct 18, 2016 1albert.simard@outlook.com
Organizational Structures
Context
Interactions
ManagementResearch
Governance
Network
Servers Desktops
Security
Content
Flow Services
Interfaces
Knowledge
Social
Business
Technology
Organizational
Outputs
2
Social Interaction Framework
Interests
Mutual
Autonomous
Work Group
Community
Network
Conversation
Posting
Publication
Purchasing
Contracts
Merger
Sports
Business
Military
Goals
Compatible Conflicting
Collaboration
peer production
partnership approach
high trust
diverse, synergistic
Sharing
leverage knowledge
passive approach
some trust
benign, supportive
Negotiation
mutual agreement
adversarial approach
some trust
structured, formal
Competition
defence or victory
aggressive approach
no trust
secretive, hostile
Unclear
3
18 Primary Social Science Authors Reviewed*
• Individual trust: Mayer, et. al. (1995); Stoyko (2013)
• Organizational trust: Covey (2006); Kimmel (2014)
• Societal trust: Schneier (2012)
• Engagement: Pink (2009); Stoyko (2010); Gebauer and Lowman (2008)
• Communities of Practice: Wegner et. al. (2002); St. Onge and Wallace (2003)
• Social interaction: Simard, (2013)
• Knowledge management: Dalkir (2005); Simard and Jourdeuil (2013)
• Emotional intelligence: Cooper and Sawaf (1996); Cherniss and Goleman (2001)
• Organizational culture: Kotter and Heskett (1992); Kotter (2002); Cox (1993)
• Leadership: Zand (1997)
4* Total of 75 authors referenced
Literature Survey Results
• 1,200 terms and phrases found
• 90% used only once; 5% used twice
• Only a handful used 5 times or more
• Little consensus in the literature
• Little holistic understanding
• Little help for describing KM social context
5
Organizational Social Context Landscape
6
ethics actions
behave
Organizing Process
• Create lists of terms by author
• Find related terms (similar, contrasting, sequential)
• Classify terms (attributes, indicators, actions)
• Organize into named groups
• Add terms to small groups
• Split and rename large groups
• Organize into framework
7
Definitions
• Criteria: Name of a group of terms that captures the essence of
what makes the group a whole.
• Attribute: Characteristic of a criteria that is normally not observable
or manageable.
• Indicator: Characteristic of a criteria that is normally observable and
manageable.
• Action: Executing a management decision to undertake an activity
that affects an indicator.
Individual criteria are not defined (what they are). They are
described (what they look like) through the set of terms that are
associated with the criteria.
8
Social Context Framework Summary
• Situation 1 Component; 7 Criteria
• Scale 3 Components; 18 Criteria
• Interaction 4 Components; 18 Criteria
• Trust 6 components; 34 Criteria
Totals 14 Components; 77 Criteria;
1900 terms used (overlap)
9
Organizational Social Context Framework
Organization
Group
Individual
Trust
Factors
Criteria
Indicators
Management
10
Leadership
Prioritizing Decision Model
Holistic approach, one criteria at a time
11
Flow
through
Action
?
Yes
No
Legend
Start
End
Ind. Mgt.
Ind.
Ind.
Mgt.
Mgt.
Interaction Context Components
Previous
Factor
Negotiation
Collaboration
Sharing
Next
Factor
Competition
3 criteria
6 criteria
5 criteria
4 criteria
12
Sharing Context Prioritization
Next
Component
Sharing Situation
Actions
Sharing Environment
Actions
Sharing Motivation
Actions
Management
Sharing Situation
Indicators
Sharing Environment
Indicators
Sharing Motivation
Indicators
IndicatorCriteria
Sharing
Situation
Sharing
Environment
Sharing
Motivation
low
low
high
high
low
high
Previous
Component
Priority
13
Sharing Indicators & Management
Criteria Indicators* Management*
Sharing
Situation
Content transactions
Autonomous participants
Similar interests
One-to-one / One-to-many
Provider / User
Author / Requestor
Source / Destination
Sharing / Exchange
Explicit / Tacit
Implement sharing methods
Train individuals on using methods
Communicate sharing goals
Provide opportunities for sharing
Support, facilitate, promote sharing
Provide sharing sites, places
Develop reciprocity markets
Facilitate finding expertise, sources
Sharing
Environment
Sharing culture
Level of trust
Safe sharing environment
Individual privacy
Content security
Author recognition
Provide a safe environment
Implement sharing guidelines
Establish sharing norms
Demonstrate sharing benefits
Recognize authors, sources
Respect intellectual property rights
Sharing
Motivation
Sharing incentives
Sharing, exchange activity
Promote content use
Control, hoarding
Reciprocity mechanisms
Internal markets
Provide sharing incentives
Promote, encourage sharing
Leaders practice good sharing
Reward good sharing behavior
Discourage poor sharing behavior
Censure, sanction hoarding
* (/) indicates contrasting terms; (,) indicates similar terms; (-) indicates sequential terms.
14
Scale Context Components
Previous
Factor
Individuals
Groups
Organization
Next
Factor
7 criteria
5 criteria
6 criteria
Organizational Scale Context
Prioritization
Organizational
Culture Actions
Controlling Culture
Actions
Enabling Culture
Actions
Culture Change
Actions
Management
Organizational
Culture Indicators
Controlling Culture
Indicators
Enabling Culture
Indicators
Culture Change
Indicators
Indicator
Culture
Change
Criteria
Organizational
Culture
Controlling
Culture
Enabling
Culture
Next
Component
low
low
high
high
high
low
low
high
Previous
Component
Priority
Employee
Practices
Cultural
Leadership
Cultural Leadership
Indicators
Cultural Leadership
Actions
low
low
Employee Practice
Indicators
Employee Practice
Actions
high
high
Organizational Scale Attributes, Indicators & Management (1)
Criteria / Attributes Indicators* Management*
Organizational Culture
Shared values, norms, attitudes
Shared vision, ideology, beliefs
Shared assumptions, models
Shared principles, practices
Organizational memory, essence
Common direction
Diversity, differences
Social environment, context
Symbols have meaning
Perceptions
Social differentiation
Social behavior
Rituals, artifacts
Transmitted through stories
Social practices, pressure
Corporate understanding
Symbolic actions
Leaders provide cues
Decisions communicate values
Leaders telegraph values
Rewards send messages
Praise / criticism show values
Reward desired behavior
Practice espoused values
Promote shared values
Promote desired behavior
Match words and practices
Model values and behavior
Increase cultural awareness
Increase understanding
Communicate values
Recognize accomplishments
Mentor new employees
Controlling Culture
Authoritative hierarchy
Resistant to change
Laws, rules, policies
Inflexible structure
Institutions
Morality
Intergroup conflict
Prejudice, ethnocentricity
Common responsibility
Organizational structure
Central goals
Stability, order
Institutional bias
Command, control
Compliance, enforcement
Security
Pluralism / monolithic
Bureaucracy
Mercenary
Fragmented
Arrogance
Insular, intolerance
Discrimination, stereotyping
Social contract, moral pressure
Institutional pressure
Loopholes, interpretation
Implement rules, codes
Match strategy to culture
Develop policies, Guidelines
Balance pressures
Apply proportional penalties
Clarify expectations
Require compliance
Issue regulations
Prevention, coercion
Detection
Intervention
Recovery
Punish, penalize wrongdoing 17
Organizational Scale Attributes, Indicators & Management (2)
Criteria / Attributes Indicators* Management*
Enabling Culture
Responsible autonomy
Adaptive, agile
Values, ethics
Social responsibility
Environmental responsibility
Continuous learning
Social development
Sense-making mechanism
Binds the organization
Stable but not static
Culture evolves naturally
Good corporate citizenship
Delegated decisions
Negotiated agreements
Creative, innovative
Holistic perspective
Multicultural, diverse
Network structure
Consensus building
Freely shared information
Frequent input, feedback
Collaborative work
Informal integration
Be environmentally responsible
Provide guidelines
Have mutual goals, expectations
Manage with empathy, honesty
Promote sharing, collaboration
Create safe-fail environment
Encourage innovation
Stress employee ownership
Match work to passions
Earn trust continuously
Seek feedback, listen to ideas
Ask for help & advice
Culture Change
Change weakens culture
Passed between generations
Generational differences
Cross-generation transfer
Interdependence
Culture perpetuates itself
Social interactions over time
Underlying drivers
Lengthy process
Evolution, cultural drift
Changing environment
Leadership is key
Change is hard, difficult
No pain, no change
Culture linked to power
Power is required
Must change everything
Management
Organizational readiness
Positive role models
Resistance to change
Create sense of urgency
Communicate need for change
Analyze need, research
Establish guiding coalition
Solicit political sponsorship
Create vision, strategy
Empower, involve employees
Short-term wins
Consolidate, reinforce gains, integrate in
systems
Anchor, institutionalize change 18
Organizational Scale Attributes, Indicators & Management (3)
Criteria / Attributes Indicators* Management*
Employee Practices
Worker relationships, attitudes
Diversity
Demographics, trends
Retention
Work experience
Organizational knowledge
Work-life balance
Employee well-being
Desire to learn
Worker interactions
Insight to attitudes
Hiring, staffing
Work environment
Organizational awareness
Involvement
Work assignments
Career advancement
Know demographics & trends
Gather employee input
Measure diversity, interactions
Employee retention practices
Engage employees
Match employees to culture
Match work to proficiency
Be interested in employees
Value, appreciate employees
Cultural Leadership
Emotional intelligence
Charisma, presence
Leadership style
Accountability, responsibility
Organizational role
Situational pressure
Broad view, vision
Leading, managing
Understanding, expertise
Confidence, trust
Risk tolerance
Previous experience
Belief system
Self-interest
Power, agenda
Decision making
Goal-setting
Approving
Endorsing, promoting
Guiding
Leading
Supporting, enabling
Challenging
Dictating, directing
Ordering, controlling
Commanding
Consulting
Concurring
Enforcing
Reviewing
Approve, endorse behavior
Lead by example, guidance
Promote desired behavior
Seek counsel, collaborate
Consider expert advice
Champion ongoing education
Personally interact with workers
Emphasize growth opportunities
Provide a safe-fail environment
Treat people with respect
Communicate honestly, often
Give people freedom
Be fair with everyone
Inspire employees
Provide incentives
19
Trust Context Components
Previous
Factor
Positive Individual
Trust Context
Negative Individual
Trust Context
Group Trust
Context
Positive Organizational
Trust Context
Negative Organizational
Trust Context
Trust Leadership
Context
Next
Factor
4 criteria 4 criteria
4 criteria
7 criteria 8 criteria
7 criteria
Positive Individual Trust Context
Prioritization
Next
Component
Similarity Actions
Positive Perception
Actions
Positive Reputation
Actions
Positive Trust
Behavior Actions
Management
Similarity Indicators
Positive Perception
Indicators
Positive Reputation
Indicators
Positive Trust
Behavior Indicators
IndicatorCriteria
Similarity
Positive
Perception
Positive
Reputation
Positive Trust
Behavior
Previous
Component
low
low
high
high
high
low
low
high
Priority
Criteria Indicators* Management*
Similarity Shared values
Shared mental models
Shared assumptions
Convergent interests
Consensus, agreement
Solidarity, cohesion
Create mutual agenda
Balance similarity / diversity
Promote teamwork, cooperation
Ensure participant equality
Encourage meritocracy of ideas
Validate models, assumptions
Positive Perception Perceived safety
Willingness to trust
Trustor / trustee views
Different perceptions
Provide a safe environment
Recognize different propensities
Adapt to different relationships
Positive Reputation Good reputation
Integrity, honesty
Reliable
High confidence
Integrity, trustworthiness
Accomplishments
High productivity
Competence, ability
Demonstrate respect
Establish feedback process
Recognize - act on feedback
Right wrongs
Deliver results, keep commitments
Practice accountability
Confront reality
Positive Trust Behavior Openness, honesty, candor
Participation, commitment
Dialogue, conversation
Loyalty, fidelity
Compassion, caring,
Benevolence, forgiving
Judgment
Dialogue, conversation
Be transparent, be open
Be honest, full disclosure
No hidden agenda, talk straight
Be caring
Don’t disclose private information
Show loyalty
Listen first
Reward good trust behavior
22
Positive Individual Trust Indicators & Management
Using the Framework To
Identify Priority Issues
• Consider the whole, one criteria at a time
• Senior group may eliminate unimportant
groups and criteria
• Host a workshop to prioritize criteria
• Divide the criteria into multiple teams
• Each team prioritizes their criteria
• Teams report their priorities and reasons
• Workshop selects one to three top criteria
23
To Summarize
• Terminology is highly diverse
• Holistic understanding is limited
• Social context is complex
• Social context can be structured
• Key issues can be identified
Framework is only a beginning;
much work is needed
24

Organizational Social Context

  • 1.
    Organizational Social Context Albert Simard President,Integrated Knowledge ServicesPresented to: SIKM, Oct 18, 2016 [email protected]
  • 2.
    Organizational Structures Context Interactions ManagementResearch Governance Network Servers Desktops Security Content FlowServices Interfaces Knowledge Social Business Technology Organizational Outputs 2
  • 3.
    Social Interaction Framework Interests Mutual Autonomous WorkGroup Community Network Conversation Posting Publication Purchasing Contracts Merger Sports Business Military Goals Compatible Conflicting Collaboration peer production partnership approach high trust diverse, synergistic Sharing leverage knowledge passive approach some trust benign, supportive Negotiation mutual agreement adversarial approach some trust structured, formal Competition defence or victory aggressive approach no trust secretive, hostile Unclear 3
  • 4.
    18 Primary SocialScience Authors Reviewed* • Individual trust: Mayer, et. al. (1995); Stoyko (2013) • Organizational trust: Covey (2006); Kimmel (2014) • Societal trust: Schneier (2012) • Engagement: Pink (2009); Stoyko (2010); Gebauer and Lowman (2008) • Communities of Practice: Wegner et. al. (2002); St. Onge and Wallace (2003) • Social interaction: Simard, (2013) • Knowledge management: Dalkir (2005); Simard and Jourdeuil (2013) • Emotional intelligence: Cooper and Sawaf (1996); Cherniss and Goleman (2001) • Organizational culture: Kotter and Heskett (1992); Kotter (2002); Cox (1993) • Leadership: Zand (1997) 4* Total of 75 authors referenced
  • 5.
    Literature Survey Results •1,200 terms and phrases found • 90% used only once; 5% used twice • Only a handful used 5 times or more • Little consensus in the literature • Little holistic understanding • Little help for describing KM social context 5
  • 6.
    Organizational Social ContextLandscape 6 ethics actions behave
  • 7.
    Organizing Process • Createlists of terms by author • Find related terms (similar, contrasting, sequential) • Classify terms (attributes, indicators, actions) • Organize into named groups • Add terms to small groups • Split and rename large groups • Organize into framework 7
  • 8.
    Definitions • Criteria: Nameof a group of terms that captures the essence of what makes the group a whole. • Attribute: Characteristic of a criteria that is normally not observable or manageable. • Indicator: Characteristic of a criteria that is normally observable and manageable. • Action: Executing a management decision to undertake an activity that affects an indicator. Individual criteria are not defined (what they are). They are described (what they look like) through the set of terms that are associated with the criteria. 8
  • 9.
    Social Context FrameworkSummary • Situation 1 Component; 7 Criteria • Scale 3 Components; 18 Criteria • Interaction 4 Components; 18 Criteria • Trust 6 components; 34 Criteria Totals 14 Components; 77 Criteria; 1900 terms used (overlap) 9
  • 10.
    Organizational Social ContextFramework Organization Group Individual Trust Factors Criteria Indicators Management 10 Leadership
  • 11.
    Prioritizing Decision Model Holisticapproach, one criteria at a time 11 Flow through Action ? Yes No Legend Start End Ind. Mgt. Ind. Ind. Mgt. Mgt.
  • 12.
  • 13.
    Sharing Context Prioritization Next Component SharingSituation Actions Sharing Environment Actions Sharing Motivation Actions Management Sharing Situation Indicators Sharing Environment Indicators Sharing Motivation Indicators IndicatorCriteria Sharing Situation Sharing Environment Sharing Motivation low low high high low high Previous Component Priority 13
  • 14.
    Sharing Indicators &Management Criteria Indicators* Management* Sharing Situation Content transactions Autonomous participants Similar interests One-to-one / One-to-many Provider / User Author / Requestor Source / Destination Sharing / Exchange Explicit / Tacit Implement sharing methods Train individuals on using methods Communicate sharing goals Provide opportunities for sharing Support, facilitate, promote sharing Provide sharing sites, places Develop reciprocity markets Facilitate finding expertise, sources Sharing Environment Sharing culture Level of trust Safe sharing environment Individual privacy Content security Author recognition Provide a safe environment Implement sharing guidelines Establish sharing norms Demonstrate sharing benefits Recognize authors, sources Respect intellectual property rights Sharing Motivation Sharing incentives Sharing, exchange activity Promote content use Control, hoarding Reciprocity mechanisms Internal markets Provide sharing incentives Promote, encourage sharing Leaders practice good sharing Reward good sharing behavior Discourage poor sharing behavior Censure, sanction hoarding * (/) indicates contrasting terms; (,) indicates similar terms; (-) indicates sequential terms. 14
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Organizational Scale Context Prioritization Organizational CultureActions Controlling Culture Actions Enabling Culture Actions Culture Change Actions Management Organizational Culture Indicators Controlling Culture Indicators Enabling Culture Indicators Culture Change Indicators Indicator Culture Change Criteria Organizational Culture Controlling Culture Enabling Culture Next Component low low high high high low low high Previous Component Priority Employee Practices Cultural Leadership Cultural Leadership Indicators Cultural Leadership Actions low low Employee Practice Indicators Employee Practice Actions high high
  • 17.
    Organizational Scale Attributes,Indicators & Management (1) Criteria / Attributes Indicators* Management* Organizational Culture Shared values, norms, attitudes Shared vision, ideology, beliefs Shared assumptions, models Shared principles, practices Organizational memory, essence Common direction Diversity, differences Social environment, context Symbols have meaning Perceptions Social differentiation Social behavior Rituals, artifacts Transmitted through stories Social practices, pressure Corporate understanding Symbolic actions Leaders provide cues Decisions communicate values Leaders telegraph values Rewards send messages Praise / criticism show values Reward desired behavior Practice espoused values Promote shared values Promote desired behavior Match words and practices Model values and behavior Increase cultural awareness Increase understanding Communicate values Recognize accomplishments Mentor new employees Controlling Culture Authoritative hierarchy Resistant to change Laws, rules, policies Inflexible structure Institutions Morality Intergroup conflict Prejudice, ethnocentricity Common responsibility Organizational structure Central goals Stability, order Institutional bias Command, control Compliance, enforcement Security Pluralism / monolithic Bureaucracy Mercenary Fragmented Arrogance Insular, intolerance Discrimination, stereotyping Social contract, moral pressure Institutional pressure Loopholes, interpretation Implement rules, codes Match strategy to culture Develop policies, Guidelines Balance pressures Apply proportional penalties Clarify expectations Require compliance Issue regulations Prevention, coercion Detection Intervention Recovery Punish, penalize wrongdoing 17
  • 18.
    Organizational Scale Attributes,Indicators & Management (2) Criteria / Attributes Indicators* Management* Enabling Culture Responsible autonomy Adaptive, agile Values, ethics Social responsibility Environmental responsibility Continuous learning Social development Sense-making mechanism Binds the organization Stable but not static Culture evolves naturally Good corporate citizenship Delegated decisions Negotiated agreements Creative, innovative Holistic perspective Multicultural, diverse Network structure Consensus building Freely shared information Frequent input, feedback Collaborative work Informal integration Be environmentally responsible Provide guidelines Have mutual goals, expectations Manage with empathy, honesty Promote sharing, collaboration Create safe-fail environment Encourage innovation Stress employee ownership Match work to passions Earn trust continuously Seek feedback, listen to ideas Ask for help & advice Culture Change Change weakens culture Passed between generations Generational differences Cross-generation transfer Interdependence Culture perpetuates itself Social interactions over time Underlying drivers Lengthy process Evolution, cultural drift Changing environment Leadership is key Change is hard, difficult No pain, no change Culture linked to power Power is required Must change everything Management Organizational readiness Positive role models Resistance to change Create sense of urgency Communicate need for change Analyze need, research Establish guiding coalition Solicit political sponsorship Create vision, strategy Empower, involve employees Short-term wins Consolidate, reinforce gains, integrate in systems Anchor, institutionalize change 18
  • 19.
    Organizational Scale Attributes,Indicators & Management (3) Criteria / Attributes Indicators* Management* Employee Practices Worker relationships, attitudes Diversity Demographics, trends Retention Work experience Organizational knowledge Work-life balance Employee well-being Desire to learn Worker interactions Insight to attitudes Hiring, staffing Work environment Organizational awareness Involvement Work assignments Career advancement Know demographics & trends Gather employee input Measure diversity, interactions Employee retention practices Engage employees Match employees to culture Match work to proficiency Be interested in employees Value, appreciate employees Cultural Leadership Emotional intelligence Charisma, presence Leadership style Accountability, responsibility Organizational role Situational pressure Broad view, vision Leading, managing Understanding, expertise Confidence, trust Risk tolerance Previous experience Belief system Self-interest Power, agenda Decision making Goal-setting Approving Endorsing, promoting Guiding Leading Supporting, enabling Challenging Dictating, directing Ordering, controlling Commanding Consulting Concurring Enforcing Reviewing Approve, endorse behavior Lead by example, guidance Promote desired behavior Seek counsel, collaborate Consider expert advice Champion ongoing education Personally interact with workers Emphasize growth opportunities Provide a safe-fail environment Treat people with respect Communicate honestly, often Give people freedom Be fair with everyone Inspire employees Provide incentives 19
  • 20.
    Trust Context Components Previous Factor PositiveIndividual Trust Context Negative Individual Trust Context Group Trust Context Positive Organizational Trust Context Negative Organizational Trust Context Trust Leadership Context Next Factor 4 criteria 4 criteria 4 criteria 7 criteria 8 criteria 7 criteria
  • 21.
    Positive Individual TrustContext Prioritization Next Component Similarity Actions Positive Perception Actions Positive Reputation Actions Positive Trust Behavior Actions Management Similarity Indicators Positive Perception Indicators Positive Reputation Indicators Positive Trust Behavior Indicators IndicatorCriteria Similarity Positive Perception Positive Reputation Positive Trust Behavior Previous Component low low high high high low low high Priority
  • 22.
    Criteria Indicators* Management* SimilarityShared values Shared mental models Shared assumptions Convergent interests Consensus, agreement Solidarity, cohesion Create mutual agenda Balance similarity / diversity Promote teamwork, cooperation Ensure participant equality Encourage meritocracy of ideas Validate models, assumptions Positive Perception Perceived safety Willingness to trust Trustor / trustee views Different perceptions Provide a safe environment Recognize different propensities Adapt to different relationships Positive Reputation Good reputation Integrity, honesty Reliable High confidence Integrity, trustworthiness Accomplishments High productivity Competence, ability Demonstrate respect Establish feedback process Recognize - act on feedback Right wrongs Deliver results, keep commitments Practice accountability Confront reality Positive Trust Behavior Openness, honesty, candor Participation, commitment Dialogue, conversation Loyalty, fidelity Compassion, caring, Benevolence, forgiving Judgment Dialogue, conversation Be transparent, be open Be honest, full disclosure No hidden agenda, talk straight Be caring Don’t disclose private information Show loyalty Listen first Reward good trust behavior 22 Positive Individual Trust Indicators & Management
  • 23.
    Using the FrameworkTo Identify Priority Issues • Consider the whole, one criteria at a time • Senior group may eliminate unimportant groups and criteria • Host a workshop to prioritize criteria • Divide the criteria into multiple teams • Each team prioritizes their criteria • Teams report their priorities and reasons • Workshop selects one to three top criteria 23
  • 24.
    To Summarize • Terminologyis highly diverse • Holistic understanding is limited • Social context is complex • Social context can be structured • Key issues can be identified Framework is only a beginning; much work is needed 24