INFS1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Teleconference, Version Control, Videotelephony
4 Jun 2018
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WEEK 12: COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA
COLLABORATION SYSTEMS
• Collaboration is critical in business
• Work is increasingly distributed à people not located in the same place = virtual teams
• Collaboration systems:
o Eliminates need for face-to-face meetings
o Won’t lose or misplace work
o Able to know who contributes and who is not
o E.g. systems
§ Email
§ Telephone/skype
§ Teleconference
§ Instant messaging
§ Discussion boards
§ Wikis
§ Blogs
§ File sharing
§ Team surveys
§ Team calendar
§ Video conference
§ Desktop conference
§ Workflow systems
SELECTING APPROPRIATE COLLABORATION TOOLS FOR A GIVEN SITUATION
• Based on Media Choice Theories
o Task-technology-fit concept: more likely to have a positive impact on individual performance and be used if
capabilities of IT match the tasks the user must perform
§ Select collaborative tech that fits the situation
o Media Richness Theory: complex tasks require richer media
§ Complex discussions should take place face-to-face or in other rich media
§ Simple message transfer should use lean media e.g. email
COMMUNICATION NEEDS ANALYSIS
1. Identify scenarios
o Analyse how people work to identify communication needs à identify relevant collaboration tools
2. Analyse requirements
o Analyse each scenarios and list requirements regarding use of collaboration tools
3. Select collaboration systems
o Select collaboration tools that match the requirements
4. Justify choices
o Justify tool choices and show how they would be used in the scenarios
CRITERIA TO DESCRIBE COLLABORATION SYSTEMS
Document Summary
Select collaborative tech that fits the situation: media richness theory: complex tasks require richer media. Complex discussions should take place face-to-face or in other rich media. Simple message transfer should use lean media e. g. email. Identify scenarios: analyse how people work to identify communication needs identify relevant collaboration tools, analyse requirements, analyse each scenarios and list requirements regarding use of collaboration tools, select collaboration systems, select collaboration tools that match the requirements. Justify tool choices and show how they would be used in the scenarios. How can you use collaboration systems to manage content: ways of organising content-based collaboration, no control of versioning e. g. email, version management e. g. wikis, version control e. g. github. Social media opponents: no place in business leads to: Chaos unstructured, no guidance, detrimental to info management. Social media proponents: enterprise social media will radically change the way orgs operate break down barriers, re-engage employees, increase collaboration, flatter hierarchies, knowledge/reputation-based authority rather than role-based, democratic communication structures.
