Tyndall 1 Melissa Tyndall COMM 5030 Final Paper May 5, 2005

Introduction In todays world of Internet savvy media users, web logs are generally thought to be casual commentary on subjects such as politics, daily events, breaking news, sexual experiences, drug experimentation, and product ratings. Popular websites such as MySpace.com, Livejournal.com and BlogsforBush.com are but a few of the many sites that offer online journals and blogs, but one may ask whether or not blogs can take on a more serious connotation. However, web logs, or more commonly, blogs, are also used in more formal ways, as blogs can also be implemented in businesses, organizations, corporations and even libraries. Some may ask how this is possible seeing as blogs are generally thought to be informal, private message boards. In this essay, the utilization of blogs within organizations and businesses, as it relates to communication theory, will be examined. First, the definition of what a blog is (beyond slag for web log) will be defined and how blogs pertain to the business world will also be stated. Secondly, this paper will scrutinize both the positive and negative aspects of implementing blogs into organizational communication. After examining how blogs can be applied to communication theory, particularly knowledge management, this essay will makes hypotheses concerning the future of that form of media within organizations. Research Question 1: What affects do blogs have in terms of organizational communication theory?

Tyndall 2 Research Question 2: Will the current opinions of blogs as web diaries ultimately doom the organizational blog (i.e. will employees be unable to establish a difference in the two or will personal information, etc. seep into these web postings)? Research Question 3: What must be done in order to ensure that web logs on the business level will be ultimately successful? What guidelines are necessary? Definitions of Blog With the popularity of online journals and websites such as MySpace.com, blogs are often thought of as means by which to post the events of ones day, quirky observations, and as a means by which to become involved in political debate online. According to Teten and Allen (2004), A blog is a collection of web pages made up of usually short, frequently-updated entries arranged in reverse chronological order (i.e., the most recent entries are at the top). Originally, blogs were meant to be different from what they are used nowas online diaries/journals however, what was originally meant for more business-like purposes eventually had the aspects of Internet journals bleed into it (Teten and Allen, 2004). Supporting this information is a 1999 essay entitled The Anatomy of a Weblog, which defines blogs as being based on reverse chronological posting of news items, often containing hyperlinks to third party sites, and an opportunity for readers to enter their own response to articles (Jacobs, 2003). The Positive Aspects Utilizing Blogs in Organizations In large organizations, what is considered to be the best form of communication, face-toface communication, is at times, impossible due to lack of time or employees geographic location in comparison to a colleague. Blogs, however, can maintain professionals social ties to one another. After testing the results of networking behaviors of 14 people in large, technology based organizations, Chad Thornton and Eric Wilcox of IBM found that despite ones position within the organization, approaches to maintaining connections were similar regardless of job

Tyndall 3 title or position in the corporate hierarchy (2004). Across the board, it seemed that five main behaviors were noted. Web logs (as well as instant messaging and networking services) were tools that caused chance meetings to occur, increased communication dynamics, assisted in bringing together people who needed to work together, assisted in the examination of the audience targeted by the organizations, and assisted in the media overload the employees experienced within the company (Thornton & Wilcox, 2004). Eric Lears of Ithaca College writes that businesses can adopt blogs for a variety of external and internal purposes including: customer relations, advertising, promotion, and even internal communication (Lears, n.d.). Blogs are utilized both internally and externally in order to communicate with suppliers, gather customer information and opinions, implement knowledge management and mold working communities. Blogs have also been found useful because the media form automatically catalogues entries (in reverse chronological order), they can be updated daily, and allow for immediate feedback from other users (Lears, n.d.). Blogs allow for a constant access of information from various locations, as blogs enable organizations to communicate 24 hours per day and seven days per week (Model for Assessing). More importantly, blogs can be used as a way to scrutinize information. When an organizations practices revolve around blogs, it can serve as a beneficial way to both share and gather information. For example, if a company frequently read customer blogs, the organization could then gather information concerning public views of particular products (Lears, n.d.). If customers have particular complaints, those concerns could be more easily addressed and improved upon. In addition, if customer blogs contain positive content, organizations could use this as a method of determining what practices to continue, or could use the information in blogs as a marketing strategy by which to ensure customer loyalty.

Tyndall 4 Many benefits emerge with the implementation of blogs on the organizational level. Not only are blogs easy to use and set up (Teten and Allen, 2004), but these tools allow for friendly content and have an unmistakable objective; blogs permit groups, teams and departments to collaborate and more easily schedule meetings and deadlines (Lears, n.d.). While personal blogs about political issues, religious beliefs and lifestyle choices may seem to join those with very little or nothing in common, organizational blogs are more subject focused and bring teams and employees closer (Lears, n.d.). As stated in Communication Over Exposure: The Rise of Blogs as a Product of Cybervoyuerism, it is the kind of communication occurring in blogs is more direct, immediate, and open than in broadcast media (Jacobs, 2003). Furthermore, blogs could be used as a more convenient way to communicate with customers as compared to flyers, e-mail, and other annoying mailing systems. Lears writes that, for example, customers who were interested in a certain service and/or product could view the blog rather than sending out e-mails to customers who had no interest (and the company could refrain from bothering those who had no desire for information on that particular subject). Corporations such as CNN, Disney, and Slashdot are already implementing this idea (n.d.). As for employees, corporate level blogs allow employees to communicate among his or her peers and make his or her voice known without managerial influence. It is also thought that blogs will encourage an active effort on an employees part to gather and distribute information rather than passively waiting for the information to come to him or her (Ojala, 2004). Consequently, blogging is a fun and invigorating method by which to exchange information. Marydee Ojala of Online USA writes:

Tyndall 5 Ask someone to simply respond to a blog post about how a particular procedure works, for example, and that person is much more likely to respond to a blog format than to filling out a tedious form. This is even more true when the person knows that his or her peers will read about how the procedure works and contribute their own experiences and knowledge on the topic. This even-handed exchange of views leads to a very productive knowledge sharing environment. (2004) Ojala continues by claiming that blogs are a tool by which corporations can increase their visibility to customers, provide more information, and raise employee awareness (2004). In addition, blogs remove tedious web design and publishing aspects (and eliminates the restriction of those designs), can be used as a way for employees to sound off one another, assist in making employees more personable in the workplace, and are a means by which an employee could vent his or her frustrations (Wolack, 2002).

Negative Aspects of Organizational Blogs Overall, empirical findings on the success and utilization of blogs in organizations are few and far between (Moor, 2004). While Ojala claims that organizational blogging provides more opportunities for peer-to-peer communication, it is also believed that blogs ensure that the voice of the individual is increasingly lost, and the presentation becomes increasingly organizational and anonymous in voice (Moor, 2004). Also, when blogs stray from organizational use, it can, and has been, used against employees who bad-mouth his or her company or mention aspects of his or her personal life which could prevent hiring at other

Tyndall 6 establishments (if, for instance, an employer searched the Internet for blogs that reflected character flaws, irresponsibility, etc.)(Lears, n.d.). The informality of blogs could also cause adverse affects such as the suffering of proper grammar, usage and spelling. This is an especially negative aspect for corporations that communicate with other employees, customers, and associates who speak other languages, as Internet (l337 speak) lingo and slang could prove even more confusing to those particular users. Informal language could also waste valuable time if users must spend his or her time posting questions to the initial blogger for clarification (Ojala, 2004). While blogs may seem

practical because of the similarity blogs have to mailing lists, knowledge management could be negatively affected due to conversation patterns associated with blogs, despite the fact that the blog is written for an organizational purpose (Moor, 2004).

Methodology The most important thing to do would be to research how blogs are already working in the business world and how that particular media form applies to organizational communication. The method by which this will be studied is to examine prior studies of organizational blogging, and more specifically, k-blogging and its effectiveness will be examined . However, in the future, a CEO and communications office of major corporations that use blogs, as well as those who do not, should be questioned in order to compare the effectiveness of blogs as opposed to other forms of communications. Questions that could be asked are as follows: 1. Have statistics shown an increase in communication since the implementation of web logs in this company? 2. What is your current knowledge management system? Are employees given information via blogs, e-mail, memos, etc.?

Tyndall 7 3. What are ways in which you have assured that blogs will remain fun but professional? Are rules and/or guidelines set? 4. Have team projects improved since the implementation of the organizational blog in the company? 5. Have sales and/or customer satisfaction increased since the implementation of the organizational blog in the company? How Blogging Applies to Knowledge Management The first question that must be answered is, what is knowledge management? While there is not a specific definition, there are quite a few varying definitions of what the term means. Rebecca O. Barclay and Phillip C. Murray, editors at the publication, Knowledge Praxis, find that, in practice, knowledge management often encompasses identifying and mapping intellectual assets within the organization, generating new knowledge for competitive advantage within the organization, making vast amounts of corporate information accessible, sharing of best practices (2001). More recently, a vice president of a knowledge management corporation defined it as a system of structures, processes, and technologies that inspire people to share what they know and use what they learn (Wolack, 2002). At any rate, the purpose of knowledge management is to promote new ideas, improve service provided to customers, increase revenues, raise employee retention rates through rewards, and to streamline the business and lower costs by removing superfluous processes (Santosus and Surmacz, 2001). When work environments are comprised of workers with different specialties, web logs can be beneficial when instruction or information about different technologies, etc. is required. Writers of weblogs, called bloggers, can add to the sum total of knowledge for research projects, share industry and product knowledge, capture and disseminate pertinent news from outside the enterprise, and contribute valuable insights on specific subjects (Ojala, 2004).

Tyndall 8 Web logs are also beneficial to knowledge management in organizations because blogs establish community and promote archiving. Ojala writes that, Not only do blogs reflect a personal viewpoint, they allow readers to respond and comment. This give-and-take fleshes out blog content and results in a sense of community among the participants (2004). While blogs meet the requirements that are often thought to be the knowledge management trademarks such as partnership and the exchange of internal and external information, however, it may prove difficult to inspire employees to willingly distribute their knowledge. In fact, blogs that center on knowledge management has its own terminology: kblogging (Ojala, 2004). While knowledge management is the most important aspect of kblogging and blogging in organizations in general, blogs will also maintain relationships by inspiring a social network of employees. Thornton and Wilcox assert that creating new opportunities for professional interaction and heightening awareness of the state of ones ties are two ways to better foster collaboration (2004). However, the main issue concerning k-blogging is that knowledge management is not something that is generally a visible process and employees may feel as if his or her employer is simply ignoring his or her knowledge. However, k-blogs can be used to organize information, make sense of information, concur on meaning, establish a personal system/pool resources in work communities, as indicated in the diagram (Roll, 2004) on page 10. Roll maintains that blogging on an organizational level allows readers to capture and annotate information, as blogs work as a virtual filing cabinet of information that files information easily that had gone previously unorganized. Since the audiences of these blogs are defined by the organization, personal information may not be placed in these blogs, but rather can be used as a tool by which to gain feedback on projects an employee might be brainstorming.

Tyndall 9 As opposed to e-mail, k-blogs are also a good way to gather additional sources, as those who post feedback could provide more references. Also, for instance, an employee had no way to contact another employee; blogs can be used as methods to obtain alternative contact information such as email, instant messaging or meeting face-to-face (Roll, 2004).

3. Ideas

Awareness Exposure Lurking

Making sense of information Conversation Collaboration Organizing ideas and creativity

2. Communities and Networks

Establishing and maintaining relations

1. Individual

Roll, M. (2004). Distributed KM- Improving Knowledge Workers Productivity and Organizational Knowledge Sharing with Weblog-based Publishing.

The Future of Weblogs As organizations begin to focus on knowledge management, the implementation of blogs should be considered. Not are weblogs inexpensive to maintain, but provide a non-threatening environment in which to share knowledge (Ojala, 2004) without having to pay a technology staff to maintain the media. Likewise, web logs are just as inexpensive to terminate if the form ends up being unbeneficial to staff members.

Tyndall 10 Table 1: Gale Computer Database 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 107 263 84 17 4 1 Gale Magazine Database 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 146 255 76 20 7 2 Gale Trade and Industry 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 332 590 132 23 9 2 ProQuest ABI/INFORM 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 64 174 64 6 1 0

Ojala, M. (2004). Weaving Weblogs into Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination

Web logs also have the potential to reach thousands of workers, as studies indicate that of 2,200 employees 47 percent claimed all sources he or she required could be found on the Internet, however, little over 10 percent indicated he or she relied on a corporate intranet (Ojala). As the technology surrounding blogs increases, can greatly hasten exchange of information more so than newsletters, memos, or even e-mails. Though blogs began emerging less than a decade ago, posts between January and May of 2004 skyrocketed. Research indicates that the Gale Computer Database had 410 blogs while the Gale Magazine Database had 411. This was followed up by the Gale Trade and Industry (869) and ProQuest, which had 248 (Ojala, 2004).

Conclusions Despite the few negative effects, it seems there is too little information concerning the implementing of web logs into the business world/organizations to assert that blogs would not work in an organizational setting. There is, however, a lot of positive aspects to implementing

Tyndall 11 these tools. Web logs, or blogs, in an organizational setting will only be beneficial if certain guidelines and precautions are taken prior to implementation. First, a language and/or content standard would have to be set. Though the media form should be more informal than a report or other documentation (i.e. it should be made fun), organizations will have to find a way to prevent glaring language errors, inappropriate personal content, and l337 speak (or Internet terminology). Though this method of communication is supposed to inspire fun in the workplace, professionalism cannot be sacrificed. Next, organizations will have to make the purpose of the web logs clear, dispelling the notion that blogs are online diaries, journals, or places to post other information about ones self rather than as a means of organizational communications and knowledge sharing. As Ojala indicates blogs must be viewed as non-threatening, voice of blogger (not management), invigorate people, and be timeless, but simultaneously, employees have to be aware that blogs in the workplace are a tool, not a toy or online diary. Above all, blogs will beneficial to customers and employees for various reasons. Blogs will not only provide a way to gauge customer interest without hassling disinterested customers with flyers, e-mails, and other mailing lists, but it will also keep companies from spamming the inboxes of its employees. Employees will not have to sift through many e-mails per day, especially those that do not pertain to his or her personal field or department, as he or she can go straight to the information needed.

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References Allen, S. and Teten, D. (2005). The Five Keys to Building Business Relationships Online: Blogging to Build Business Relationships. Retrieved on April 1, 2005 from http://teten.com/1.htm?err=1 (book not yet released). Barclay, R.O. and Murray, P.C. (2001). What is knowledge management? Knowledge Praxis, n/a, n/a. Efimova, L. and Moor, A. (2004). The Language-Action Perspective on Communication Modeling: An Argumentation Analysis of Weblog Conversations. New Brunswick: Rutgers University. Jacobs, J. (2003). Communication Over Exposure: The Rise of Blogs as a Product of Cybervoyeurism. Designing Communication for Diversity, n/a, n/a. Lears, E. (n.d.) Implementing Weblogs in Organizations. Retrieved March 17, 2005 from http://www.iabc.com/fdtnweb/pdf/blogs.pdf. (No author, n.d.). A Model for Assessing Web Sites as Tools in Building OrganizationalPublic Relations. Web Sites and Organizational-Public Relationships. Ojala, Mary. (2004). Knowledge and Change: Weaving Weblogs into Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination. Nord I&D. Retrieved March 29, 2005 from http://www2.db.dk/NIOD/ojala.pdf. Roll, M. (2004). Distributed KM- Improving Knowledge Workers Productivity and Organizational Knowledge Sharing with Weblog-based Publishing. Retrieved on April 23, 2005 from http://www.roell.net/publikationen/distributedkm.pdf. Thornton, C. and Wilcox, E. (2004, November). Enterprising Individuals: An Investigation into Fostering Professional ties within Large Organizations. IBM Research Reports. Wolack, C. (2002). A Model for the Implementation of a Blog in a Manufacturing Environment. Retrieved on March 20, 2005 from http://www.scisstudyguides.addr.com/papers/cwPreliminaryDissertationProposal.pdf.