Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By
VAGELIS VARFIS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.JOB APPLICATION-INTRODUCTION……………………………………….3
BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES
APPENDIX-JOB DESCRIPTION
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1. JOB APPLICATION-INTRODUCTION
Any applicant who is interested into this position it is the ideal opportunity
for any potential employee to prove his/her capabilities into gathering
storing, developing and sharing information with the advent/emergence of
new technologies, like Web 2.0 and its tools.
According to the company’s site, its mission is to make the industry more
effective and efficient and that includes making sure that it delivers
sustainable solutions for your clients. From Web 2.0 the term Enterprise
2.0 has accrued, where collaborative technologies, social software have
arisen. The role of the Knowledge and Information Manager is vital because
he could be a liaison for the dissemination of information among employees
and clients.
The use of Web 2.0 is essential for information dissemination and for the
further development of the organization. However, there is the notion on
behalf of managers that the advent of social software may lead the
employees to working sluggishness. Research shows that communication
and collaboration technologies can make positive difference to business
performance (Cook 2008, p.15). A multi-national study conducted by
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Harvard Business School (Iansiti et al. 2006), which is quoted by Cook
(2008, p.15) indicates that firms with superior information technology grow
faster than their peers, their managers have more insight into their
business and their workers are more productive.
For BSRIA the tools themselves are very good, but what makes them
really stand out from previous generations of collaboration and community
tools is the fact that they target individual benefits as a route to shared
value, rather than asking people to share for collective benefit. This
approach of networked individualism has proven for more successful in
generating high levels of participation and shared value creation than
before. Powerful network effects are generated by focussing on
incentivizing and supporting individual action and then aggregating the
results of these individual actions upwards for all to share (Newson,
Houghton, Patten, 2008).
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Research
Testing and
Training and events
Troubleshooting
Water in building
Regarding BSRIA’s services, links, there could be created a cohesive
website which could unify all the Web 2.0 tools which will be offered by
the company. Examining all possible solutions, what could have been
created is the implementation of Facebook. And from this site all
services could be used for the dissemination of information, like blogs,
RSS feeds, wikis, other sites of social networking, media sharing,
services of instant messaging in real time, Google services. It could
happen with the minimum cost for the company and at the same time
would be on the edge of technology and its latest developments
concerning the Web 2.0 tools in the world of enterprises.
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¾ Average user has 120 friends.
¾ More than 4 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day
(worldwide)
¾ More than 30 million users update their statuses at least once each
day
¾ More than 6 million users become fans of pages each day.
¾ There are more than 30 million active users currently accessing
Facebook through their mobile device
One of the key things where BSRIA should focus to, lies on the fact that
6 million users become fans of page each day. One of the unique selling
points of BSRIA regarding its information dissemination strategy will be
the creation of several groups within the Facebook account –of the
company. These groups will be focussed on specific topics which are
being displayed on the BSRIA’s site (Air tightness, Bookshop, Building
compliance etc.). One of the most important things will be the use of
the link Websites which is located on the profile of Facebook. So ,these
websites could be comprised by:
Blogs, RSS feeds.
Google applications
Other social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn
Media sharing
Wikis
3.2. TWITTER
Fred Stutzman (2007), quoted by Cook (2008, p.50,51), Teaching Fellow
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information
and Library Science has outlined “three kinds of social presence –
informational, temporal and geolocational”.
Twitter is a micro-blogging platform according to which its users are able to
send and receive messages –which are called tweets-. The length of the
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messages (tweets) is 140 characters. The access for every user could be
open or limited according to the restrictions that the administrator
implements on settings. For BSRIA, the use of Twitter could contribute
positively to the information dissemination strategy. For example, one
multinational company, Samsung, has created Twitter account dedicated to
mobile phones and posts both the company (US department) and product
news there (Smarty, 2008).
For BSRIA and for every company where they want to protect their
communication and the distributed information for security reasons, there
is the possibility of ensuring the safety of information dissemination
(www.yammer.com ).
One benefit for the company is the use of #tag on the message (tweet)
which will facilitate the dissemination of information. According to Button
(2009, p. 9-10):
Adding a #tag to your post allows you to categorise it, by creating topics.
#tags are especially great for promoting new products, getting meeting
notes around the world in real time and finding hot trends for market
research.
These keywords which are being created, will allow to the company and to
the employee specifically to be alerted whenever a new product is on the
market. The use of RSS feeds is the one that permits to the employee,
customer to update his knowledge to a topic of his interest.
One of the latest implementations of Twitter is the creation of Lists. In this
way, every user could create a list – e.g. facilities management – related to
the company’s activities and in this way whoever wants to be involved in
this topic can add himself. Thus, a discussion forum is being created.
Other subsidiary applications, related to Twitter, for the more effective use
and for the benefit of BSRIA regarding the information dissemination
among employees, customers is the interaction via webcam
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(www.twitcam.com) or the exchange ideas via video sharing applications
(www.twitvid.com).
3.3. LINKEDIN
LinkedIn is even more professional-oriented. It allows the gathering of
data, sharing files and collaboration on projects. BSRIA can be helped
because it is about a network which is “alive” through feedback. The case
in point, the disseminating information will not be only distributed but it
could be as well enhanced by the user’s feedback.
3.5 BLOG
For BSRIA, the implementation of a blog could facilitate the latter to
disseminate the information easier and more effectively. Moreover, the
knowledge could be better organised and disseminated. The topics of this
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blog could be organised with the same way that the links of the company
are organised. Therefore, when an employee post a passage on a certain
topic, then the result of this action is the annotation from the other users
(namely the company’s employees). Additionally, it is feasible the usage of
online journal on the blog which will be updated with the use of RSS feeds.
The update of the online journals will be arranged by topic based on the
links which are appeared on the BSRIA’s site.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication)feed allows to the users (e.g. of a blog) to
update their knowledge on a certain topic. The case in point, knowledge is
being disseminated every time that there is something new. In this way,
users are allowed to keep track of updates. For BSRIA’s blog is feasible the
subscription on online journals, via RSS feeds. Thus, whenever there is a
new publication of an online journal automatically all users will be alerted.
3.6 IGOOGLE
It is a personalised webpage product according to which BSRIA itself and
all employees will have access on this personalised webpage by adding
gadgets-widgets. This means that all of the applications of the company
will be gathered onto one webpage.
Simultaneously, Google and its services allow to the company to have
access to a series of online products that are being offered like Google
Docs, Google Groups.
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Google Docs edit web-based documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
The dissemination of information is facilitated because this service allows
to the employees within the company to interact online, to share
documents online, to make presentations online and at the same time the
“virtual bystanders” can participate with the usage of instant messaging.
Google Docs, in this way, eliminates the distance among users within the
organisation.
Another service of Google is Google Groups. It is a service where people
can discuss online, to share documents to customise the looks and
graphics. For the needs of information dissemination in larger scale (e.g.
uploading documents, which can’t be done via CBOX) it could benefit
BSRIA. It is about an asynchronous type of communication. By request of
the employee/user the administrator of this group can create a new topic
on a certain field (e.g. engineering). Any time that somebody wishes to
contribute to the discussion, the members will be alerted via RSS feeds.
3.7. WIKIS
Majchrzak et al, quoted by Hearn, Foth, Gray (2008, p.53):
BSRIA can use this tool for the benefit of its employees. Sites like PBworks
(www.pbworks.com), Wikispaces (www.wikispaces.com)allow to the
employee to organise all their work effectively. Information dissemination
could be attained because for a created topic –depended on the needs of
the company- by the administrator, the employees will be motivated by
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editing a certain topic. Thus, they contribute to the dissemination of
information/knowledge.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES
BOYD D. M., ELLISON N.B., 2007. Social network sites: definition, history and
scholarship. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication. [online]. 13(1).
Available from: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html. [Accessed
4 November 2009].
BROGAN C., 2009. 50 ideas on using Twitter for business. [online]. 20 August
2008. Available from: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-
business/ .[Accessed 4 November 2009]
BUTTON H.J., 2009. Twitter (a little bird told me): building your business one time
at a time. [online]. USA: Butler Publishing Group, 2009. Available from:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9-
Kdt3QA5N0C&oi=fnd&pg=PT7&dq=twitter+in+companies&ots=WT9eHVoZtR&sig
=2X_4TNArhQkpQ_9wgTKuLI2uNEw#v=onepage&q=twitter%20in%20companies
&f=false .[Accessed 5 November 2009]
COOK, N., 2008. Enterprise 2.0: How social software will change the future of
work. Hampshire: Gower Publishing, 2008.
DANIEL D., 2007. Five tips for bringing Web 2.0 into the enterprise. [online]. 1
June 2007. Available from:
http://www.cio.com/article/115300/Five_Tips_for_Bringing_Web_2.0_Into_the_E
nterprise . [Accessed 5 November 2009].
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GOOGLE GROUPS, 2009. [online]. Available from:
http://groups.google.com/?hl=en . [Accessed 4 November 2009].
GUY M., 2008. Stay connecter: Technologies supporting remote workers. Ariadne
Magazine. [online]. 57. Available from: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue57/guy/.
[Accessed 6 November 2009].
JANCEN, B.J et al, 2009. Twitter power: tweet as electronic word of mouth.
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. [online].
60(11). Pp. 2169-2188. Available from:
http://ist.psu.edu/faculty_pages/jjansen/academic/jansen_twitter_electronic_wor
d_of_mouth.pdf .[Accessed 4 November 2009]
MARKETING VOX, 2007. Web 2.0, remote working are good for business and
environment. [online]. Watershed Publishing: Vermont. Available from:
http://www.marketingvox.com/remote-working-web-20-good-for-business-and-
environment-030359/ .[Accessed 6 November 2009].
McAFEE A., 2006. Enterprise 2.0: the dawn of emergent collaboration. MIT Sloan
Management Review. [online]. 47(3). Pp. 21-28. Available from:
http://cours.ebsi.umontreal.ca/SCI6144/lecture/seance%207/Séance%2007%20
Enterprise%202.0%20The%20dawn%20of%20emergent%20collaboration.pdf
[Accessed 5 November 2009].
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NEWSON A., HOUGHTON D., PASTEN J., 2008. Blogging and other social media:
exploiting the technology and protecting the enterprise. [online]. Surrey: Gower
Publishing, 2008. Available from:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=T32mydjva0AC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=Blog
ging+and+other+social+media+:+exploiting+the+technology+and+protecting+t
he+enterprise&source=bl&ots=95MpOJTlSj&sig=OgpF2yoyNLQ2FH9AV-
k6snBgM_4&hl=en&ei=3wz0SozMAc_24Aae9KDpAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=re
sult&resnum=3&ved=0CA4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=fals
[Accessed 4 November 2009]
PEREZ S., 2009. 4 ways companies use Twitter for business. [online]. ReadWrite
Enterprise. Available from: http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2009/03/4-
ways-companies-use-twitter-for-business.php. [Accessed 6 November 2009].
SAPOJINIKOVA S., 2009. How to create a Facebook page for your business.
[online]. 12 August 2009. Available from:
http://www.vestadigital.com/173/section.aspx/39/post/how-to-create-a-
facebook-page-for-your-business . [Accessed 4 November 2009].
SIMPSON G., 2007. Google: Business can benefit from video sharing. [online].
CBS Interactive Limited. Available from:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39290298,00.htm. [Accessed 6
November 2009]
TREDINNICK L., 2006. Web 2.0 and Business: a pointer to the intranets of the
future? Business Information Review. [online]. 23 (228). Pp 228-234. Available
from: http://bir.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/23/4/228 [Accessed 5 November 2009].
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WIKIPEDIA, 2009. iGoogle. [online]. Available from :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGoogle . [Accessed 6 November 2009]
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Information and Knowledge Manager
BSRIA is a well-known and respected test, research and consultancy organisation. Our Information Centre
provides technical information on building services and construction to BSRIA members and staff. We are
looking for an out-going information professional with a construction or engineering background and an
enthusiasm for new ways of gathering, storing, developing and sharing information.
BSRIA’s members subscribe to us for the benefit of all their staff. They are increasingly turning to more
informal networks to help them solve day-to-day problems, find facts and develop opinions. BSRIA aims to
find new ways in which we can facilitate and add value to self-help informal networks.
APPENDIX-JOB DESCRIPTION
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4. Providing information in response to enquiries. Enquiries come from
• Members, who pay for the service and expect quite detailed responses. We aim to add
value to their enquiry and give more than just a simple answer if we can
• Non-members, to whom we respond as a marketing activity only
• Staff, who use the information service as support for their project work.
Enquiries cover a very wide range of building services and other construction issues, with particular
emphasis on latest legislation and standards and their implications.
There is support from the engineers in BSRIA for the detailed technical enquiries and from the other
library staff for the more basic questions.
5. Overall responsibility for the abstracts database. An early task is to work with your team to
develop the policy and consistent processes for this; you will have overall responsibility for the selection of
the abstracts, their compilation and the maintenance of the database and its accessibility.
6. Running the library, with extensive support from the library
staff:
• Library stock -Keep a watching brief on new
publications/information sources, review new publications and
standards and decide which to purchase, keep the current stock up to
date, and make disposals as necessary
• Develop the library services and promote to members
7. • Liaising
Review other
with information services.providers in the construction sector, including learned
other information
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institutions and other Research and Technology Organisations.
8. (Optional) Developing an area of special interest. We encourage our senior information staff
to take a specific interest in one or more areas of technology to support our members, as part of their
own career development and to help them understand better how our consultant staff provide their
services. This could include writing publications, training and lecturing or undertaking consultancy
assignments for clients. In any case you would become known as the specialist in this field.
The post requires an out going personality and someone with a really good customer service record.
You will have a first degree, and experience in construction or engineering. It is not essential that you have
building services engineering experience.
Enthusiasm for new methods of delivering information (and evidence of such enthusiasm) is essential but
actual experience is not.
Your team
Your role is within the Membership, Information, Networks and Training (MINT) business area and you will
report to the Business Manager for that area.
Your direct reports are a Deputy Librarian, a Library Assistant, and for the work on the database an
Information and Publications Assistant. The two library staff, who have together been with BSRIA for 10 years,
are very knowledgeable on the library stock, handle the routine jobs and answer many enquiries. They are
both part time but work as a job share, ensuring that one or the other is always available for the library support
role. The Information and Publications Assistant currently reports to our Publisher as part of the MINT team.
The information staff work very closely with our publications and membership teams. The marketing team is
co-located with the MINT team.
This is a full time appointment, based in Bracknell, Berkshire. Hours are 37 per week.
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INFORMATION DISSEMINATION STRATEGY FOR BSRIA
2nd part
By
VAGELIS VARFIS
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. CREATION OF EMAIL ADDRESS
http://mail.google.com/mail/?safe=active&shva=1#inbox
USERNAME: bsriacompany@googlemail.com
PASSWORD: 25081980
Username: bsriacompany@googlemail.com
Password: ********
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We should bear in mind that all these accounts are valid till the
completion of the coursework.
One of the providing services that are being given by Google (like Gmail),
for free is Google Docs for the online editing of documents (spreadsheets,
word, powerpoint, pdf files) and online exchange of documents among
employees and customers.
Therefore, according to the main links of BSRIA, folders have been
created on Google Docs, respectively:
• Air tightness
• Bookshop
• Building compliance
• Business and strategy
• Construction support
• Facilities management
• Information services
• Instrument solutions
• Market intelligence
• Membership
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• Research
• Testing and certification
• Troubleshooting
• Training and events
• Water in buildings
2. SOCIAL NETWORKING
2.1. FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home
USERNAME: bsriacompany
PASSWORD:23122009
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They will interact and participate through the creation of groups based on
the main links of BSRIA’s website. Indicatively:
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On these groups the employees will be able to interact by sharing ideals
on a specific topic/group of their choice.
2.2 TWITTER
http://twitter.com/
USERNAME:bsriacompany@googlemail.com
PASSWORD: 23122009
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The use of RSS feeds allows to the employees to stay up-to-date for
BSRIA’s activities –through its posts/tweets-.
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The homepage of BSRIA’s account on Twitter:
3. LINKEDIN
http://www.linkedin.com/home
USERNAME: bsriacompany@googlemail.com
PASSWORD: 23122009
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4. MEDIA SHARING
http://www.youtube.com/
USERNAME: bsriacompany@googlemail.com
PASSWORD: 23122009
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5. BLOG
http://bsriacompany.blogspot.com/
USERNAME: bsriacompany@googlemail.com
PASSWORD: 25081980
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Also an IM (Instant Messaging) service has been created for the user
needs. It is an easy way among employees to communicate through this
useful tool –namely, the blog-.
Journals that could be useful for the further education of the employees
have been uploaded, sideways, on the blog. Every time, that these
journas are being updated through the use of RSS feeds, the employees
will be able to be up-to-date with the current developments on their field.
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6. IGOOGLE
http://www.google.com/webhp?rls=ig
USERNAME:bsriacompany@googlemail.com
PASSWORD: 23122009
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7. WIKIS
http://bsriacompany.wikispaces.com/
USERNAME: bsriacompany
PASSWORD: 25081980
From the link “Files” it is possible for the information manager to create
folders which will correspond to the main links of the company’s website.
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