Social Media and Sustainable Communication. Rethinking the Role of Research and Innovation Networks.

Purpose – Recent studies demonstrate the serious influence of social media on scholarly communication. However, scientists from academia seem to be rather carful in trying new technologies (Kaiser, Köhler, Weith 2016), with most preferring private channels first (Pscheida et al., 2013). Nevertheless, science and innovation are a public issue of wide interest. Communication is a fundamental prerequisite for transfer of information and creation of knowledge, but not sufficient to sustainably implement knowledge in society (Johnson & Chang 2000). Any innovative development from R&D needs to be published and distributed by means of communication and learning. Only if processes of learning are added relevant knowledge can be converted into actions and become effective (Larsen-Freeman 2013). Design/methodology/approach – New media technologies open up a variety of technological tools and innovative individual and organizational collaboration patterns. Does science consider such opportunities? What kind of data can be used to investigate the ICT / social media usage from a functional perspective? The authors decided to build their argumentation on two cases studies, describing the structural design of research networks, which are indeed quite similar. Therefore, the funding measure „Sustainable Land Management” as well as the research network „eScience Saxony” were considered. Both combine a series of smaller R&D projects within the context of a wider network. The data shows, however, differences in structure and scope (some projects follow a transdisciplinary approach while others do not) as well as further similarities in relation to the usage of social media. Originality/value – As a research question it is examined how actors of network projects design processes of transfer and implementation of knowledge in their project networks. For the empirical investigation, qualitative data of the two cases is obtained and evaluated systematically. The findings emphasize (1) the equality of knowledge communication and organization of joint learning experiences and, moreover, (2) similar conceptual understanding of transfer across projects. Moreover, they (3) consider similar media scenarios as appropriate. Marginally, also (4) processes of communication and learning receive attention – which are used as the operationalization of transfer and implementation in the studied networks. Practical implications – The aim of the research presented is to investigate the various effects of the research networks as a specific form of organizational intervention (Härtel et al, 2015). The authors thereby give attention to the transfer and implementation strategies from the perspective of knowledge communication, in respect of knowledge management, and use theoretical approaches from different disciplines including developmental and social sciences (Stützer et al., 2013) as well as education and organizational studies to elaborate the meaning of research and innovation networks