Social Networking Technologies and Informal Knowledge Sharing in Organizations

This presentation investigates the role of corporate social networking technologies in knowledge sharing. Through this research we will investigate the take-up and uses of social networktechnologies (SNTs) by knowledge workers in formal social organizations. Our premise is thatthe uses of SNTs, and the personal networks of informal ties that this use both enables andencourages, are mutually constitutive. We focus on the mutual constitution of social networksand SNTs because organizations are increasingly finding information sharing initiativesimperative to their knowledge management activities, and social networking is the most well understoodmeans to do this. In doing this research we pursue three contributions: (1) Conceptual insight and empiricalsupport for the material nature and value of digitally-enabled social connections. (2) Advancecurrent conceptual understanding of SNT’s organizational value. And, in doing this we buildfrom and synthesize current and relevant research from several intellectual communities such associal computing, information systems, social network analysis, and organizational studies. (3)Articulate organizationally-relevant design and governance principles regarding SNT uses