Dinesh Rathi

Web Mash-ups and Patchwork Prototyping: User-driven technological innovation with Web 2.0 and Open Source Software

The recent emergence of Web mash-ups and open source software is driving the development of new practices in software and systems development. In this paper we explore novel practices of user-driven innovation through an examination of several case studies which illustrate how users and developers are exploiting the proliferation of open APIs and open source systems. Developers can rapidly create proofs of concept that are robust enough for actual use by combining preexisting software components. The underlying programming processes involved make use of tried-and-true software development techniques, and may not appear innovative at first. However, the application of these practices and techniques to problem solving by non-programmers shows a high degree of creative innovation, giving rise to new ways of thinking about technology design and production

Open Source Technical Support: A Look at Peer Help-Giving

We explore online technical support of open source software by a study of postings to discussion boards. Our results indicate that there are several types of detail that are required by the help-givers to be able to diagnose and remediate help-seekers’ difficulties. As a result help interactions may iterate somewhat inefficiently. These findings are compared with studies of telephone technical help lines for commercial software, and library reference interviews. By considering certain rather problematic interactions we can identify ways to improve the process.

Interorganisational partnerships and knowledge sharing: the perspective of non-profit organisations (NPOs)

Purpose – This paper aims first to identify key interorganisational partnership types among non-profit organisations (NPOs) and second to determine how knowledge sharing takes place within each type of partnership. Results explore the value of social media specifically in facilitating external relationships between NPOs, firms and the communities they serve. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical qualitative analysis of exploratory interviews with 16 Canadian NPOs generates a non-exhaustive classification of partnership types emerging from these organisations, and their defining characteristics in the context of interorganisational knowledge sharing. Findings – Overall eight categories of partnerships from the sampled NPOs emerged from the analysis of the data. These include business partnerships, sector partnerships, community partnerships, government partnerships, expert partnerships, endorsement partnerships, charter partnerships and hybrid partnerships. Using examples from interviews, the sharing of ...

Finding KM Solutions for a Volunteer-Based Non-Profit Organization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge needs of a small, volunteer‐based Non‐Profit Organization (NPO) and present recommendations for implementation of KM solutions.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used in this paper is the knowledge audit. Data collection methods include semi‐structured interviews, documentary photography, and a review of content on the NPOs website.Findings – The paper recommends a combination of web 2.0 technology and low‐tech solutions to meet the KM needs of the volunteer‐based organization within the constraints of its limited resources. Based on the observation that dedicated and reliable volunteers are critical to this organizations success, the paper proposes that the KM solution address personal knowledge needs related to volunteer motivation factors as a strategy for improving volunteer recruitment and retention.Research limitations/implications – The study examined a small group of volunteers engaged in a specialized form of knowled...

Twitter Content Categorisation: A Public Library Perspective

With the rise of social media, many library and information services have begun to incorporate a wide variety of social media and social networking applications into their systems and services. Among the mainstream social networking applications, micro-blogging, in general, and Twitter, in particular, have gained increasing popularity. This paper reports the results of an exploratory study of the application of Twitter in the context of a large public library system. Specifically, this study has sampled, content analysed and categorised a select number of tweets created by a public library system in order to identify and document the ways in which Twitter can be used for various information services and knowledge management practices in public libraries. One of the main outcomes of this study is a tweet categorisation scheme that has a specific focus on the information services offered by public libraries.

Knowledge Management and Social Media: A Case Study of Two Public Libraries in Canada

It is important for all types of organisations including non-profit organisations (NPOs) to manage knowledge for effective and efficient utilisation of resources. Technology is considered as one of the key enablers of knowledge management (KM) practices but it can be costly to develop and implement in an organisation. With the advent of social media, NPOs such as public libraries have the opportunity to harness the power of technology for KM purposes as it is considered a low cost medium. A study was conducted, using an exploratory qualitative interview technique, in two contrasting public libraries: one is a large urban public library, and the other is a small rural public library. The data were analysed using a grounded theory approach informed by a social constructionist theoretical framework. This paper presents comparative findings from these case examples on their understanding of KM as a concept and their use of social media in management of knowledge. Results show that social media are valuable KM tools in public libraries, not only when directed externally for the purpose of promotion, but also to foster engagement with the public and collaborative work within the organisation.

OPEN SOURCE TOOLS FOR MANAGING KNOWLEDGE IN A SMALL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

AbstractThe paper explores the issue of managing knowledge in a very small non-profit organization. A pilot study was conducted with a very small non-profit organization to understand the current state of knowledge management, issues in managing knowledge and tools being employed for knowledge management. The paper identifies the issues and suggests the potential technological solutions from open source software products and free online tools, such as wikis, youtube and flickr, that could be used to share the knowledge for better productive use of time and resources of a small low budget non-profit organization. The study also presents the power of a lightweight pilot study for understanding the issues for future knowledge management systems design for such organizations and potential use of open source software for such noble causes.

Wikifying your interface: facilitating community-based interface translation

We explore the application of a wiki-based technology and style of interaction to enabling the incremental translation of a collaborative application into a number of different languages, including variant English language interfaces better suited to the needs of particular user communities. The development work allows us to explore in more detail the design space of functionality and interfaces relating to tailoring, customization, personalization and localization, and the challenges of designing to support ongoing incremental contributions by members of different use communities.

Social media and community knowledge: an ideal partnership for non-profit organizations

Non-profit organizations (NPOs) must manage knowledge to be relevant, sustainable and competitive. The published literature suggests that stories can be effective for sharing knowledge and making tacit knowledge explicit; however, researchers have not examined storytelling as a knowledge management practice in NPOs in any depth. Similarly, few studies explore the roles of social media in NPOs, including their usefulness for knowledge management practices. This paper reports the results of a research study that examined how NPOs are using social media, with a particular focus on knowledge management practices. Qualitative interviews with 16 staff members working in a range of NPO environments (such as health, library and social services organizations) were conducted. The findings point to the value of storytelling for sharing the organizations mission, for monitoring the NPOs reach into the community, and as a mechanism for gathering knowledge from clients and other key stakeholders.

Non-profit organizations’ use of tools and technologies for knowledge management: a comparative study

Purpose This paper aims to present findings from a study conducted with non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Canada and Australia, focusing on the use of tools and technologies for knowledge management (KM). NPOs of different sizes and operating in different sectors were studied in two large-scale national surveys. The paper is useful to both practitioners in NPOs for understanding tool use for KM activities and to scholars to further develop the KM-NPO domain. Design/methodology/approach Two nation-wide surveys were conducted with Canadian and Australian NPOs of different sizes (i.e. very small to large-sized organizations) and operating in different sectors (e.g. animal welfare, education and research, culture and arts). An analysis of responses explores the use of tools and technologies by NPOs. Respondents identified the tools and technologies they used from nine pre-determined themes (quantitative data) plus an additional category of “other tools” (qualitative data), which allowed for free text responses. The quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and the qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings Quantitative data analysis provides key findings including the popularity of physical, print documents across all NPO sizes and sectors. Statistical tests revealed, for example, there is no significant difference for the same-sized organizations in Canadian and Australian NPOs in the use of tools and technologies for KM activities. However, there were differences in the use of tools and technologies across different sizes of NPOs. The qualitative analysis revealed a number of additional tools and technologies and also provided contextual details about the nature of tool use. The paper provides specific examples of the types of tools and technologies NPOs use. Originality/value The paper has both practical and academic contributions, including areas for future research. The findings on the use of KM tools and technologies by NPOs contribute to the growing body of literature in the KM domain in general and also build the literature base for the understudied KM-NPO domain. NPOs will also find the paper useful in better understanding tools and technological implementation for KM activities. The study is unique not only in the content focus on KM for NPOs but also for the comparative study of activities in two countries.