Sjoerd A. de Vries

Online knowledge communities: future trends and research issues

Online Knowledge Communities (OKCs) are seen here as meeting places for continuing professional development, a social network of members, who are organised by making use of an online meeting place, having an adequate group culture and are involved in appropriate information processes to develop and exploit a certain knowledge domain. We expect the use of online knowledge communities for continuing professional development to have positive effects on the professionalism of the professionals and the development of knowledge assets in knowledge-intensive organisations. We discuss future trends in the development and application of OKCs and related research issues.

The contextual benchmark method: benchmarking e-government services

This paper offers a new method for benchmarking e-Government services. Government organizations no longer doubt the need to deliver their services on line. Instead, the question that is more relevant is how well the electronic services offered by a particular organization perform in comparison with those offered by others. Benchmarking is currently a popular means of answering that question. The benchmarking of e-Government services has reached a critical stage where, as we argue, simply measuring the number of electronic services is not enough and a more sophisticated approach is needed. This paper details the development of a Contextual Benchmark Method (CBM). The value of CBM is that it is both benchmark- and context-driven.

TextVision and the visualization of knowledge : school-based evaluation of its acceptance at two levels of schooling

This chapter discusses.the potential of concept mapping tools for hypertext and learning situations in particular. TextVision enables students to visualise their prior knowledge and may also elicit concept structures from the teacher and domain expert. Research results from implementations of TextVision used in school settings are given and discussed.

Identification of influence in social media communities

Individual usage of social media is expected to have a growing impact on the corporate reputation of organisations. Influential users of social media can disseminate positive or negative information and opinions about products, services, brands or businesses among members of their online networks in the social media spaces. The impact of such actions can often be substantial; negative information and opinions posted in social networks, blogs, online communities and forums has the potential to reach large numbers of people and substantially impact on the organisations image and reputation. It is important for organisations to identify the online influencers - customers with important social networking impact - and identify ways to interact with them in order to respond efficiently to bad publicity or customer attacks. This study, based on extensive literature review and experts panel study based on the Delphi method, we construct a model identifying the social media influencers and the impact of these influencers on the corporate reputation.

The State of Client-Centered Public Service Delivery in the Netherlands

Businesses and citizens demand a better and more client-centered way of service delivery from public organizations. As society becomes more complex, dynamic and diverse, public organizations need to adapt to this demand. Conversely, our perception is that public organizations might still treat their target groups as one. However, the need for client-centered public service delivery is growing. This is widely debated in literature. Nonetheless, little empirical evidence is available about the state of client-centeredness of public organizations. The objective of the present study is to identify the state of client-centered public service delivery in the Netherlands. In order to research this topic 400 people from 194 Dutch public organizations were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire. 105 people responded. According to the respondents the state of client-centeredness is acceptable. However, only 25% of the public organizations seem to take differentiation as the point of departure for their service delivery.

Implementation of networked organizational communication: A communication reference model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a communication reference framework in order to understand and support the implementation of ICT in corporate communication from a local perspective.Design/methodology/approach – A practical framework was developed. Based on this, recent literature in the field of implementation of ICT in organizations was analyzed.Findings – This analysis resulted into a communication reference model for the implementation of networked organizational communication (NOC).Research limitations/implications – The resulting reference model for the implementation of NOC is not theory‐driven, but is a practical base for understanding the situated nature of the implementation of ICT.Practical implications – The applicability of this model can be viewed in three ways. First, one is able to use the model in cases to identify relevant factors in order to understand and intervene. Second, one is able to constitute a knowledge base in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency...

Aspects of an Environment for the Use of Adaptable Courseware Products

SUMMARY In this article the concept of an Environment for Courseware Use (ECU) is defined. It is required that a courseware product can be adapted within the environment in which it is going to be used. An ECU is a collection of tools to carry out activities related to the use of adaptable courseware products. We describe a model for applying computer support within educational organizations and distinguish in this model two levels of computer support which are related to the use of adaptable courseware products. Adopting the requirement of product adaptability, we discuss the concept of adaptable courseware products and describe the life cycle of such products. We make a distinction between a product cycle and a use cycle and describe four types of users of an ECU. Based on these theoretical aspects of using adaptable courseware products we urge the importance of an information model of an ECU for ECU design. The model consists of a task structure of an ECU, a data structure and of a user interface.

Understanding electronic social customer relationship management: foundations and current major themes

Empowered customers, global competition and a persistent financial crisis are important reasons driving businesses to new approaches for building and maintaining competitive advantages. Breaking away from the past focus on internal sources of competitive advantage strategists are switching attention to external factors and superior customer value creation. In this line building long–lasting and mutually rewarding relationships with customers is the key. The emerging paradigm of Electronic Social Customer Relationship Management (or ESCRM) can be the key for bolstering customer value by enabling customer engagement. This paper, based on an extensive literature review and interviews with 25 experts and thought leaders in electronic social CRM, aims at defining the electronic social CRM and its potential value for businesses as well as identifying main issues for further research

Online Knowledge Communities: Meeting Places for Continuing Professional Development

This paper describes the concept of Online Knowledge Communities (okc) as meeting places for continuing professional development (cpd). An okc is defined as a social network of members, who are online and are organized by making use of an online knowledge center. The okc has a particular group culture and members are involved in appropriate information processes to develop and exploit a specific knowledge domain. The author anticipates that the application of okc for cpd will have positive effects on the professionalism of the community members and on the development of knowledge assets in knowledge intensive organizations.

B2C social media value gap-model: a study of the Dutch online retailing

Social media are extensively used by customers and businesses in the B2C domain but the objectives and the way the two parties use them are different. Based on the uses and gratifications theory, the article identifies similarities and differences in motives and use of social media in retailing. The study establishes that retailers attribute different values to social media tactics than the values experienced by customers and identifies differences in motives and usage of social media by the two parties. The findings underline the ambiguity as to the value and effectiveness of social media, underlying the need for better analysis and understanding of customer value drivers and expectations when business engage social media as marketing strategy. The findings form the basis of a social media B2C value gap model that identifies value gaps experienced by retailers and consumers using social media applications as part of their online and traditional interactions.