1) Joanna Goodman, Connecting people is a recipe for innovation at cadbury. (2009, Knowledge Management Review (Online), , 1-N_A.
a. Summary:
This article is dedicated to the description of the concept in which social networking (knowledge management) within one company on several levels lead to success. In this case attention is set for Science & Technology (S&T) of Cadbury.
In article it is fully described the whole process of developing a new product and how this process is supported by networking.
Several levels of networks exists. Lowest level is inter-office network, in which workers can share their ideas and experiences; the highest is Cadbury and acquired companies’ network, where one member of S&T can leave his work to another member of S&T, maybe even to those who works on different product types. For example chewing gum developer can invent structure and principle, leaving his project for chocolate developers for inventing new taste. Later on it will be sent to marketing department, but this is whole different story.
Another positive aspect of KM is socialization. Not only KM provides possibility for employees to speak and discuss current issues, it also has a place for company magazines and newsletters. The newsletter supports Cadbury's employees by highlighting initiatives and celebrating success.
But KM is a difficult subject to manage. Firstly it is difficult to manage trainers and supervisors for communities, who are very important part of whole project. Secondly it is very difficult to make workers maintain engagement and keeping collaboration as main aim. Thirdly it is difficult for KM head to prove efficiency of KM for board of directors. It is possible to show collaboration, but nearly impossible to show “feel-good” factor.
b. Comments:
As explaining my own opinion I can say that the article was done professionally, more on the level of big magazine, then on the level of in-company newsletter. During my reading of this article I was followed by an opinion that the writer is proud of her work as a part of a KM.
In context of informational fullness this article gave me side look on the topic of importance of communications in companies, providing me with full description of network contents, management issues and difficulties.
As a matter of interest the text was rather too formal for newspaper article, but the part where difficulties were described was pretty interesting to read. The most significant attention of mine got the part where the need of explaining emotional factor to directors’ board was explained. It was rather unpredictable and well-formulated.
One key point of the article was pretty unusual for me. The fact that job can be left halfway done and then finished by some other people doesn’t really fit in today’s norms. Basically I make this decision because people will never agree who did the most for final project, thought the text says after finishing one all members celebrate. But who made the whole thing is still unclear. Another option here, which is way more common, is to create the focus group, responsible for new product from the beginning up to the end.