In order to facilitate the knowledge gathering in that team environment, it needs to be put more focus onto supporting technologies. Here, one technology alone does not work to get across the entire sensemaking circle with its components information gathering, analysis, synthesis, information
sharing and reuse. A good mix and match from a cost-benefit situation is e-mail and/or Lotus Notes together with telephone conferences. Anyway, in order to understand each other’s roles and responsibilities and to facilitate the social context-stting that typically goes away with locally dispersion, an initial or timely recurring face-to-face meeting is of high value-add.
Table of Contents
1. The individual and collective sensemaking process
1. 1. Sensemaking
1.2 The sensemaking tasks in an overview
1.2.1 Information gathering
1.2.2 Information analysis/re-use/synthesis
1.2.3 Information sharing and publication
1.3 Group Dynamics: These different tasks described in 1.2 then had to be undertaken by the team with different grop and roles and responsibilities.
1.3.1 What strategies worked well?
1.3.2 Blocks and Enablers
2. Collaborating in an Internet team
2.1 Which aspects worked well, which not so well?
2.2 How could the strategies and tools you used be improved?
2.3. Support of information and knowledge sharing using Lotus Notes and other tools
3. A summary of knowledge technologies
3.1 Technology Tools supporting the sensemaking process
3.2 Categorization: Means of collaboration - usage and cost
3.2.1 Individual working - Technologies needed
3.2.2 Virtual meeting - Technologies needed
3.2.3 Face To Face meetings - Technologies needed
3.3 Factors - Human interaction and Conceptualization
3.4 Outlook - What makes technologies successful for Internet teams
Research Objectives and Topics
The work examines the complex interplay between individual and collective sensemaking processes within dispersed teams, specifically focusing on the efficacy of various knowledge management technologies in a digital environment. It aims to identify how virtual collaboration can be structured to overcome technological and sociological barriers to knowledge generation.
- Analysis of the link between Kolb’s learning cycle and sensemaking tasks.
- Evaluation of collaboration tools such as Lotus Notes and teleconferencing for virtual teams.
- Examination of the trade-offs between individual, virtual, and face-to-face working environments.
- Identification of critical success factors for geographically dispersed "Internet teams."
Excerpt from the Book
1.2 The sensemaking tasks in an overview
The group has experienced different challenges in the sensemaking process - especially when it dealt with working in the topic of knowledge management - a very broad area, which apparently contains lots of fuzz and also lots of uncertainty with different viewpoints - at least as far as the Internet sources are reflecting it.
Information gathering thus is a hard thing to do alone, very often, the web as a source of information has become a representation of the outside world - there are many information to find but the meaningfulness of the information needs to be always put into the right perspective. The world wide web service Lycos has for example about 123000 keyword search results on “knowledge management”, which for example makes already the search to such a broad topic like this a very difficult matter. Also, it needs to be put into consideration that the web does consist out of documents that already have been written by somebody else - thus it is not basic research but secondary research that can be undertaken using the web - and still, not all documents can be found on the web yet For more advanced research, maybe some primary research may be needed (for example to find the “unknown”).
Along with information search and finding the analysis on meaningfulness, context and mutual conclusion and exclusion of thoughts is a difficult matter. One of the most important things is to check the reliability of the source - be it by its already attained reputation or by searching at the original source or by questioning of the theory. Synthesis of information - especially if there are different authors and “schools” or thought streams - is very costly either but the benefit here is the additional gain of knowledge or even wisdom, as then some generalised knowledge onto a certain topic can be gained. The specialisation into a certain topic - on the opposite - requires direct primary research very often.
Summary of Chapters
1. The individual and collective sensemaking process: This chapter defines the core concept of sensemaking as a multi-stage process linked to learning cycles and examines the practical challenges of information gathering and sharing in teams.
2. Collaborating in an Internet team: This chapter explores the dynamics of geographically dispersed teams, highlighting the costs and technological requirements of remote collaboration compared to face-to-face interaction.
3. A summary of knowledge technologies: This chapter provides a matrix evaluating various technological tools against the sensemaking process, concluding that a strategic mix of technologies is required for effective knowledge generation.
Keywords
Sensemaking, Knowledge Management, Internet Team, Kolb’s Learning Cycle, Virtual Collaboration, Information Synthesis, Lotus Notes, Teleconferencing, Group Dynamics, Team Building, Knowledge Generation, Information Gathering, Digital Communication, Team Efficiency, Collaboration Technologies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores how sensemaking—a process of searching, analyzing, synthesizing, and reusing information—functions within dispersed digital teams and how it can lead to effective knowledge generation.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the integration of Kolb’s learning cycle into team work, the evaluation of collaboration technologies (like Lotus Notes), and the management of "Internet teams."
What is the central research goal?
The goal is to determine how virtual teams can bridge the gap created by physical distance to successfully conduct sensemaking and knowledge management tasks.
Which scientific methodologies are employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, combining literature analysis with personal reflections and practical group exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of various tools and strategies.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The body covers the categorization of sensemaking tasks, the analysis of group dynamics in virtual environments, and the comparative costs and benefits of different collaboration modes.
How would you describe the key characteristics of this work?
It is a highly practical, experience-based study that blends theoretical frameworks of learning and communication with the technical realities of digital, dispersed organizational structures.
Why is the SMCR model significant for this research?
The author uses the SMCR (Shannon) model to explain how the transmission channel in virtual teaming is often distorted by narrow bandwidth and the loss of sociocultural context.
What role do "Blocks and Enablers" play in the author's findings?
Blocks represent technical and social hurdles like lack of focus or technology failures, while enablers represent strategies like goal orientation and effective use of scheduling tools that drive the team forward.
Is a "virtual team" a sufficient term according to the author?
The author argues that "locally dispersed" is a more precise term than "virtual," as "virtual" implies "non-real," which is not the case for teams that are functionally active.
- Quote paper
- Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Frhr. von Gamm (Author), 1998, Knowledge - Sensemaking and knowledge generation in a complex world, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/144885
