Digital Workplace Platforms and Knowledge Sharing : A Case Study

Abstract: In today’s knowledge based economy information is a company’s most valuable resource. The technology industry in particular demands vast amounts of knowledge for innovation and development. Software development requires constantcommunication, exchange and collaboration. Although there is a variety of business collaboration and communication tools on the market, from a rather basic social intranet to a full-fledged digital workplace, most organization cannot manage to harvest their full potential and benefits for their business’s performance. By means of a case study carried out at an internationally operating Swedish game development studio this report aims to investigate what technological andcultural factors influence the result of an organization’s communication ecosystem. Based on the findings the goal is to better understand how to implement collaborative tools that add value to employees’ work with a focus on knowledge sharing. A literature study to identify common factors that are intertwined with the success of an organization’s collaboration tools ecosystem was performed. Thereafter a number of selected employees were involved in qualitative research in the form of interviews, focus groups and contextual inquiries at their workplace. The literature revealed 10 recurring factors that are inseparable from the success or failure of an internal communication ecosystem. The main findings include that a well functioning digital workplace initiative by all means can improve overall performance, not only increasing work efficiency but also by positively influencing employees’ relationships. Digital workplace tools have become an essential part of modern business operations and will most likely become even more important in the near future. Businesses must learn much about themselves, their employees and how to make knowledge accessible without hindrances if they want to stay competitive in the world of tomorrow.