Issue 4, 2015

Andreeva T. E., Lerner F. A. Enterprise Social Network: To Be or not to Be? (Case Study).

The case covers two subject areas: knowledge management and human resource management. The case can be used for teaching Knowledge Management and Human Resource Management courses. In particular, it works well for the classes on managing knowledge sharing in organizations, HRM for managing knowledge, and IT tools for managing knowledge. Within HRM course, it may work for topics on employee development, employee appraisal and IT tools for HRM. The case has been successfully used on undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education levels. The case presents a project of an enterprise social network, proposed for implementation in a knowledge-intensive company, accompanied by the background information about the strategic challenges this organization faces in the areas of managing its employees and its knowledge. Readers are suggested to analyze advantages and disadvantages of this project in the context of the particular organization and its strategic goals. The case aims to attain the following learning outcomes: to illustrate the close interconnections between HRM and knowledge management, in particular, how HRM decisions influence knowledge management, and vice versa; to develop students’ skills in analyzing IT-enabled knowledge sharing among employees, as well as potential pitfalls of these technologies; to develop students’ skills in analyzing various managerial tools for their fit for the aims of managing people and knowledge in organizations; to develop students’ skills in developing management decisions in the field of HRM and knowledge management in the context of knowledge-intensive organization. The case is accompanied by a list of supplementary readings that discuss the challenges and consequences of implementing enterprise social networks in various organizations. Keywords: knowledge management, human resource management, employee appraisal, information technologies for management, enterprise social network.

<< Contents: Issue 4, 2015
<< Go to archive