Corporate Microblogging: : A Case Study on How Yammer Affects Knowledge Sharing in a Multinational Consultancy Company

Abstract

This thesis explores how the company-closed microblogging service Yammer affects internal knowledge sharing in Capgemini, a large, multinational consultancy company. The corporate microblog is a character-limited blog technology where participants in principle can connect to and exchange information with colleagues from all around the world. At present time, the phenomenon that is corporate microblogging has received ample academic attention, but it does seem that the technology has a considerable positive impact on knowledge-sharing activities. Companies using Yammer have reported that they experience increased benefits in terms of innovation, efficiency, increased inter-unit collaboration and improved, virtual community building. This thesis explored how these benefits came about by collecting data with a pilot survey through conducting in-depth interviews with active Yammer users. The results suggest that Yammer facilitates the creation of new and more efficient communication patterns, giving its users easier access to fellow colleagues. As a result of this new channel its users solves solves problems faster and (sometimes better), get fast feedback on ideas, and are able to locate and using old projects as references, to sell in new projects. Yammer was also identified as a tool that could be used as a substitute for the informal water-cooler conversations that was not available for people working from a customer location. The corporate microblog does however struggle with low uptake among the employees in Capgemini, and people using it do have conflicting perceptions as to whether the tool only should be considered as a productivity utility, or of it could also be used for socialization purposes.