CHAPTER
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
5.3 The research categories which emerged during analysis
5.3.2 Knowledge assets generation
i. Educational Role: 'The Facilitators'
Education is the category which featured strongly in all respondent interviews as the benchmark which defines excellent B2B publications which have a measureable impact on the specialist communities/industry they serve. It is a value proposition that is the core attribute of CoPs: to share
learning, experience, problem solve and create usable knowledge for the organisation/community that spans the organisation - and hopefully, knowledge assets for future generations.
Feedback loops are key in a learning organisation and a key component of the language of systems thinking (Senge, 1994). Business-to-business media have the opportunity through their specialist nature and engagement with the community to move beyond the traditional one-dimensional media push through of information which occurred in traditional media before the advent of the internet. The internet provides a multi-dimensional information feedback loop, where the users of the content disseminated by the media, interact with that content, posting comments, taking part in polls and also adding to that content, providing their own views through blogs and social media sites (YouTube, MySpace). This is called User Generated Content. With technology innovation and development available to anyone with a computer and internet connection, information flows have to be multi- dimensional in nature to provide all the necessary feedback loops to create new information for knowledge sharing and feedback to add to the educational experience.
It is this authoritative, trend-rich information in which the intrinsic value rests for business-to- business publishers. Consterdine (2002) describes business-to-business magazines as a vital investment in a report into business-to-business magazines in the UK. They are a core marketing investment for any company in any industry sector in an economy in order to promote their products or services to business and are vital in reaching decision-makers in the value chain with key information to educate and upskill:
"Most significant purchasing decisions involve decision makers in more than one job junction. The more complex decisions usually involve a substantial team and a series of stages. Marketing campaigns need to reach all these types of decision maker. The information that decision makers need varies from one job function to another. Each person has both broad industry-wide and narrow job-specific information requirements. B2B magazines have shown that they can meet all these needs. The business press serving any sector contains something important for every reader, whatever his or her role, discipline or seniority"
Consterdine (2002).
Respondents highlighted the educational role of B2B media strongly, as a core reason for their existence: "(The) ideal is to create knowledge and generate meaning" (respondents Garner & Patrick).
Respondent Van Schalkwyk goes further, saying that your enterprise will be limited without that vital knowledge exchange, which is actually the motivator for the commercial exchange, i.e., advertising or sponsorship revenue for B2B publishers. "(The) exchange is motivated by the fact that to make a
living, you have to have that exchange of knowledge. If you are not prepared to exchange knowledge within and amongst yourselves, it will limit your enterprise."
B2B media are definitely building the knowledge base in their industries - that educational role is accepted as a given (respondent Regasek), but the media owner is also looking for expertise to add value to their offering (respondent Smith): "it's a quest for knowledge and expertise". This is where the knowledge that resides within a CoP is key and where the synergies between B2B media and CoPs become more apparent. Interpretation of the raw text in turn highlighted the core competencies inherent in a business-to-business media organisation:
• Providing operational business intelligence. • Provide an industry hub.
• Thought leadership. • Strong relationships with industry.
• Business relevance. • Passionate about industry.
• Facilitate networks, i.e., communities of • Build knowledge base in industry, practice. • Foster learning in industry sector.
• Facilitate trade. • Specialist knowledge of industry.
• Make information usable knowledge.
The educational role of CoPs is clear: knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, knowledge use (Saint- Onge & Wallace, 2003, p. 92), contributing "expertise, encouraging innovation, providing collaborative tools, harvesting knowledge, creating knowledge repositories". This capacity building within organisations of individual personal and professional development is at the heart of a CoP, which are primarily identified in academic literature as facilitating a valuable role in the encouragement of learning and innovation in organisations (Robertson, Scarbrough & Swan, 2002), That defining feature of a CoP - of emergence from within and outside of organisations in teams and from individuals sharing a common purpose - creates knowledge flows that lead positively to learning and innovation. Of course communities of practice are not the 'Holy Grail' of learning in organisations and there are limits and constraints, as individuals within a CoP may lack commitment and cultural differences within organisations and communities may hinder change (Gordon-Till, 2003). There are similar constraints in B2B media - many are not as effective as they could be, lacking skills and focusing on revenue as a primary objective, not their communities, say respondents (Berkman, Moerdyk, Smith).
Learning and performance in the business world is required these days at a speed equal to the change occurring in the marketplace around the individual and organisation (Greenes, 2006, p. 19): This
"leading on the edge" requires: "1) increased self-awareness; 2) adaptive leaders; 3) fast learning processes; 4) leveraging global know-how through communities of practice, and passion." The
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knowledge worker of today needs a full suite of skills to keep up. While Greenes (2006) points out that the jury is still out on the overall effectiveness of CoPs in organisations, positive change has been seen in performance results and individual self-awareness in CoPs which have developed a strong identity and passion is strong for the profession or practice involved. In one of the few specific references to business-to-business communities and their needs, McDermott, Snyder and Wenger (2002), observe how knowledge is increasing as an issue in the supply chain for suppliers, distributors and retailers. The strengthening of relationships is key in this context and CoPs that span organisations and include suppliers are becoming more apparent. "Beyond transactional efficiency, however, is the potential for significant knowledge exchange" (2002, p. 221). It is therefore the educational role which B2B media act as facilitators in, that is so key.
ii. Communication Channels: 'The New Influentials'
Communities of practice exert influence on specialist communities, i.e., business-to-business media;
and in turn, business-to-business media have the opportunity to inform communities of practice. The channels used are key to success. In a CoP, individuals share experiences, using narrative to share their stories - thereby providing case studies, using conversation to increase learning. In cases where
CoPs span organisations and countries, technology is being used very effectively to increase cohesion in such communities. Respondents put forward that for B2B media, communities of practice are another communications channel with their stakeholders, communities, industry. A way to push information out and a way to collect specialist information by engaging - and in some instances - facilitating communities of practice. A shortcoming is that in South Africa, the B2B media industry is still relatively immature in innovation and creating alternative platforms to market (respondent Smith). Often a mindset change is required to embrace alternative business theories, or even to recognise that one resides in an economy driven by knowledge today. As respondent Moerdyk indicates: "B2B media need to change their mindset in order to facilitate CoPs. They need to change their mind in the way that their core business is published as medium." B2B media are at risk if they continue to rely solely on advertiser revenue, that much is accepted (respondent Van Schalkwyk);
"We've come to realize that you can't rely on print advertising alone, or just electronic media, you have to create other networking opportunities which are face-to-face, like workshops or seminars...".
And of course, most importantly, "B2B media are a platform for CoPs" (respondent Manson). This indicates that CoPs are able to utilise B2B media in collecting specialised information for their knowledge exchange. And on the flip side, B2B media can access that intrinsic knowledge residing within CoPs - if they accept collaboration within the industries they operate in as key to their survival and growth.
The biggest influence, however, being exerted on CoPs and B2B media both, are from connected individuals using the world wide web as personal platforms with which to voice opinions, track opinion, create influence and reach a global audience never before. Yet it is not just about technology as an enabler for extended CoP and B2B media systems, but about the quality of the relationships enabled by new communication channels and the value embedded in those relationships. Having your users interact with you more closely and actually inform content is valuable in a specialised community (respondent Buckland): "Business relationships built on a need to create knowledge generate business intelligence." Conversely, B2B media are motivated by those relationships, as respondent Van Schalkwyk emphasises: "We are motivated by that (knowledge) exchange because we are building up loyalty and we have their interests at heart." The opportunities to plug into or facilitate informal or formal networks is essential for B2B media (respondent Manson): "Many publishers will be moving to creating networking opportunities... It's becoming an increasingly important part of any B2B market portfolio in the future." The internet has of course changed the traditional communication model, enabling users of content (readers, listeners, viewers) to also engage with that content and participate in the creation of it. Ideas are facilitated freely on the global stage, not just confined to one community (respondent McClure): "Today a new trend is emerging:
the 'new influencer' or blogger/journalist." Seasoned media commentators believe that online is the biggest development in the media sector since the invention of the printing press (respondent Hogg);
"The internet is born for knowledge exchange" (respondent Regasek). With the internet, B2B media are able to embrace a multiplatform model, as are all media, including broadcast capabilities, seminars online, using user generated content, running polls, providing an immediacy of content, including access to global resources. In fact, respondents opined that those B2B media which had strong online platforms were leading their industries and showing B2B media a transparent, honest and accountable way of doing business, encouraging the free flow of ideas and creating knowledge repositories (respondent Regasek): "The internet B2B media are playing the critical role as real facilitators and catalysts (in their industries)."
Kimball and Ladd (2004, p. 205) write about the excitement that online has generated with the potential for global community projects seemingly boundless: "The good news is there are ways of making such long-distance learmng work. Facilitation is the key. The fact is that leading a group of individuals in an online community requires all the finesse and skill of facilitating a workshop or classroom experience in person." The downside is an overload of information, they say. The most important aspect in utilising technology as an enabler for any community exchange of information, whether it is within a CoP or B2B media online community base, is that the human element and skill is the most important factor in shaping the IT infrastructure - software and technology interface - for
competitive advantage (Sung-Kwan, 2001). It is through these new communication channels that B2B media can exert influence within their communities like never before.