Courtesy of SAP, here an English-language summary translation of the interview with Oliver Günther on micro-blogging and productivity.
Originally: “Das Microblogging kann die Produktivität durchaus steigern.” Computer Zeitung, June 15, 2009.
The integration of micro-blogging in corporations makes sense, concludes a project by SAP Research in Palo Alto and the Institute for Business Informatics at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In an interview, professor Oliver Günther says that a majority of the focus group that was interviewed in Silicon Valley regard micro-blogging as a collaboration tool that potentially enhances productivity. High potential is seen in the interaction between company and client, in advertising, public relations, and informal communications within a team. Possible applications could be in creative processes or just in the exchange of hints in the service team. Micro-blogging can substitute communication by e-mail or instant-messenger putting it on the micro-blogging platform which is an easy to use tool with broad distribution. However, micro-blogging is not regarded as suitable for every business or every department. It very much depends on the corporate culture: communicative corporate cultures such as in IT would profit. Conservative cultures such as in banking would have problems with integrating this communication channel into their culture. The same applies to the enhancement of productivity. In some cases it will lead to it, in others, micro-blogging only distracts. The communication channel exists and employees and clients expect management to address the right usage of it. Not just addressing and implementing the tool is necessary for making it a success but also management actively participating in it. Last but not least, the clarification of data privacy issues is of paramount importance for the acceptance of micro-blogging in a company.