PRELIMINARY OUTLINE
The preliminary outline for this study is as follows:
I. What experiences have other companies had with social networks in the workplace?
A. Do social networks have a demonstrable business benefit?
B. How do employees benefit from using these tools?
C. Has network security and information confidentiality been an issue?
II. Is social networking an appropriate solution for our community-building needs?
A. Is social networking better than other tools and methods for community building?
B. Are employees already using social networking tools on the job?
C. Will a company-endorsed system distract employees from essential duties?
D. Will a company system add to managerial workloads in any way?
III. If we move ahead. should we use a business.class• network such as Social text or a
consumer tool such as Facebook?
A. How do the Initial and ongoing costs compare?
B. Do the additional capabilities of a business-class network justify the higher costs?
IV. How should we implement a social network?
A. Should we let it glow ‘Organically” with employees Choosing their own feels
and groups?
B. Should we make a variety of tools available and let employees improvise on
their own?
C. Should we designate one system as the official company social network and
make It a permanent, supported element of the Information technology
infrastructure?
V. How can we evaluate the success of a new social network?
A. What are the criteria of success or failure?
B. What is the best way to measure these criteria?
