Summary of Chapter 7: Networked Work

For our class this week I chose to read Chapter 7: Networked Work in the book Networked by Lee Rainie and Barry Welman. The chapter begins by describing scenes from Mad Men, the TV show that takes place in the 1960s. They are explaining organizations and businesses in the traditional sense of the word. Structured, hierarchical, men working at desks, separate from each other. This is different from what we experience today in networked work and networked organizations.

They begin with five trends that led to the development of networked work outlined in the first section below.

Fostering the Turn to Networked Work in Networked Organizations

1. Globalization
2. The shift from atom work to bit work. This is referencing the shift from the production of materials as the main business to the production and distribution of information and services as the main goal of businesses. 
3. The Mobile and Internet Revolutions, which I will discuss more in-depth later. 
4. Access to shared information and databases can be done from a distance, and this actually allows for more innovation in businesses because creativity works better in networks than the rigid hierarchies of the past. 
5. Workers can be productive away from work and their desk (thanks to laptops and smartphones). 

The Diffusion and Use of ICTs

• This section discusses how the explosion of ICTs has helped to foster networked organizations. There has been an increase in the amount of ICTs purchased and used in businesses since the 1970s. For example, IT investment went from $100 per employee in 1970 to $3,000 per employee in 2008. 
• More and more workers have personal computers at home and work, as well as internet access. 
• In 2011 76% of full-time workers used the internet daily at their job, but this obviously varies by the type of work. Workers in service industries and skilled trades are less likely to use ICTs at work. 
• 87% of workers who have email at work check their work email at least once daily. 
• What does this all mean? Workers who use ICTs tend to be more productive, flexible, collaborative, and better connected. 
• However, they also work longer hours and are more stressed. 

How Networked Workers Operate

• Interactions across departments- outside and within the organization are fostered. 
• Networked workers communicate frequently easily, rapidly, and cheaply over great distances thanks to various modes of technology (email, phone, text, social media, etc.)
• Networked workers move between teams and projects, their attention and loyalty may be divided and they risk having a sense of ownership of their work. 
• ICTs also facilitate friendships at work.
• Workplace design in networked organizations favors open space that encourages and allows for interactions and collaborations. 
• As a whole, networked workers and networked organizations are vastly different than the images of the offices in the 1960s- they are a lot more interconnected and collaborative. 

The Rise of Networked Organizations

• Networked workers are more likely to know and collaborate with colleagues outside of their immediate units (this expands knowledge). 
• The organizational structure of networked organizations can have less hierarchy and a more informal work culture than traditional organizations. 
• The vast expanse (geographically) of networked organizations can offer advantages in the flexibility of work, reduced real estate cost (less desks needed), more time for work because there is less time commuting, and rapid access to knowledge. 
• Shifting to a networked organization requires changes in the way that work is scheduled and organized, as well as how workers are managed. - the culture is required to foster and encourage collaborative sharing of knowledge and expertise, which is very different from the  competitive hierarchy of traditional organizations. 

Working in Multiple Teams 

• Working in multiple teams using email, video conferencing, and other web tools is becoming the norm for networked workers and networked organizations. 
• 65% of recent (2008) MBA graduates worked in more than one team at the same time. 
• This may lead to problems- people may now know who to contact for a decision or to troubleshoot difficulties. 

Blurring the Home-Work Boundary

• Many networked workers stay connected beyond regular working hours, including weekends and vacations. 
• 60% of Americans do some work from home (2008) and 18% work from home almost every day. 
• About half check their work emails on weekends, sick days, and before or after going in to work for the day. 
• 58% have reported that ICTs have allowed them to have a more flexible work schedule
• Some negative effects of ICT on their work-life: longer working hours, increased availability outside of normal working hours, and distraction at work. 
• Teleworkers prefer not to work at home- distracted by household chores and miss face-to-face interactions. 

Net and Jet: Entrepreneurs Linking North America and China

• Business travel has soared, even with ICTs there will be some required face-to-face contact. 
• Face-to-face interactions are important to establish and develop trust and continue to maintain networks. 
• Entrepreneurs use face-to-face meetings to fill gaps where ICTs will not suffice. 

The Distributed Designs of the Boeing 777 and 787 Airliners

• These airliners were designed by geographically distributed virtual teams- illustrating what these teams can and cannot accomplish. 
• I highly recommend reading this piece (it is short) and entertaining to see how these airliners were designed and developed with large computer and human networks. 
• The team for the 777 consisted of 10,000 people!
• Pro- speed. However, when the parts began shipping in they did not fit together well at first, they did not ship or arrive on time, assembly instructions were in different languages, and there were various quality standards between the different manufacturing companies. 

Networked Work On and Off

• Technology offers various possibilities and constraints in our work lives and organizations. 
• ICTs play an enabling role in supporting communication and coordination amongst workers. 
• However, ICTs convey fewer social cues than in-person contacts to build trust and develop a nuanced understanding. 
• Organizations are more flexible, but more coordination is required to be successful. 
• Networked work increases worker mobility at the cost of worker solidarity, and perhaps solitude, putting our work-life balance at risk. 

Rainie, L., & Wellman, B. (2014). Networked: the new social operating system. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Ltd.