Exploring the use of an Enterprise Social Network as a Knowledge Management Tool in a Medium-Sized Enterprise

Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) are social media platforms that are especially configured for internal use by the employees of a company. Their application is rapidly diffusing among firms, since they are increasingly considered crucial for competitive advantage. In particular, many scholars underline that ESN can bring substantial benefits to knowledge management (KM) thanks to improved communications, better collaborations, enhanced knowledge location and sharing, faster integration of new hires, and so on. Under the assumption that ESNs can fit big organizations, thanks to their ability to enhance communication and collaboration between geographically dispersed employees, the research has often focused on these companies. Conversely, we have little knowledge about their use by small and medium-sized companies, and especially about the advantages and possible implementation problems in such particular context. To fill this gap, the paper analyses the case of adoption and use of Yammer, one of the most known and employed ESN platform, by a medium-sized Italian company specializing in drugs packaging. The ESN platform was adopted three years ago to improve internal communication and knowledge sharing, activities that were substantially overlooked in the past. A survey was conducted aimed to collect information about different aspects related to the use of Yammer in the company. Questions on kind of needed information, sources of knowledge, use of Yammer, motivations and obstacles, etc., were asked to a sample of 41 employees working in different plants and areas of the company. The findings of the investigation contribute to highlight some of the specific problems that can hinder the effective use of an ESN platform in a mediumsized company.