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The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective on the emergence of social media and their adoption as a critical element in knowledge management strategy. Social media are defined as the collection of software tools and web‐based applications that are personalized, that is, that communications identify individuals by name and enable the development of human relationships. Specific tools and software applications include blogging, wikis, microblogging, social networking services, tagging, subscribing, and so on.

The paper uses 1999 as a pivotal year, describing how research in social network theory preceded and then co‐evolved with the development of applications during the dot. com boom and coincided with the emergence of a third phase in knowledge management, a phase in which the emphasis has been on enabling social networks as a primary focus for KM work.

The paper presents a model for understanding how social media have augmented communication and collaboration methods and have introduced new dimensions in work practices, namely, peripheral awareness, crowd sourcing, and network maintenance.

The paper puts forward a potential guide in helping practitioners to make sense of the plethora of social tools, social networking sites, and web applications, and to make better decisions about which tools to apply depending on specific circumstances and learning and knowledge management goals.

The paper reflects the personal experience and practice of the author, who has worked in the field of knowledge management, collaboration, and networks, for over 20 years.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the principles of talent management (TM) can be leveraged to enhance an organization's knowledge management (KM) initiatives.

This paper critically reviews the literature pertaining to the emerging concept of TM and specifically that which focuses on “smart talent management” i.e. the fusion of TM and KM concepts. The authors offer insights as to how TM can benefit KM and then discuss these insights with a focus group of KM practitioners.

The fusion of the two concepts has so far only been considered by human resource scholars who have tended to examine how learnings from the field of KM can be leveraged to advance TM. The authors confront the issue in reverse and identify five KM concerns – identifying key knowledge workers, knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, developing knowledge competencies, and knowledge retention – which they argue can be advanced through the application of TM principles. Their focus group confirms that these KM concerns can benefit from the integration of TM principles, but some more than others.

The fusion of TM and KM has so far only been considered from a HR perspective. This paper examines the fusion of the two concepts from a KM perspective. Five specific KM concerns which can benefit from the integration of a TM approach are detailed and then validated by a focus group of KM practitioners.

The purpose of this paper is to help CEOs understand the capabilities and mechanisms that they need to adopt today to build successful organizations in the future.

It illustrates with examples of global companies including Blockbuster, Nokia, Kodak and Sears that failed to embrace change while Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook succeeded in reinventing. It draws a blueprint for CEOs to build organizations in the future.

It implores to plan for multiple and emerging visions of the future using a scenario approach. It concludes that CEOs must predict the future, embrace change and adopt innovative tools and techniques to lead the organizations in the future.

These tools and techniques can be applied by chief executives in any industry and any size of the organization.

The social implications of this research suggest that the chief executives must adopt these tools and techniques to build the organizations of the future.

It explores organizational network analysis, encourages a focused differentiation strategy and emphasizes differentiated skill-focused structures. It advises integrated efforts from all stakeholders including the organization, employees, human resources and chief executives to reinvent and build organizations of the future.

This paper aims to find out accredited social health activists’ (ASHA) communication competence and effectiveness while working as leaders with groups in the rural setting. ASHA, as the “first point of contact” for pregnant women in rural areas, plays a significant role in building awareness and disseminating key information at critical times (e.g. antenatal and post-natal period), promotes healthy maternal and newborn care practices and facilitates identification and referral of maternal and newborn complications. ASHA plays critical role of a leader in bridging the gap between health system and community. In the entire process, effective communication competency is the key to her effectiveness.

The study adopts seven items from the farmers communication (FACOM) scale of communication measures developed by Udai Pareek and Y.P Singh. Preliminary editing of the items was done keeping certain points in mind such as the items should not be judgemental, should be acts of behaviour, should be observable and should be simple. This scale was adopted for the study, as it was designed to measure farmers’ communication competence and suited the context. The evaluation criteria included the seven essential elements of communication identified in the FACOM scale.

Results from the study identified a need to sensitise ASHAs on the critical role of effective communication and need for investing more in building her capacity for health communication. The trainings being imparted to ASHAs have to be strengthened in terms of communication skills. They should focus upon developing all three variables of communication skills equally and integrating them to get desired results.

The study was conducted in one state while the programme is running across the country. The sample size was small.

The learning of the study will help in developing a better understanding of the beneficiaries’ perspectives and their expectations regarding ASHAs communication process in the leadership role which she performs. Such understanding will not only be instructive but may also prove transformative for the benefit of both ASHAs and her community, whose support is critical to the success of the programme. This learning will feed into the policy planning and communication and capacity building strategy of the ASHA programme and may lead to better and more effective strategies and tools of communication.

Research study is original. Keeping the observers’ status in mind, questionnaire was translated in Hindi language. Twenty ASHAs were selected randomly from small villages of Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India. The scale was presented to at least five observers (all females) for one ASHA. These observers/judges were the ones who knew ASHA well and with whom she had communicated at some point of time as part of her work.

A re‐opening of negotiations for Britain, either unilaterally or with other States, to enter the European Economic Community appears distinctly likely in the coming year. It is more than four years since we discussed, in these columns, the subject of the Common Market and its possible effects on food standards and legislation generally, if Britain linked its economic fortunes and future with the Community. The main obstacles at the time were a chariness to accept the full implications of the Treaty of Rome and the agricultural policy of France. In fact, one gained the impression from all the reports that but for the intransigence of France, we might have joined in 1963.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on the forms of organization of large architecture and engineering (A/E) firms. Network theory has attracted scholarly and managerial attention, particularly from the perspective of the changes of project organization. However, little research focuses on network theory as a lens for understanding and managing the new forms of firms’ organization. Additionally, conventional organizational analyses are hampered by the lack of methods for understanding the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and examining their impact on organizational structures.

To address this gap, this research adopted a mixed-method case-study approach. This approach combined interviews, regular check-ins, and document analysis with data mining and social network analysis (SNA) to capture the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships and for understanding their impact on the firm’s organizational structure. Using the data gathered, the authors created a dendrogram that shows the formal organizational structure, a sociogram that displays the informal organizational structure and a network map that visualizes the interplay between the two structures.

From this analysis, the authors identified four main findings: informal roles – as go-to people for advice and information about digital technologies – play within A/E firms facing digital transformation; such go-to people operate through informal networked relationships and beyond their formal roles; most of these relationships do not overlap with the formal reporting relationships; the combination of both these roles and relationships create an informal social network. The authors also show how managers can use SNA to understand the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and to diagnose their impact on organizational structures.

This research contributes to the literature of organizational design and change management from a network perspective in the context of the digital transformation of large A/E firms. It provides a systematic data-driven approach to understanding the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships within A/E firms facing digital transformation and to diagnosing the impact of these changes on firms’ organizational structures.

The purpose of this paper is to speak of the importance of connecting people in the workplace. It describes the types of connections that foster employee development and engagement, and proposes methods and tools that help strengthen these connections.

The analysis in this report is based on industry and literature reviews and interviews with top executives. It builds on research carried out by Deloitte Research on talent management.

In today's competitive talent market, it is not sufficient for companies to follow a traditional “attract‐retain” talent management strategy. A “develop‐deploy‐connect” strategy seems to better engage and meet the demands of the workforce. Of these three components, “connect” is emerging as the most important but least understood.

Because value today is created largely out of interactions, people's connections are increasingly important and complex. Companies that do not invest thought and effort in understanding this amorphous topic will find themselves battling attrition. Conversely, meaningful connections help people build the networks and relationship skills that lead to professional effectiveness and organizational growth.

This article categorizes connections into three main types: people to people, to a sense of purpose, and to the resources they need. It presents leaders with a solid framework, research‐backed ideas and leading practices to connect people for performance.