**6.1 Phase 2: Design of the intervention**

According to our case study concerning the acceptance concept, a specific content analysis was conducted, including individual, organizational and technical aspects (see chapter 5.4). Thirty-five employees from different parts of R&D were interviewed concerning their needs for yellow pages. The findings of interviews gave important information about individual aspects, organizational aspects and technical aspects. Respondents confirmed the urgent need for an expert finding system. Concerning **individual questions,** respondents spoke in favor of the following aspects to be considered in corporate yellow pages: contact details (N=24), experiences with projects (N=20), knowledge domains of R&D expertise (N=19), qualifications (N=17), work experience (N=17), and experiences with products (N=11). With regard to **organizational aspects,** eight of 35 respondents mentioned that the entry should be voluntary, seven respondents were in favor of obligatory entry and five for a combination of both. 16 respondents were in favor of each employee updating his or her own profile. To ensure the acceptance of corporate yellow pages, suggestions were also collected concerning *conditions, measures* and *obstacles*. Regarding *conditions,* respondents mentioned: support by manager (N=14), communication measures (N=13), usability (N=10), and company-wide introduction of corporate yellow pages (N=9). As adequate *measures* for the success of corporate yellow pages, respondents named trainings (N=9) and the function of a knowledge manager (N=6). Six respondents were against incentives. Besides this, respondents also mentioned some *obstacles* that could influence the success if corporate yellow pages: time factors (N=8), complicated handling (N=7) or not enough communication measures from management (N=4). Finally, with regard to **technical questions**, specifications for the technical implementation and user interface design were clarified. For example, nine respondents mentioned that SharePoint could be suitable. Concerning the search form, respondents (N=15) preferred a combination of search functions, keyword search and searching by categories.

Results of the content analysis give essential information about the individual, organizational and technical aspects concerning corporate yellow pages and serve as a central basis for the conceptualization. The selection of individual, organizational and technical aspects was chosen according to the amount of entries from respondents and discussions between the task force members.

Concerning the **individual concept,** the following main content fields will be integrated in corporate yellow pages: Contact details; expert knowledge domains related to R&D, developed products, current product development projects, networks and qualifications. Above all contact details (see chapter 5.4.1) are essential for yellow pages. Concerning the individual knowledge of each employee different aspects could be determined which are important for the every day working in the R&D department. To facilitate the search for the category expert knowledge domain, it was decided to develop a closed taxonomy. This task was taken over by a working group composed of staff from different areas and regions.

Based on the theoretical and practical approaches of yellow pages, this chapter will present the development and implementation of yellow pages within the R&D department of the international biotechnological company. It will refer to the implementation process concerning phase 2: design of the intervention, phase 3: realization of the intervention and

According to our case study concerning the acceptance concept, a specific content analysis was conducted, including individual, organizational and technical aspects (see chapter 5.4). Thirty-five employees from different parts of R&D were interviewed concerning their needs for yellow pages. The findings of interviews gave important information about individual aspects, organizational aspects and technical aspects. Respondents confirmed the urgent need for an expert finding system. Concerning **individual questions,** respondents spoke in favor of the following aspects to be considered in corporate yellow pages: contact details (N=24), experiences with projects (N=20), knowledge domains of R&D expertise (N=19), qualifications (N=17), work experience (N=17), and experiences with products (N=11). With regard to **organizational aspects,** eight of 35 respondents mentioned that the entry should be voluntary, seven respondents were in favor of obligatory entry and five for a combination of both. 16 respondents were in favor of each employee updating his or her own profile. To ensure the acceptance of corporate yellow pages, suggestions were also collected concerning *conditions, measures* and *obstacles*. Regarding *conditions,* respondents mentioned: support by manager (N=14), communication measures (N=13), usability (N=10), and company-wide introduction of corporate yellow pages (N=9). As adequate *measures* for the success of corporate yellow pages, respondents named trainings (N=9) and the function of a knowledge manager (N=6). Six respondents were against incentives. Besides this, respondents also mentioned some *obstacles* that could influence the success if corporate yellow pages: time factors (N=8), complicated handling (N=7) or not enough communication measures from management (N=4). Finally, with regard to **technical questions**, specifications for the technical implementation and user interface design were clarified. For example, nine respondents mentioned that SharePoint could be suitable. Concerning the search form, respondents (N=15) preferred a combination of search

Results of the content analysis give essential information about the individual, organizational and technical aspects concerning corporate yellow pages and serve as a central basis for the conceptualization. The selection of individual, organizational and technical aspects was chosen according to the amount of entries from respondents and

Concerning the **individual concept,** the following main content fields will be integrated in corporate yellow pages: Contact details; expert knowledge domains related to R&D, developed products, current product development projects, networks and qualifications. Above all contact details (see chapter 5.4.1) are essential for yellow pages. Concerning the individual knowledge of each employee different aspects could be determined which are important for the every day working in the R&D department. To facilitate the search for the category expert knowledge domain, it was decided to develop a closed taxonomy. This task was taken over by a working group composed of staff from different areas and regions.

**6. Case study: Part 2** 

phase 4: rollout of the intervention (see chapter 3).

functions, keyword search and searching by categories.

discussions between the task force members.

**6.1 Phase 2: Design of the intervention** 

With regard to the **organizational concept,** it was decided that all entries should be voluntary except for contact details to gather sincere readiness to exchange knowledge and to support colleagues (see chapter 5.4.2) This decision point was also strongly related to the claims of the workers' council. Moreover, to ensure the acceptance of corporate yellow pages, managers are obligated to support their employees concerning the utilization of corporate yellow pages (e.g. giving more time for utilization) and to carry out communication measures (e.g. company wide introduction). There is a plan to provide employees with opportunities for gaining practical knowledge about the handling of corporate yellow pages through trainings and tutorials. According to Lehner (2008) employees will enter their profile by themselves, as they are the ones who are most competent to do so. In order to keep yellow pages up to date, there will be a contact person for support and for sending up-dating reminders regularly to employees. A detailed communication strategy will be worked out supporting the motivation of employees. Moreover employees are involved in development steps, e.g. task force, technical workgroup, knowledge workgroup or several evaluations with employees, and get the opportunity to participate in the development of yellow pages.

Relating to the **technical concept**, a technical workgroup of R&D members and external consultants were working in collaboration to design and develop corporate yellow pages according to user interface, design and user-friendly principles. As system basis, a customized SharePoint was used that included combination of search functions, keyword search and searching by categories. Furthermore, to test if the developed technical system is user-friendly and enable the practical use usability tests was conducted. Results will be presented in phase 3.

#### **6.2 Phase 3: Realization of the intervention**

According to the conceptualization yellow pages was technical realized by a technical workgroup including internal and external IT specialists. After the technical realization of yellow pages, four task force members individually analyzed the functionality according to specific individual, organizational and technical aspects. To do this, they used a checklist and summarized the results in a discussion round. Based on their feedback, the technical workgroup updated the expert finding system.

In a second step after the technical revision of the expert finding system, an analysis was conducted regarding the usability in a multi-evaluation model. The study involved a performance and diagnostic evaluation with intended users. Ten organizational members from the R&D department tested the usability of corporate yellow pages through the thinkaloud method (performance evaluation) with task scenarios followed by a usability test (diagnostic evaluation) through a questionnaire (based on QUIS and IsoMetrics). The thinkaloud analysis revealed about 43 hints that may influence the usability of yellow pages in the company. In detail, 24 hints were mentioned concerning the edit of profiles, e.g. *explanations should be placed directly under the field name* or *field size should be the same everywhere*; eight hints were mentioned concerning the search functions, e.g. *link to the advanced search should be more visible*; six hints were mentioned concerning the selection of results, e.g. *hyperlinks in the text should be removed as they are confusing*; and finally five hints were mentioned concerning the refinement of results, e.g. *the title should be renamed, for example "Filter Results".* Beside the comments of open answers in the questionnaire, which were similar to those in the previous method, the results of closed answers (1=not agree to

Implementation Process of a Knowledge Management Initiative: Yellow Pages 329

reactance and increase employee's acceptance of the innovation (Winkler & Mandl, 2007). It

At the beginning of our case study, a needs analysis was carried out, questioning all R&D members. On the basis of the results of the needs analysis, a decision was made to develop and to implement an expert finding system. A task force responsible for the project was formed and included employees from different positions and regions. To conceptualize the expert finding system, a content analysis was conducted by interviewing employees. Two workgroups with different employees were formed on the one hand for building a taxonomy for knowledge domains and on the other hand for the technical realization of the system. Moreover, a usability test with employees concerning the technical realization was executed. Finally after revision sessions, the rollout of the expert finding system is ongoing respecting a step-by-step communication and introduction strategy. We expect that the final evaluation

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**8. Acknowledgements** 

**9. References** 

5=completely agree) showed only few hints that should be revised, e.g. *error messages are helpful* (M=2,80); *correcting my mistakes is easy* (M=3,14) or *it is easy for me to move back and forth between different screens* (M=3,25).

Results of the usability test showed important hints concerning the user-friendliness of the system. About all the method of thinking aloud was crucial. It was very interesting that our sample of ten intended users from different positions and pre-knowledge could make 43 valid recommendations for improvement. The usability test plays a central role, as the test users are evaluating an unknown system. Taskforce members and managers involved in the development agreed about the importance of the test, and even declared they had become blinkered in their work, as they did not realize the relevant recommendations for improvement mentioned from the test user.

After the test the technical workgroup revises the expert finding system, which is currently under process, and then it will be launched according to a step-by-step communication strategy in the whole R&D department.
