Passion at work: blogging practices of knowledge workers

Abstract

While experiments with blogging are underway in many businesses, research that could inform them is limited. In this dissertation early adopters of weblogs are studied to provide an understanding of uses of weblogs in relation to work and insights relevant for introducing blogging in knowledge-intensive environments. The study is guided by the knowledge work framework that integrates task-based and personal knowledge management views on knowledge work, including both tasks, as the essence of one's work, and activities that enable it, such as developing one's knowledge and relationships over time. This dissertation focuses on describing blogging practices of bloggers who work in knowledge-intensive environments and provides in-depth views on uses of weblogs in respect to parts of the knowledge work framework and the challenges that arise around those uses. It includes studies that combine, in different proportions, an analysis of weblog artefacts (text, links, tags) with participant observation, interviews and blogging about work-in-progress. The findings suggest several characteristics of weblogs that contribute to a broader understanding of weblogs as a medium: their simultaneous uses for publishing, conversations with self and interaction with specific others, switches between personal and social, as well as opportunities that weblogs provide in crossing various boundaries. While weblogs are used to work on specific tasks that match with those characteristics, the open-ended and public nature of blogging makes it more valuable for enabling work through supporting sense-making conversations, developing ideas over time and being able to tap into one's network when needed. Next to providing an overview of work-related uses of weblogs in a variety of settings, this research documents the issues that arise as a result of those uses, gives insights about the changing nature of work that becomes increasingly digital, nomadic and networked. It documents various ways of integrating blogging with work and the tensions between personal and organisational perspectives around it. It shows the power of individual knowledge workers, who challenge existing authorities and tap into their networks to stay informed and to get things done; the blurred boundaries between what is personal and what is professional; and the growing need to know how to deal with transparency and fragmentation of one's work.