Juha-Matti Arola’s blog

Hello all,

My relationship with KONE has been changed, as I am an independent entrepreneur, however I am still working with some eLearning, social media and collaboration related projects with KONE.

Therefore my blog has got a new theme reflecting the road that we are driving towards more virtual society and simultaneously taking care of our nature (while travelling less) as well as work and life balance (while working from home with flexible hours without hotel nights and travelling).

I am currently still in progress of finding the best and optimal place for my future career. What kind of company shall I found and where? So I am open for every kind of proposal. Please contact juha-matti.arola@kone.com (valid emailaddress until end of July) or call me at +358405782509, if you have got something in your mind.

But remember that my passion will always be in virtuality. Currently I am interested in Twitter, Bambuser and 3D environments (Secondlife, Ludocraft, Forterra etc.) and especially how those services could be utilized for companies. I am currently organizing in my Rotary activity (Rotary Young Leadership Awards (RYLA)-seminar) around Virtual Management and the Baltic Sea, please see http://www.ryla1420.fi/ and also in Kites an event around Social Media and Languages.

Hello all, since last fall I have been using Twitter, so I am not editing my blog so often.

Please follow up my comments in Twitter http://www.twitter.com/jmarola.

I have found microblogging more attractive and more useful, as I have no time for normal blogging, so let’s tweet…

I was joining into the Vermeet Project Initiative Workshop in TKK on January 15, 2008.

Erno Lehtinen, University of Turku

Network management methods in virtual working environment. Networking has been working well at least within this project. Internationalization process, decentralization and outsourcing has been creating virtual organizations and networks.

Within the project the process was to utilize multidisciplinary research and multicompany expertise among TKK and University of Turku. Direct company co-operation and together with consultants was utilized. As well as international aspects utilizing cultural and technical expertise were vital.

Results will be presented in this seminar.

Sirkka Jarvenpaa, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, US

- Using research based on findings at the companies headquartered in the US

- A continuum of: mobility, community, work group and team, often not happening as teams

- Reality of virtual work: alone together?

- A constant change is a default in virtual teams, not knowing them well, so fluid membership, fluid leadership and team processes

- fundamental questions: productivity gains only reached in well-structured and in well-defined job roles, work spilling over the private life?

- how to keep the enthusiastic and motivation up when virtual teams utilized?

- tension #1: stability vs. fluidity - shared norms, shared understanding, clear roles, social identity, trust - like a case when the leader in remote location resigns without notifying the global leader

- tension #2: facilitation vs. design - virtual organization creates “weak structures” that however require a strong management - design aspects: “real team” structure, supported context, role of trust are mandatory: the organization has trust in members, members have trust in organization, member have trust to each other

- fact: limited organizational resources, therefore virtual teams are often self-oriented teams, therefore controlled team leader could jeopardize the team functioning while controlling too much

- tension #3: task focus vs. learning focus, ICT mediation crowds out learning “Know-Why” (Yong and Jarvenpaa 2009) - “Know-what”, “know-how”, “know-why” = contextual reasons and principles underlying the knowledge: embedded in persons, “know-why” is a prequisite for innovations.

- tension #4: hybrid vs. virtual - is prediction correct?, when fully dispersed - least conflict, most common, identity and when two subgroups - most conflict, least common, identity; how to manage this situation - social identification: you, local sub group, your company, your clients, your project team; source: thomsett international

- tension #5: thru tech vs. around tech, working rather than thru tech

- tension #6: distance vs. time zone, time zone more challenging

- future of virtual work:how life get better, while people feel worse (as not knowing the people, not knowing them well etc.)

- transfer of knowledge is minimal, as reinventing the subjects and reuse are normal

VIBU, Virtual Team work for business, Turku School of Business, Timo Lainelma, Eeli Saarinen, Satu Lähteenmäki

- Challenges in building virtual multicultural teams, not existing

- VIBu - training is developed for professionals working in dispersed working environments using RealGame-simulation game. An innovative method for analyzing and developing leadership and teamwork skills in the modern business context i.e. it enables to experience the challenges originating from global, multicultural and virtual aspects, - based on self-experiencing and -reflection

- VIBu - Training principles - using the human interfaces then inbedding the virtuality while using dispersed teams

- VIBu - Process - Orientation, 1st simulation game session, data collection, analysis phase, Training session, 2nd simulation game session “unguided session”, feedback using reflective essays, feedback and analysis.

Marko Hakonen, Vital web-tool

- Dispersed workgroups or virtual teams

- Vital Web Tool (VWT) - research based modular database developed within 5 years with Tekes finance using Humap and TKK expertise http://vitaltool.tkk.fi/ . All the 16 subareas does have got research-specific information, tools and cases

- now new tools: technology-based team meeting assessment tool, team work direction measurement

– in addition links to FIBu and Spindel

Tuire Palonen, University of Turku

Spindel - social networking visualization tool

– how the information goes within the information - the information is very differently going through in various parts

– networking, ad hoc-organizations, projects

– leadership

– organizational changes (although officially changed, then still the old organization is in use)

– communication tools between different actors

– dispersed communication identified and then visualized in 3D form using colors etc.

http://spindel.fi/

 - now this tool would be very beneficial while analyzing the current status of the communication situation which would be very essential and important nowadays in organizations.

I was lecturing and participating into DCL-conference in Hämeenlinna, Finland on Nov 4, 2008.

Kaisa Kautto-Koivula, Future challenges us all

Economical and work transfer will be touching everybody including free, global markets; new deal in work force; changed nature of work; structural change of workforce; hard result demands, new structures and working models as well as new working tools. Furthermore flexible time and place of working.

Working satisfaction survey shows negative results from beginning of 2001, that is now researched using the coherence, knowing socially into which direction we are going for. There are three elements: understanding, managing and joy of work.

In Finland, there are challenge: work is going abroad, families are feeling sick, unemployment/lack of work force

In our daily life we are working in stress like virtuality 24/7, consumer tools -> 8 tools for end users to use, information overload

Currently the structures of Finland are from the industrial-era. Changed private life causing bad feeling and behaviour for the teenagers.

Value transfers

Value individualization, Working values are changing: more intelligence valued, putting the family and the working life together - dilemma. If own values are not matching with the current working demands.

Status in the future: ecological issues: lack of pure water (forecast 2025 about 50% persons creating water refugees), lack of energy, technology (cognition, nano, ICT), safety (new kind of terrorism; digital uncertainty); urbanization; political balance changes; agriculture vs. population growth in crisis; financial crisis blowed up as well as ethtical issues and values. All of these are linked together. This touches economy, nature, society, own people & humanity.

Looking at the future, persons are looking at via Science, technology, business, culture, society, economy and experience. Looking at the patterns, structures and mental models.

We are speaking about 5th industrial revolution starting in 1971 (when microprocessor invented) until 2000 information economy, now paradigm, economy, work, society etc. trust and crisis.  The future immaterial, creative economies as well as virtual networking will reign in the future forming as a social capital. The left brain has been stressed in the past, now the right brain should be used more. Social innovation and software important,  constant/good mind as well as continous development will be the most important quartal in the future.

The future thesis: immaterial economy, mental efficiency, time to be valued, mental well-being, clean nature, water, peace in nature, good life, health, total services, safety: catastrophes, terrorism; ethical, values, virtual powerfication will be the mega trend

Networking functioning, virtual working forming a new added-value logic, the power of networking, innovation transfer: from closed -> into open, new business eco systems, trust capital

Social capital is a key production factor.

Paradigms: economy - traditional vs. immaterial economy; media - traditional vs. social; learning - virtual vs F-to-F; innovations - open vs. closed (immaterial patent rights- IPRs)’; needs and working methods - career ?

In an individual level: own head is the most important capital: knowledge about oneself: values, knowledge, personality; creation style?; restrictions of creativity?

Trust building in networks is very important. Media revolution changing the news/information delivery into networks and all the information is available on the Internet. Tacit knowledge is important, so it is valuable sometimes to meet. The presentation is not automatically transfered into a tacit knowledge.

Internal motivation is guiding of producing innovations is a better motivation than compensation of the work. Sleep is very important for the personal health.

Hannu Brandt, Consulo Oy

There are a lot of challenges from paper-based processes into digital processes. In general approach the training is viewed as only preparing the training, but the change is more managerial issue.

I selected the key person `tavis´as the most important person to be changed and convinced. Also “random” users like using the travel management program only in one year, so there is no value in providing the user the training. There has been a lot of work completed for training instructions.

How to make the IT implementation successful? A lot of work done as by software suppliers for finding the best practices and then viewing the software as tools. Then people complaining about doing other work than they are supposed to do like making travel expenses although he is an editor.

Often the end user aspect has been forgotten, as it is too far away from the project view. Management view of the project: Return On-Investment, process owner: implementing new method, end users: surviving, possibility for independent working. But ROI could only be achieved via process owners and the end users.

The most important factors that are affecting organization’s agility: human 49,5 %, processes 26,7% and systems 23,8 %. Cumulative affect in organization, if significant problems are in documentation, then also in implementation and then also informing about the change.

Taking a new software in use is not just training the end users, but taking all the changed processes in use. After the implementation, then the actual work starts up.

We should always identify the goal as the most important issue. In practical software provider could only handle the business processes and systems, but not actually managing the use of the software as this is a management issue.

“Service Design” looking at the end user point of view. This is not easy for the end user. Often the owner of taking the full responsibility of the software in use is missing in the organizations. All the processes should be described in a understandable way for the normal user. The change agent issue is very important in implementing new software.

We should be finding all the normal life situations and making the recordings out of the normal routine issues.

Random users as a specific group: low or no motivation, interpreting application functioning in a wrong way and WYSWYD (What you see what you do)

Sami Leppänen, Nokia

Mobile learning as a concept, learning as learning.

Mobile learning should be more personal, more networked, a lot of fun, more interactive, more spontaneuous,shorter in duration, to the point, for instant use, from reader to the producer.

Using virtual games and story telling used. Small nudgets used including 2-5 min. Not giving 2 hours lectures is not the key. PUSH (~broadcast) for a selected group, PULL (~playlists) & UPLOAD for generating user-centric contents and interaction.

More selection in content formats and in transactions. Learner has a greater freedom and responsibility for creating content for oneself and for others. Personal visual diaries as example, but a lot of technology already available.

Educational Gaming examples - business simulation, change projects, pre-&post tests, USE CASE

Podcasting - strategy communication, executive messages, sponsor’s opening words for the learning program, - storytelling / lessons learned, - MP3, recording library

Infotainment issues, interactive contents,”gap fillers”

Case: Mobiledu, 3M registered users since launched in May 2007, 500.000 active users/month, 40-50% users coming back to visit Mobiledu, preloaded in 20 new released Nokia models

Case: Nokia, nano-object based distribution, mobile questionnaires, selfassessment, visual learning diary, text message reminders. Partnering with Nokia Oyj:n, Prewise Group and Mobiletools International

eLearning is going into your pocket as moving into mobile.

Maarit Fred, Siikaranta Institute

How internet has been started to use as well as mobile learning using normal mobile phones already three years ago.

In history the IT skills training started in 1987, Driving license for 1995, Group work environment 1999, developing work in network 2000-02, IT Driving school 2000-2005

The Asemapiste forum for “measuring professionals” established in 1999, everything is in a electronic form. 

We have the got the main principle that if we do something, then we’ll share it.

As a background the Finnish Construction Trade Union as a partner having 84000 members including 4000 contact persons, that is the main target group for our activities. Using Sebacon for text messages, extranet messages, emails and postits; learning environments: “tuottamo”, ryhmix, ning, moodle, skype; extranet: documents, discussion groups.

Examples around mobile learning: course communication, guiding the studies, questionnaires, making pictures of learning and paper production

Department of trade union: meeting invitations + other communication, in working sites: pictures, TR-measurements (weekly site checks completed whether using hard hats, other safety issues etc.) found to be more reliable.

Mobile phone communication has been found more effective due to the fact that email’s importance is decreasing, but the communication should be happening in all communication channels.

Now upcoming “Uusi Ote”-initiative (”new hand” in English) called http://uusiote.ning.com/ using also Skype as guiding tool. Social media makes possible a scarce-populated organization to work in the whole country. All the steps have been needed to get this kind of results.

Sami Salmenkivi, New trends in digital marketing

A lot of stuff in Internet: GoogleEarth pictures, Skype, Latest weather reports, Books, All the music, old newspapers in the Internet 

Most of users are 18-26 ages female while using the Internet, now 800000 users in Facebook in Finland. Why is that? Because social media in use then females are using it more.

Now dispersing of channels is the problem, a lot of channels, so selecting the channels now possible like looking NHL matches directly from NHL not via MTV3.

Borderless youngsters uprising like fan a Tokyo-based band or 2nd division football team in Sweden. We are behind in Japan as they are reading books in 1,2 million pieces only published into the phone or watching TV.

I am predicting that next year will be a breakthrough. Iphone application could be said as a Seller’s nightmare: screening the barcode and showing the cheapest prices for that product.

Current marketing thesis:

 1. Marketing is a service: Nike using 66 %, not keeping the media houses alive, but we are connecting to our customers. Domino’s Pizza: Selecting pizza, delivery bar showing how the order has been processed, free pizzas if not delivered when the bar reached 100%. Sotka case: first appartment service, then providing furniture information.

2. Challenge the customers: Starbucks: Giving ideas and then voting for them, Dell:Ideas+vote, Sonera: Aivomyrsky example, Lego: Legofactory designing own lego creatures and good be bought and revenue for Lego and for creator.

3. Motivation & Tools: The will is coming up that there is a wide audience on the Intranet. Even the worst page will get the audience enough. Helsingin Sanomat service was having service for sending pictures, but not showing them therefore not working. FLIRT by Sami Viitamäki

4. 24/7 network: currently too many plain messages, not networked. Display-marketing, email marketing, mobile marketing, search engine marketing based on key words, peer-to-peer marketing, embed content (YouTube asking to get the content away creating a 1 billion link, Google 24/7 networking creator)

5. Transmedia storytelling: marketing 630000 google hits for a new Batman movie, marketing started one year ago. There are those early pioneers, then bringing a larger audience with. Björn Borg case delivering dirty underwear to George Bush.

Paleodontticase in Finland, total nonsense and artificial case - taking thousands of persons interested

B-TO-B case by the Royal Mail ordering “puppets” using word of mouth. Case “Vadelmasuklaa” produced by Valio….

We have now entered into era that due to both economical and ecological crisis appearing on the horizon, we should start to use user-oriented, well-working and simple virtual working tools into use. We do not have any possibilities to travel and pollute our environment ruining our nature as well as ruin our organization’s budgets.

We should set out from silo and hierarchial organization structures into networked and social structures believing in empowering, bottom-up and open innovations. We should not overcontrol or admin employees for accessing information, but we should trust the employees enabling free and open virtual working/innovations.

We should acknowledge that taking these new virtual tools into use, we change the power status-quo, but this in evitable issue. I really see that virtuality has a clear link into ecology and well-being, while we are reducing unnecessary travelling and giving time either for our organizations or for our families.