Broadband videoconferencing as a knowledge management tool

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to augment evaluation of the effectiveness of broadband videoconferencing among distributed research teams. Design/methodology/approach – Textual output from informal interaction in videoconferencing and chat room sessions was recorded and analyzed using qualitative and content analysis methods to test for knowledge processes thought to be embedded in informal collaborative interaction. An exit survey used nominal and ordinal data categories to measure participant perceptions of using videoconferencing technologies to enhance knowledge-based collaboration. Indicators of informal interaction and knowledge processes were drawn from the knowledge management (KM) and videoconferencing literatures. Findings – Analysis confirms communication and informal interaction dynamics supportive of knowledge creation and transfer. A summary assessment of the research addresses barriers identified in the study and suggests approaches for future KM research in video-mediated research domain. Research limitations/implications – Project time and resource constraints imposed research limits in terms of inter-coder reliability and attention to several human factors and behavioral considerations highlighted in the study. The latter, however, are suggestive of further research opportunities, specifically in terms of user expectations and cultures of use of videoconferencing in the organizational setting. Practical implications – The research provides a template for communications-based evaluation of advanced applications using broadband technology and collaborative workwares. Originality/value – The paper is a first-of-its-kind evaluation of true broadband videoconferencing that advanced a knowledge management perspective based on human communication dynamics over a normative information technology framework.