A Look Under-The-Hood Of A Field Study: "Research In Context" (Collaborative Thinking)

For the past few months I have been immersed in a field research project on the topic of social networks within the enterprise. It has consumed a tremendous amount of my time - especially since late September through mid-November. I've posted previous project status updates but I wanted to also provide additional background information on "Contextual Research", (a Burton Group term), which defined the structure and approach used in the study:

What is Contextual Research?
Contextual Research (CR) is a people-centric approach towards gathering data from the field and using it to formulate research positions and recommendations that support the IT strategies of Burton Group clients. The CR process leverages methods associated with Contextual Inquiry and Contextual Design. Burton Group has adapted these tactics and integrated them within its research model. The result is a hybrid approach where relevant practices leveraged within contextual inquiry and contextual design initiatives are combined with the in-depth technology analysis that distinguishes Burton Group in the industry.
Why Is This Approach Different?
CR augments Burton Group’s IT research framework. CR is unique in that it is driven by the people participating in the field study rather than by analysts. Study participants tell their own stories with minimal guidance or prompting. Analysts primarily act as observers. The proactive interaction that does occur is done by the analyst to: help facilitate the conversation within the study’s focus area, confirm statements made by participants (to clarify what was said), explore statements more deeply, or ask participants to elaborate on peripheral comments that raise interesting points.
Unlike typical interactions between customers and analysts (where analysts address issues as the subject-matter expert), participants in a CR study are themselves considered the subject matter expert. Within a CR project, it is the analyst who acts as if they were the apprentice (there primarily to observe, listen and extract meaningful information without preconceived assumptions of what is right or wrong). This non-intrusive, ethnographic-like approach captures an enormous amount of factual and opinionated information. When combined with stories from other study participants, the collective data represents a unique corpus of perspectives on a topic that is not easily duplicated through other means (e.g., vendor briefings, industry surveys, traditional customer inquiries, and other news sources).
Why this topic?
Consumer use of social networks has been extensively covered in the media. Many stories have discussed how such technologies are used by young adults entering the workforce. The topic has also been covered in business/technology press and on numerous blogs where articles frequently discuss internal social networks. Vendors have also been jumping on the bandwagon, marketing their solutions as “social platforms” (e.g., Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0). These trends have raised the visibility of social networking as an issue business and IT decision-makers need to address. Burton Group has received an rising number of inquiries from clients on the topic. Clients cite a myriad of reasons as to why social networking within the enterprise has become a “hot topic”. Reasons for deploying social networking tools are generally categorized in the following ways:

Provide technology expected by younger workers (i.e., “Gen Y”)
Augment strategic talent initiatives (e.g., recruitment, alumni) and address aging workforce pressures
Enhance team collaboration and community-building efforts
Leverage knowledge held by employees (i.e., knowledge management strategies, including expertise location and employee-led innovation)
Implement the next generation of information sharing and collaboration tools (e.g., Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0)

When discussing the topic with clients, even though one or more of the above reasons driving their need to formulate a social networking strategy, many decision-makers are simultaneously unsure of what value social networks will actually deliver to the business (e.g., ROI). Burton Group initiated a CR project on social networking within the enterprise to better understand the business, organizational and technology factors driving or blocking use of such solutions.
What was the focus?
To help sponsoring organizations understand what information was being sought, the CR project described four areas that would be inquired about when observing and listening to study participants share their perspectives on, or actual experiences with, social networks within the enterprise:
Expertise location

Discovering “who knows what” (finding subject matter experts)
Discovering “who knows whom” (finding someone with a relationship to a particular person or association with some organization)

Community-building and professional networking

Interacting with peer groups (learning, story-telling)
Building relationships with colleagues
Leveraging informal contacts

Recruitment and retention

Adapting to a new job, professional support, professional development, mentoring from current and prior employees
Attracting new hires, tapping into experience of alumni and retirees

Tooling

Use of technologies to support social networking, knowledge management and talent management needs