Developing knowledge management and internal communication through a virtual workspace. Case: Company X

Abstract

This thesis investigates improving knowledge management and internal communication in Company x, a communications and event agency. The objective of this thesis is to plan and create a virtual workspace for Company X and its different departments. The workspace was created with the Microsoft Office 365 web application. The theoretical background of this study is based on theories of internal communication and knowledge management.

Two types of research methods were used in this thesis, a quantitative survey study in two parts and qualitative in-depth interviews. All employees were included in the sample of the study. The survey was conducted for staff and the interviews for the directors of the company. The survey’s first part was performed in September 2011, and the second part in August 2012 and the interviews in November 2011.

The information, which was collected from the data collection process, was used when planning and designing the structure and overall functionality of the virtual workspace. The finished workspace included features such as Outlook e-mail, Lync-instant messenger, and a SharePoint environment. The e-mail and instant messenger with the bulletin boards of the SharePoint were created to improve internal communication. The key factors in improving knowledge management of the company were the document libraries that were created. They aimed to improve a more reliable file sharing and a more structured way of organizing existing documents.