The study by UW Information School professor Raya Fidel and assistant professor Maurice Green will be published in the journal Information Processing and Management.
“The human side of information-seeking is so important,” Fidel said. “This shows that companies would benefit from encouraging richer social connections.”
That could mean offering free cafeteria lunches once a week, or installing small kitchens where employees can “bump into” colleagues. Support meetings for people who do similar jobs, known as a “community of practice,” also can expand connections, the researchers said.
“But richer social connections do not result from management dictates — that doesn’t work,” Green said. “Provide a variety of incentives to the rank and file in order to encourage and support them as they make those connections.”
Another idea I had hoped to put some effort behind in my job, but it’s a difficult venue. Architecturally, there’s too much segmentation/stratification, and culturally, it’s like no place I’ve ever worked.
I think the ideas put forth here make a lot of sense. They have worked in other workplaces.