A METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE THE USABILITY OF
DIGITAL SOCIALIZATION IN ‘VIRTUAL’
ENGINEERING DESIGN
MBS WORKING PAPER
Accepted to Appear in Research in Engineering Design. Theory, Applications, and Concurrent
Engineering
Amjad El-Tayeh,
1
Nuno Gil (corresponding author),
2
and Jim Freeman
3
ABSTRACT
We develop a methodology to evaluate the usability of prototypes for supporting digital
socialization within geographically-dispersed, or ‘virtual,’ engineering design teams. Socialization
converts individual into group tacit knowledge to enhance collaborative work. Extant theory in
computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW) underpins IDRAK, a proof-of-concept prototype
of a Rich Internet Application to promote socialization. Our methodology employs an engineering
design exercise (Delta design, Bucciarelli 1994) to simulate - in a computer lab - a virtual team
undertaking a project feasibility stage. We apply this methodology to evaluate the usability of
IDRAK to support ‘virtual’ four-people teams (architect, project manager, thermal and structural
engineers). Our findings yield few statistically significant differences between the performance of
virtual and co-located teams. The experiments suggest that IDRAK encourages individuals to
work collaboratively. It allows for a leveling of status and eases communication since individuals’
accents are not an issue. However, IDRAK makes it difficult for the project manager to exercise
authority and it cannot capture nuances in speech such as tone and expression. The experiments
suggest that more research is needed to explore how to enhance the performance of virtual teams
by, first, alternating between voice/video and text-based chat; second, documenting chat-based
conversations; and third, enforcing communication and design process protocols.
1
School of Business Administration, American University in Dubai, UAE, Email: aeltayeh@aud.edu
2
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Booth Street West, Manchester, M15 6PB, UK,
Email: nuno.gil@mbs.ac.uk, Tel +44 161 3063486
3
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, UK
2
1
INTRODUCTION
Cacciatori and Jacobides (2005) study of the construction sector in the UK shows how the division
of labor between the different ypes of organizational participant s(architects, engineerg, contracto)
led to the neglect of areas that feel between the parts, suggesting the need for reintegrate d sets of
solutions , a structure supporting knowledge accumulation in a mor efficient way
Cacciatori, E. and Jacobides, M.G. (2005). “The Dynamics Limits of Specialization: Veticla
Ingration Reconsiderd,” Organization Studies, 26 (12) 1851-1883.
Each organization represented solidification of knowledge bases, fragmentation set the path that
shaped theknowleedge bases
Research in engineering design has long emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing (e.g.,
Schön 1983, Poli et al. 1992, Konda et al. 1992, Dym 1994, Zaychik and Regli 2003, McMahon et
al. 2004, Sim and Duffy 2004). Exchanges of knowledge from the early design stages can improve
team performance and increase the quality of product design (Poli et al. 1992). A simplistic
dichotomy differentiates tacit from explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is intuitive, experimental,
and based on heuristics, whereas explicit knowledge is structured and coded in formal ways
(Nonaka et al. 2000). The interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge is the basis of Nonaka
et al.’s (2000) knowledge creation theory. Socialization is the process of converting individual
tacit knowledge into group tacit knowledge without attempting a priori, to codify, or externalize,
knowledge. Socialization includes conversations, apprenticeships, and storytelling. It helps
individuals develop a sense of community of practice (Brown and Duguid 1991) and ‘common
ground’, i.e., mutual knowledge, beliefs and assumptions between conversants (Clark and
Schaefer 1989).
One stream of work investigates how best to transform tacit knowledge of engineering design
into computer tools (e.g., Poli et al. 1992, Konda et al. 1992, Korman et al. 2003, McMahon et al.
2004). The logic underlying this approach assumes that individuals voluntarily contribute know-
how into — and retrieve it from — digital repositories. Research suggests, however, that there are
limits to the extent tacit knowledge can be codified (Schön 1983, Dym 1994, McDermott 1999,
3
Clases and Wehner 2002). Tacit knowledge can be inseparable from people’s everyday actions as
it is expressed directly through such actions and embedded in work practices (Orlikowski 2000).
Other limitations include: the failure of knowledge databases in encouraging people to think
together and share insights (McDermott 1999); difficulties in capturing the contexts in which
know-how is embedded (Erickson and Kellog 2000); and lack of users’ time in searching for and
contributing know-how to databases (McDermott 1999).
Another stream of work advocates that efforts to codify knowledge need to be complemented
with mechanisms that can facilitate the voluntary coming together of people to socialize and
negotiate shared meanings (Konda et al. 1992). This requirement is not trivial to operationalize,
however, when teams are geographically dispersed. First, face-to-face meetings can be hard to
timetable and costly to organize. Second, video-audio calls rarely support asynchronous exchange
of know-how and have limited capabilities to disseminate know-how outside the conversation
loop (Erickson and Kellogg 2000). And third, most web-based systems for supporting
socialization (e.g., e-mail, chat rooms, bulletin boards, and discussion forums) take for granted
that participants interact because the environment makes it technologically possible, while
neglecting the social dimension of interaction (Erickson and Kellogg 2000, Kreijns et al. 2003) .–
or as Erickson and Kellogg (2000) would have it “in the digital world we are socially blind.”
Admittedly, software providers are constantly developing more sophisticated systems to
support socialization. Recent developments – some of which were unknown when we started this
work in 2004 - include Groove.net (proprietary peer-to-peer software to create virtual
workspaces), SKYPE (proprietary peer-to-peer Internet telephony service), and MSN messenger
(freeware instant messaging service). Empirical observations of work practices at one of the
engineering design consultants sponsoring this research (MWH, ARUP) suggest that these new
systems tend to become rapidly adopted. Virtual teams are formed as consultants outsource work
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