世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1] [part 2]

goo Research recently published the results of a survey they conducted into internal electronic communications within businesses. Over three days at the start of August they interviewed 2,133 people in employment (full-time only, I believe) from their internet monitor group. The sex breakdown is not listed, but judging by other surveys’ demographics, a figure of over 80% male would not be unexpected at all.

Jumping on the recent mixi float bandwagon, this half of the survey looks in a bit more detail at the subject of Social Networking Services, or SNS. Whereas I can get behind the idea of corporate blogging, I don’t think that SNSs would work too well. Perhaps I am of the generation (or personality) that never really got into the whole Instant Messenging boom, of which I see SNSs being an offspring of. A mailing list where answers can be considered and replied to at leisure, or a blog with decent RSS support (or even wikis) would seem more productive than a more free-form free-for-all SNS.

Q4: Do you use an SNS privately? (Sample size=2,133)

Almost every day	13.0%
Two or three times a week	7.5%
About once a week	5.8%
Almost never use one	14.2%
Not a member of any SNS	41.4%
Don’t know what an SNS is	18.1%

Q5: Do you have a company internal SNS? (Sample size=2,133)

Already introduced (to SQ1 to SQ4)	3.1%
Would want to use one (to SQ1 to SQ3)	25.0%
Don’t want to use one	34.8%
Don’t know what a company internal SNS is	37.0%

Q5SQ1: What would (or do) you use a company internal SNS for? (Sample size=600)

Obtaining work knowledge, know-how, etc	68.3%
Forming a community for information exchange with people with similar work, interests, etc	54.2%
Learning about company rules, manuals, etc	49.5%
Learning more about employees, increasing friends	43.0%
Learning about management policies	33.3%
Exchanging non-work information, e.g. restaurants, events, books, etc	24.7%
Other	0.7%

Q5SQ2: What features should a company internal SNS have to be useful? (Sample size=600)

Community creation	67.7%
Links to needed information	62.7%
Member profiles	27.3%
Book reviews	20.5%
Diary	18.8%
Photo album	8.2%
Other	0.5%

Q5SQ3: What is needed to make a company internal SNS work? (Sample size=600)

Easy to use	61.3%
Easy to join in	57.8%
People are free to some extent to create the communities they need for information exchange	55.5%
Boss or management-level promotion of use	53.7%
Community manager to lead communities	53.5%
Incentives for those who provide high-value information, etc	23.2%
Easy on the eye design	8.5%
Other	1.3%

Q5SQ4: What has been the effect of introducing a company internal SNS? (Sample size=66)

Can now actively distribute my own information	34.9%
Become easy to get desired information	27.3%
Created an introduction service for communities of people with the same objectives	27.3%
Now soon know who to ask when I don’t know something	25.8%
Work friends have increased, work has become easier	22.7%
Become easy to express my own opinion	16.7%
Become able to communicate with upper management	12.1%
Nothing in particular	25.8%
Other	4.6%

[part 1] [part 2]