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Chapter 2 Collaboration Information Systems
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Coll abora tion exerCiSe 2

In this exercise, you will first build a collaboration IS and then use that c. The second subgroup should choose multi loca-
IS to answer four questions in a collaborative fashion. You might want tions synchronous communication tool to share
to read the four questions (in item 2-8 below) before you build your IS. information among themselves. Give reasons for
Until you answer question 2-5, you’ll have to make do with selecting a particular multi- locations synchronous
email or face-to-face meeting. Once you’ve answered that ques- communication tool.
tion, use your communication method to answer question 2-6. d. In the end, compile the contents of two subgroups
Once you’ve answered question 2-6, use your communication using the asynchronous communication tool. Write
and your content-sharing method to answer question 2-7. Then down the procedure on how these two subgroups
use the full IS to answer question 2-8. will communicate by selecting the appropriate
asynchronous communication tool.
2-5. Build a communication method:
a. Meet with your team and decide how you want to 2-8. Using your new collaboration information system, an-
meet in the future. Use Figure 2-8 as a guide. swer the following questions:
b. From the discussion in a, list the requirements for a. What is collaboration? Reread Q2-1 in this chapter,
your communication system. but do not confine yourselves to that discussion.
c. Select and implement a communication tool. It could Consider your own experience working in collab-
be Skype, Google Hangouts, or Skype for Business. orative teams, and search the Web to identify other
d. Write procedures for the team to use when utilizing ideas about collaboration. Dave Pollard, one of the
your new communication tool. authors of the survey on which Figure 2-1 is based,
is a font of ideas on collaboration.
2-6. For this collaborative exercise, make a group of 5 stu- b. What characteristics make for an effective team
dents. The group is a given a task to make an assign- member? Review the survey of effective collabora-
ment on “Knowledge of MIS enhances the job pros- tion skills in Figure 2-1 and the guidelines for giving
pects of MBA students”. and receiving critical feedback, and discuss them
a. Complete this assignment by using the cooperation as a group. Do you agree with them? What skills or
method. feedback techniques would you add to this list? What
b. Applying collaboration, complete the same assignment. conclusions can you, as a team, take from this sur-
c. Find out the difference between the two approaches vey? Would you change the rankings in Figure 2-1?
and the results of the assignments. c. What would you do with an ineffective team mem-
d. If the team decides to choose a collaboration tool ber? First, define an ineffective team member. Spec-
to share the content among the group members, ify five or so characteristics of an ineffective team
which tool will you select and why? member. If your group has such a member, what
2-7. Make a group of 10 members and divide the group into action do you, as a group, believe should be taken?
two subgroups of 5 members each. d. How do you know if you are collaborating well?
a. Fix on a topic on which the team members want to When working with a group, how do you know
communicate. Members of both subgroups should whether you are working well or poorly? Specify five
decide on one topic. or so characteristics that indicate collaborative suc-
b. The first subgroup should choose single location cess. How can you measure those characteristics?
synchronous communication tool to share informa- e. Briefly describe the components of your new col-
tion among themselves. Give reasons for selecting laboration IS.
a particular single location synchronous communi- f. Describe what your team likes and doesn’t like about
cation tool. using your new collaboration system.

Ca Se StUD y 2

Eating Our Own Dog Food

Dogfooding is the process of using a product or idea that you entine, test manager for Microsoft LAN Manager in 1988, but
develop or promote. The term arose in the 1980s in the soft- I recall using the term before that date. Whatever its origin, if,
ware industry when someone observed that the company of their own accord, employees choose to dogfood their own
wasn’t using the product it developed. Or “they weren’t eating product or idea, many believe that product or idea is likely to
their own dog food.” Wikipedia attributes the term to Brian Val- succeed.