Review of the LiteratureIntranets f

Review of the Literature
Intranets function as internal Web sites providing Internet technology and content
for the exclusive use of the organization’s employees. Their purpose is to disseminate
information, increase productivity, and facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and
teamwork among an organization’s staff. If used correctly, intranets can build a common
culture and enhance information flow within an organization (Global Intranet Strategies,
2006; Howard, 2000; Lehmuskallio, 2006). An intranet serves as a company-wide mass
medium that circulates content to the entire organization simultaneously across the
world, maintained within company firewalls (Lehmuskallio).
Intranet technology is a relatively young phenomenon. Technology firms were the
first to create internal networks for business purposes. In 1992, Cisco Systems was one
of the earliest companies to create an intranet system. “Our intranet was originally
conceived to help employees support our customers,” (cited in Howard, 2000, p. 17)
said Nicolle Henneuse, employee communications intranet manager for Cisco Systems.
IBM soon followed with an intranet site of its own in 1994, and three years later Intel,
3Com, and Dell all launched their intranets (Howard).
Benefits of Intranets
An intranet can streamline communication within an organization. A 2006 survey
of 101 companies from around the world found that 52% of intranet managers polled
perceived the intranet to be the primary means of delivering information within the
organization, which signals a change from a reliance on printed communication or email.
Twenty percent of intranet managers found intranets to be a collaboration platform
and knowledge-sharing tool, and 19% thought they enhanced productivity (Global
Intranet Strategies, 2006).
The intranet not only fosters communication, it radically changes the way people
communicate. Management can still disseminate pertinent communication to employees
in a timely manner with official content written and published by communication staff.
But the exciting thing about the intranet is that it also allows staff members to find
information they want and need to do their jobs, providing for a bottom-up
communication form that features unpolished content written for internal use and
generated by employees in the field. Examples include internal employee blogs,
feedback forms, user-specific dashboards, and shared video (Frankola, 2009; Fugere,
2009; Howard, 2000; McConnell, 2007).
Intranets also allow for horizontal information flow, including collaborative tools
such as wikis and message boards, for employees across the organization to exchange
information and best practices with one another (Holtz, 2008; McConnell, 2007). When
information is shared among co-workers via the intranet, organizations may experience
increased productivity, better customer service, and less troubleshooting.