Four Out of Five Dentists Recommend CollaborationFour Out of Five Dentists Recommend Collaboration

You would think that we have enough evidence by now to support the thinking that collaboration methodologies and tools are needed in the workplace, and that they improve efficiency and efficacy. But apparently, no, we don't. Another recent study, this one from Cambridge's Judge Business School and Nokia, says that using technology to collaborate improves worker morale.

The researchers asked 400 business leaders in both the United States and United Kingdom how they used mobile technology to communicate and collaborate. In their interviews, they found that 86 percent of the respondents said collaborations help "spark new ideas." Importantly, 75 percent of the interviewees said that when they're looking for the best person to do the work needed, they will not be bound by geographical constraints in choosing that person. Additionally, 74 percent said that if they couldn't seek help outside their immediate team, they would not be able to get their work done.

When they drilled down to the question of morale, the researchers found that 80 percent of their respondents said that "having the mobile applications and devices they need has had a positive impact on their morale." A little over three-quarters of those surveyed said that these items improved their company's morale.   

Of course, if a non-Nokia (or any other technology company) sponsored study came forward with the same information, most people would view it a bit less suspiciously. However, the point is basic: If you give your staff the right tools to do the best work they can, they will be happier employees.

In this case, it's mobile technology that enables collaboration. If you ask most workers who don't currently use a laptop or have the ability to work remotely if they would prefer the option, you will hear a resounding "Yes!" Additionally, if you ask those same workers if they would like the ability to work with subject matter experts outside their team to get their work done, I'd bet you'd hear the same "Yes!"

Speaking of working outside the team, a group of researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have rolled out a new project funded by the National Science Foundation designed to connect women researchers at the school. Currently, they find that female scientists and engineers are challenged with the problem of isolation. The NJIT project will build cross-disciplinary communities where female faculty can collaborate online and communicate in larger numbers. Then, after the communities are live for a while, the project heads will formally connect the communities using traditional face-to-face networking.

Echoing the sentiments in Nokia's study, the NJIT folks will be using location-sensitive mobile communication systems to increase collaboration among non-collocated researchers. That portion is being developed as part of the school's "Smart Campus" project, "a location-aware community cybersystem." NSF is funding that in a separate grant.

Probably the most interesting part of all this is what the project researchers are going to do with the data from the study. NJIT plans to use it to "create a dynamic computer map showing changes in social network complexity over time."

I'm going to keep an eye out for the results of that study.