Appendix 6: Other consequences of NWW implementation in academic
environment
Beside the influenced organizational aspects due to NWW implementation (paragraph 4.1 till
4.9), respondents were also asked for other changes or consequences that an academic environment
will be faced with due to NWW.
One of the most frequently mentioned consequences for the academic environment was the
size and function of libraries. A shift from physical
to digital takes place, making the web a vast library.
Libraries are introducing spaces to share knowledge as well as create it, and researchers can come
together to use the library as a workplace. Thereby, the library itself, as a repository of knowledge, is
changing from a series of books tacks to a much more dynamic knowledge generating environment.
Education will experience digitalization as well. An example is the increasing use of Massive
Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Practical classes can be examined more efficiently online. Thereby
saved time can be spent in research and one-to-one guidance or supervision of students. Students
will watch lectures online, which indirectly influences the presence of teachers in the classroom.
Another mentioned change therefore is the design of classrooms, which will become smaller or can
be reconfigured into small spaces for collaboration.
A huge concern for the academic environment is the protection of (research) data and
security of IT when NWW is implemented. Employees desire access to all data available; access is no
longer based on hierarchy. Hereby, a culture of knowledge sharing is created. The importance of
hierarchy is thereby replaced by one’s position in horizontal networks. Both the physical and virtual
workplaces need to be made available to third parties that are relevant for your own organization,
which has consequences for security of building and internet. Furthermore, the academic
environment is claimed to not utilize the current technological possibilities. Academic organizations
need to think about how IT can contribute to support employees more effectively, for example by
supporting Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). The need for BYOD will increase in the future, especially
in an autonomous environment that the academic workplace is. Also younger generations entering
the work environment want to use their own technologies. Organizations need to support this
requirement of their employees with the use of the right IT infrastructure. This is currently not fully
supported, which has partly to do with money, but also because the decision makers are generally
older employees that do not have the desire to keep up with the latest technologies. There thus
seems to be a generation gap. Besides, commercial organizations have been reported to be
characterized by a much more aggressive style of recruitment and competition, forcing them to
implement these changes more rapidly.
Furthermore, career paths of knowledge workers have been reported to change. People no
longer work at an organization after they are graduated until they retire. People are claimed to be
much more independent and have more desire to be in direct control. There also is an increase of
sole proprietors. More and more professors are getting mixed jobs, thereby become part-time
professors.
Laboratories have been reported to be an important aspect as well. A lot of laboratories
know very low occupation rates. Given the fact that laboratories often require much more space
than academic office workplaces and have a much higher level of investment, this can be arranged
way more efficient. However, changing the allocation of laboratories clashes with scientists’
autonomy.
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Finally, side-effects of NWW implementation must be mentioned as well. A huge risk is work
exhaustion, which is especially important for academics since they are generally very passionate in
their job. The organization needs to anticipate on this. Thereby, the manager has an important role,
since he or she can notice signs of work exhaustion. Furthermore, training can prepare people as well.
Individual differences and different natures of work that people need to do are very important to
take into account. If this is all taken care of, absenteeism is likely to decrease. Good implementation
of NWW leads to better labor productivity and vital employees, while bad implementation results in
the opposite. One should also take into account the impact of NWW on very carefully constructed
social capital within organization, where people know each other for years and shared joys and
sorrows. This
changes due to NWW, where contact increasingly takes place with the use of ICT.
