The collaborative web or web 2.0 as it
is termed has altered the manner in which information is published, consumed
and utilized on the Internet resulting in several new opportunities. Online commu-nities
and peer-to-peer networks have become valuable places for exchange of ideas and
sharing information, thereby diminishing barriers across different geographical locations
and organizational divisions by promoting collaboration and instilling a culture of
sharing and cooperation across divisional silos.
The need for creating value propositions for end consumers in an
increasingly competitive scenario has outlined the
fact that the final value delivered to the end consumer is the sum of the contributions
of all members across the entire value chain right from the organizational suppliers
and employees to the marketing intermediaries. It is vital for
organizations to strive to drive loyalty across all
these stakeholders in the value chain. This is where the collaborative
web and its offerings – corporate blogs and online communities – can come into use.
In a scenario where network effects are important whereby talented
people in close proximity to each other stimulate and influence new ideas,
technological developments, innovation and organizational growth, it is vital to
retain these organizational partners by driving loyalty. This can be done by engaging
in partner relationship management which can be done by using communities
and blogs. What is needed is an open culture that values a diversity of ideas
and experiences. Research has further proven that people who read organizational blogs,
for instance (or participate in online
communities) perceive an organization's relational maintenance strategies as higher than
those who read traditional web content alone, thereby using these valuable tools for
creating and maintaining value laden
relationships. These are organizational efforts to
develop strategies for relationship maintenance,
which in turn have been found to correlate significantly with relational outcomes
like trust, satisfaction, and commitment – all in turn leading to organizational loyalty. |
