Early identification of skill needs SUMMARY The future skills needed for Web 2.0 Summary of study findings Summary Published by FreQueNz, 2013
The Web 2.0 topic in the early identification initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Bernd Dworschak, Helmut Zaiser The main objective of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research s initiative for early identification of skill needs is to pinpoint the skills and qualifications needed for the new skill requirements emerging from impending changes in the world of work and for which widespread demand may well grow over the next three to five years. One of the current topics of the BMBF early identification initiative is Web 2.0. This term refers to the broad spectrum of interactive Internet applications which have largely done away with the distinction between information provider and information receiver and which are also growing in importance in companies. In the spring of 2010 a project designed to investigate the professional skills associated with Web 2.0 which would be required in the future has been completed.¹ While the project is presented in much greater detail in the FreQueNz publication series and is also available in the form of final report at www.frequenz.net in German, this publication provides a summary of the project findings in English. As emphasised in the project the dissemination of Web 2.0 applications at workplaces cannot be separated from their dissemination in society as a whole. In many cases Web 2.0 applications spread from the private realm into business settings in companies. These processes are often driven by initiatives which originate with individuals or a small community of Web freaks. In many cases Web 2.0 applications are first used by higher qualified employees. Only after applications have been established at this level are they gradually used at the intermediate skill level which is the focus of the BMBF initiative. This is the level at which people in gainful employment have completed vocational training in a nationally recognised occupation or school-based vocational training which is regulated at the state (Land) level or are trained employees who have completed training to the master craftsman or technician level. The study may be fairly regarded as playing something of a pioneering role in the systematic presentation of Web 2.0 applications in the occupational sphere and world of work. In the course of the study it describes five business fields of application which at least as regards the intermediate skill level would seem to have been particularly strongly influenced by Web 2.0. These concern knowledge and information management, product development, process management, marketing and personnel management. Other aspects of the study which are also discussed in the following include the influence of Web 2.0 on established hierarchies and the more open or more restrictive attitude of enterprises towards Web 2.0. Six topic areas with a more direct connection with skill needs were identified which might either become particularly important for the intermediate skill level in the years ahead or already are particularly relevant: 1. Communication in virtual environments 2. Data privacy, legal aspects and confidentiality requirements 3. Collaborative skills in virtual work settings 4. Handling of information and knowledge 5. Individual responsibility for learning and the handling of more than one task in parallel ( multitasking ) 6. IT competence ¹ The project Zukünftige Qualifikationserfordernisse bei beruflichen Tätigkeiten auf mittlerer Qualifikationsebene aufgrund der Auswirkungen von Web 2.0 (web2skills) was carried out on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) from April 2009 through to May 2010 by the following joint project stakeholders: LMU Munich/ Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha (general management); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology/ Gerd Gidion; Helmut Kuwan Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung und Beratung München and Yves Waschbüsch, Forschung & Beratung für Change Management und Kommunikation, Munich. 02
During the course of the project one key feature which became apparent was that the identified skill requirements can for the most part be assigned to two groups: One set of requirements is immediately specific to Web 2.0. In addition there are requirements which are not immediately specific to Web 2.0 but which when working with the Internet have been apparent for quite some time and which will almost certainly become more important with the dissemination of Web 2.0. The following table provides an overview of the skill requirements which are directly and indirectly specific to Web 2.0: Skill requirements which are directly or indirectly Web 2.0 specific Web 2.0 specific Not Web 2.0 specific Communication Technical handling of Web 2.0 standard applications Selection of suitable applications/ environments Use of target group-appropriate communication style (including the etiquette of Internet communication) Constructive response to criticism expressed on the Web Virtual customer development Reputation management Data privacy, legal aspects and confidentiality Data protection related legal knowledge Awareness of confidentiality requirements with regard to business data Knowledge of confidentiality requirements in various virtual environments Collaborative skills General collaborative skills in Web 2.0 environments Facilitation Ability to engage in intercultural collaboration Handling of information and knowledge Professional handling of search engines Valuation of information Active involvement in Web 2.0 content Individual responsibility for learning and multitasking Individual responsibility for learning Multitasking Central skill requirements which are immediately specific to Web 2.0 not only concern the technical handling and selection of appropriate applications (for small and medium-sized enterprises in particular) but also in particular virtual customer development, reputation management collaborative skills in Web 2.0 and the active involvement in Web 2.0 content. 03
Future skill requirements due to the effects of Web 2.0 Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha, Helmut Kuwan, Yves Waschbüsch, Gerd Gidion, Claudia Strobel The following short presentation focuses exclusively on current and future skill and qualification needs relating to Web 2.0 applications which are relevant for skilled employees at the intermediate skill level. The following two different content aspects are identified: Estimated changes between 2010 and 2015 (1) in the qualitative level of skill requirements as well as (2) in the degree of prevalence of the skill requirements; in other words whether requirements are only relevant in single segments, within a medium range or for almost all skilled employees (see also the following Figures 1 and 2). 1. Communication in virtual environments One necessary skill or qualification for communicating in Web 2.0 environments is the ability to make technical use of Web 2.0 standard applications, such as creating blogs, wikis etc. The common assumption that specific or advanced IT skills are needed for these purposes is not correct. Applications are likely to become increasingly user friendly in the future and, for this reason, there is no perceived need for younger employees at least to acquire higher levels of skills in this area. This is only true, however, of the technical aspects of Web 2.0. The situation regarding other fundamental requirements, such as selecting suitable Web 2.0 applications and environments, is somewhat different: this calls for the ability which by far not all skilled employees have to weigh up the respective opportunities and risks. As larger companies often have their own rules and regulations in this respect, this requirement mainly affects skilled employees in small and medium-sized enterprises. All in all the user friendliness of standard applications is expected to lead to an increase in use of Web 2.0 applications among employees with intermediate skills from a medium to a high level, albeit with considerable differences between various fields of application and work. customers or indirectly on forums on which for some part professionals are involved in pursuing particular interests. While this ability was for the most part in demand among sales occupations in the past, it would appear to be becoming increasingly important for technology-centred fields of work or in IT-related work in Web 2.0 environments. One communication skill is likely to rise from a medium to a high level not only with regard to its degree of prevalence but also to the qualitative requirement level over the next few years, namely the ability to use the appropriate communication style for a specific target group in diverse Web 2.0 environments in which target group-appropriate tone needs to be combined with appropriate depth of content. While the generous use of technical automotive jargon might be appropriate enough on a forum for tuning experts it is likely to scare people who understand very little about cars away from an ostensibly customer platform. Using the appropriate communication style includes adhering to the rules of etiquette for general Internet communication. Relevant corporate guidelines cover a set of aspects which typically include naming the employer or avoiding pseudonyms. Additional skill needs with regard to using the appropriate communication style are primarily with those groups of skilled employees which, prior to the dissemination of Web 2.0, have not had such frequent or intense contact with customers. The skill requirement regarding virtual customer development refers to the ability to develop solutions with customers using interactive Internet applications. There is likely to be a medium-level prevalence of this requirement, which is currently only relevant in a few specific segments, in the future and the qualitative requirement level will also probably rise substantially. One requirement which is expected to become increasingly prevalent and demanding is the ability to make constructive use of criticism expressed online, either in direct contact with 04
Figure 1: Current skill needs and anticipated changes over the next 5 years for employees with intermediate skills: Communication in virtual environments Qualitative level of skill requirements Skill requirements High 3 2 3 1 1 Target group-appropriate language in Web 2.0 Medium 2 1 2 Virtual customer development 3 Reputation management Low Low Medium High Degree of prevalence 2010 2015 Skilled employees who publish material on the Internet relating to their professional work and who can be identified as employees of a particular firm will have an influence on the reputation of their employer, even if they are not aware of this. This will generate requirements for deliberate reputation management. The ability to manage reputations is the requirement which is expected to increase most in prevalence in the communication in virtual environments skills segment. Providing skilled employees with specific reputation management abilities promises greater success in the medium term than simply adopting a policy of silence. If the rules of etiquette for general Internet communication are taken into account, for instance, companies can be seen to have differing degrees of open or restrictive attitudes to Web 2.0. While some companies accept that messages can also be disseminated via Web 2.0 which do not necessarily conform to the company s PR and marketing strategies, others attempt to control their employees or ban the use of Web 2.0 at the workplace. However, fundamentally restrictive attitudes in response to customers expectations of communicating with skilled employees, for example will become increasingly difficult to sustain. In this respect making sure that employees are appropriately qualified promises to be more successful in the medium term than simply trying to hold out against the trend. 05
2. Data privacy, legal aspects and confidentiality requirements Data privacy and confidentiality requirements were and still are important in Web 1.0. However, the increasing use of Web 2.0 applications does mean that much larger volumes of data are being placed on the Internet by more and more people. In fact, Web 2.0 environments in particular tend to encourage people to part with their data. A key skill requirement in this context concerns data protection related legal knowledge. Familiarity with other legal aspects, such as copyright or rights to privacy are also relevant to work in virtual environments. According to experts the prevalence and required level of skills in this area will remain high. An awareness of confidentiality requirements with regard to business data is also required. It is striking that as far as confidentiality requirements and the legal aspects of data protection are concerned it is not only many employees at the intermediate skills level but also some management personnel as well who lack an appropriate sense of the problems involved in this field. In this respect there does seem to be something of a sea change in attitudes among some of the Web 2.0 generation for which data confidentiality in general no longer appears to be regarded with the same degree of importance as was previously the case - an attitude which naturally enough also affects the way people act at work as well. In the given context, knowledge of confidentiality requirements in various virtual environments is also needed: In general the fewest problems are caused by the company Intranet. A key requirement of work on cooperative platforms consists in recognising what information may be disclosed as part of open exchanges with external collaborators and what information may not be passed on. The risk with the open Internet and the Web 2.0 environments available on it is that information which the employer may regard as being internal business information can easily find its way outside the firm. Expectations regarding the future prevalence and qualitative level of skill requirements when handling business data and in terms of awareness of different confidentiality requirements in various environments converge to some extent: while the qualitative level of skill requirements in this area is already high and is predicted to remain high the degree of prevalence is expected to grow from a medium to high level. 3. Collaborative skills in virtual work settings Collaboration in virtual work settings and via Web 2.0 applications is in many cases already a firmly established part of work activities. In fact, it can be expected that there will be a strong increase in collaboration via online platforms (such as sharepoints ). As far as increasingly important collaborative skills are concerned the basic requirement will be for general collaborative skills in Web 2.0 environments, be they on the Intranet, on special collaborative platforms or via the Internet. These are often situative, project-related collaborations via internal and intercompany platforms in changing teams or with business partners and customers as is the case with the virtual customer development referred to above. As far as the general ability to collaborate in Web 2.0 environments is concerned, the qualitative level of skill requirements will almost certainly remain high and the degree of prevalence over the next few years go up from a medium to a high level. The increasing prevalence of Web 2.0 collaborations in changing teams or with business partners will generate growing demand for facilitation. This assumes that qualitative facilitation requirements will remain high but will probably only affect a very limited number of employees at the intermediate skill level. As interactive Internet applications tend to be used relatively frequently in international contexts, their increasing dissemination will also mean that intercultural collaboration skills will grow in importance, especially as the risk of misunderstanding will grow as result of the limiting features of media-driven communication channels. While the qualitative level of intercultural collaboration skill requirements is likely 06
to remain at a medium to high level, the prevalence of these requirements is expected to increase from its current low to a medium level. Web 2.0 may subvert established hierarchies. Increasing Web 2.0 collaboration is often associated with a transformation in hierarchies. Web 2.0 contents are classified hierarchically according to the competence which readers assign to them. This ranking may not necessarily correspond with the positions of the authors in the corporate hierarchy. While skilled employees may be aware of the hierarchies in their own work group and immediate working environment, these are not always immediately obvious in Web 2.0 environments. 07
Figure 2: Current skill needs and anticipated changes in the next 5 years for employees with intermediate skills: Handling of information and knowledge Qualitative level of skill requirements Skill requirements High 3 2 3 1 1 1 Evaluation of information Medium 2 2 Making deliberate use of search engine logic 3 Active involvement in Web 2.0 Low Low Medium High Degree of prevalence 2010 2015 4. Handling of information and knowledge A basic requirement when handling information and knowledge in virtual environments is the ability to evaluate the information found. Assessing the relevance and reliability of information is made more difficult in Web 2.0, for example, by the fact that the originators of information in blogs or forums can often not be identified. It is not always possible either to determine whether these are created by a real person or by computer programmes: manipulations, such as fictive customer ratings, are often difficult to identify, although it is possible to learn ways in which information can be evaluated more easily. In contrast to the use of search engines, qualitative requirement levels will probably remain high and prevalence among employees with intermediate skills is likely to rise to a high level. Another requirement, which goes beyond simply evaluating information, is the skill involved in professionally handling search engines. This skill was important for Web 1.0, but is now all the more difficult in Web 2.0 because dynamic blogs or forums as well as static websites now need to be combed. Basic demand for this skill is expected to increase from a relatively low to a high degree in the next few years. Owing to the increasing user friendliness of future applications ( semantic web ) the currently high qualitative requirement level is likely to fall to a medium level. As far as active involvement in Web 2.0 content is concerned, skilled employees are expected to show their knowledge and make it available to others. This initially calls for a willingness to communicate and share one s own knowledge, something which often entails a long-term process of rethinking. Secondly, the often implicit knowledge gained from experience must be put into a meaningful form: in writing or as audio or video recording. 08
In some companies the didactic abilities which this calls for are already part of initial vocational education and training. Finally, in this context skilled employees should also develop an awareness of their own visibility in Web 2.0 and the image they project. The qualitative skill requirements entailed in actively shaping Web 2.0 contents are expected to remain at a high level in the future. The prevalence of these skills is also likely to grow from a currently relatively low degree to a medium or high degree in the future. 5. Individual responsibility for learning and the handling of more than one task in parallel ( multitasking ) In a similar way to data privacy and confidentiality requirements, there will be a growing need to be able to work on more than one task at a time ( multitasking ) and to take individual responsibility for learning in Web 2.0 environments. According to expert observers, there is already a widespread expectation that people should be able to assume responsibility for learning quickly in interface-intensive working environments involving differing degrees of Web 2.0 applications; in fact, the need for such abilities is determined by the rapid development pace of Web 2.0 applications. The prevalence of this requirement is expected to grow over the next few years from a low to a medium or high degree. time allotted which is more and more frequently the case with some Web 2.0 activities. While time management already plays a considerable role and is likely to become an increasingly significant factor for more and more skilled employees, the prevalence of structural overburdening is likely to increase from a low to a medium degree. 6. IT competence As far as the IT competences required in Web 2.0 environments are concerned, a distinction must be made between average users and IT specialists. One of the main requirements relevant to the specific IT know-how for employees at the intermediate skill level is the ability to adapt quickly to progressively new and fast-changing developments in the relevant technology and application fields. A second key requirement is the ability to take on networked programming using existing modules which have been programmed by other people. The qualitative requirements for specific IT know-how will probably remain at a high level. In terms of prevalence, specific IT know-how will probably continue to affect only relatively few specialists, however. Multitasking, i.e. the ability to work on several tasks in parallel may be regarded as an inherent requirement of work in Web 2.0 environments. While the simultaneous use of several Web 2.0 applications by skilled employees along lines which closely resemble their private Internet behaviour is not regarded as excessively demanding in itself, this is likely to prove much more demanding for skilled employees who do not have this kind of personal experience. Working in parallel on several tasks at once requires efficient time management. This runs up against limits where people are structurally overburdened, when it is no longer possible to complete all their tasks in the 09
Further information @ Final report» Zukünftige Qualifikationserfordernisse bei beruflichen Tätigkeiten auf mittlerer Qualifikationsebene aufgrund der Auswirkungen von Web 2.0 (web2skills)» http://www.frequenz.net/uploads/tx_freqprojerg/abschlussbericht_web_2.0_final.pdf Newsletter» Web 2.0 in the world of work Skills needs, now and in the future» http://www.frequenz.net/uploads/tx_freqprojerg/frequenz_newsletter2010_e_final.pdf Flyer» http://www.frequenz.net/uploads/tx_freqprojerg/q_flyer_lmu_web_251109.pdf Books» Web 2.0. Neue Qualifikationsanforderungen in Unternehmen.» FreQueNz publication series, W. Bertelsmann Verlag, 2011. Newsletters, books and flyers can be ordered from bernd.dworschak@iao.fraunhofer.de 10
Contacts Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Chair of Educational Sciences and Educational Research Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung und Beratung München (HK) PD Dr. Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha Phone +49 (0)89/ 21 80 5135 Fax +49 (0)89/ 21 80 5137 Claudia Strobel, M.A. E-mail b.schmidt@lmu.de Internet www.lmu.de Helmut Kuwan Phone +49 (0)89/ 33 11 97 Fax +49 (0)89/ 30 72 66 56 E-mail helmut.kuwan@hk-forschung.de Internet www. hk-forschung.de Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Chair of Engineering Didactics Forschung und Beratung für Change Management und Kommunikation, Munich Prof. Dr. Gerd Gidion Phone +49 (0)1520/ 16 01 172 Fax +49 (0)721/ 60 86 104 E-mail gerd.gidion@ibp.uni-karlsruhe.de Yves Waschbüsch Phone +49 (0)89/ 10 11 93 39 Fax +49 (0)89/ 10 11 94 35 E-mail yves.waschbuesch@t-online.de Internet www.kit.edu Project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the initiative on early identification of skill needs www.frequenz.net