2.0 Introduction
The English Institute of Sport (EIS) is a nationwide network of world class support services, designed to foster the talents of elite athletes. Services are offered from nine regional multi-sport hub sites and an evolving network of satellite centres (Appendix 1). The services are delivered by a co-ordinated network of regional teams, which feature complementary skills and experience.
Building work relationships between staff and athletes, within departments, across departments, and outside the organization, are conducted predominantly via email, but also face to face and over the phone. The EIS spend an estimated ???? on travel expenses every year and ??? on mobile phone costs (Appendix 2).
Building working relationships entails a high level of uncertainty in the process of negotiating work expectations and understanding social behaviours and contexts among the people involved (Trier, 2005). Initial standards and expectations about work partners can be influenced by information from official and unofficial sources (Wellman, 1995), such as job definition, work manuals, or informally-obtained information about a partner's personality and behaviours.
This article examines how Instant Messaging (IM) systems could help employees from the English Institute of Sport improve their working relationship with their associates at organizational boundaries—within and across departments and also help cut the cost on travel expenses and mobile phone bills. The author uses the diffusion of innovation theory to understand the rate of adoption of new technology and develops recommendations that need to be considered by the English Institute of Sport.

The objectives for the report are:

Ø To analyse existing literature about the diffusion of innovation theory and the use of instant messaging within the business environment.
Ø To demonstrate the importance of building working relationships.
Ø Explain the implications of using instant messaging.
Ø To make recommendations as to how staff could improve productivity through the use of instant messaging.

3.0 Analysis of Work Relationships, Instant Messaging & the Diffusion of Innovation.

Building work relationships has become an essential part of the business environment. Organisations only function with the co-operation of their members (Heap, 2001).

Gabarro (1990, p. 81) defines a working relationship as being:

"An interpersonal relationship that is task-based, non-trivial, and of continuing duration"

Throughout, the nine regions, the EIS rely on work relationships to achieve strong partnerships across the organization and with the National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) (Appendix 3). According to Cho and Kim (2005), one of the major factors affecting the development of working relationships is effective communication. This may not necessarily entail formal interactions (Trier 2005). At the EIS, mainly formal interaction between associates is used as the institution is spread across the entire country. Scientific research conducted by Kraut, Egido, & Galegher (1990) showed that physical closeness between partners was considered essential in developing working relationships, because co-located partners were more likely to have frequent encounters to discuss emerging issues. Currently the EIS understand that synchronicity of communications between associates is important in the development of working relationships. However, according to Gabarro (1990), they need to take into consideration that spontaneous and informal interactions are more effective in developing working relationships than scheduled and formal interactions.

In this report, the author focuses on the role of Instant Messaging (IM) as a virtual collaboration tool that can be used by the EIS, not only to develop and strengthen relationships but also bring them closer throughout their business network. However, IM is a new tool that is foreign to the institution, as a method of communication, therefore a

framework will be used to understand how new technologies are adopted within the business environment.

Newer technologies are continually replacing older ones. No matter what their advantages are, newer technologies are not widely adopted by potential buyers immediately (Norton, 1987). Rather a diffusion process is put in motion.

According to Rogers (1983) the theory of diffusion is:

‘The process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system’

This definition can be adapted and applied to the working environment. The EIS are currently using email, mobile phones and face to face meetings to communicate throughout the network (Appendix 5). A lot of time and money are spent on communication as it is an integral part of the Institution. New communicating technologies have not been introduced, although there is a demand for information sharing, time saving and the reduction of internal expenditure.

The diffusion of innovation theory was formalized by Everett Rogers in 1982. As Fig 3.1 shows, Rogers (1982) categorized adopters of technology into five groups depending on the rate at which they adopted new technology:
1.
(Adapted from Rogers, 1982)
Innovators - venturesome, educated, multiple info sources,
2. Early adopters - social leaders, popular, educated
3. Early majority - deliberate, many informal social contacts
4. Late majority - skeptical, traditional, lower socio-economic status
5. Laggards – suspicious, skeptical, conservative, fear of debt

Fig 3.1 Typical diffusion patterns

Rate of Adoption – ‘bell’ shaped normal distribution

Innovator
Early
Adopters
Early Majority
Late
Majority
LaggardsMolesworth (2006)

The EIS ethos is to ‘make the best better’ (Appendix 1), it is an innovator for sports science in this country. New sport science technologies are adopted quickly as this gives the institution advantages over their competition (Appendix 4). However, the method of communicating within and across departments has always remained the same, even though new tools of communication have been invented. In the sense of adopting new communication technology, according to Rogers (1982), this would label the EIS as laggards.



Fig 3.2 Overall Level of Adoption – ‘S’ shaped graph: Communication tools in EIS

Total Level of Adoption
Time
Adopters
Non Adopters
Palm Pilots
Telephone Conferencing
Prediction of Instant Messaging
Mobiles
Email
Face to Face
(Adapted from Rogers 1982)
Rogers (1982) theorized that innovations would spread through society in an S Shaped curve. Fig 3.2 has adapted the S Shaped curve to illustrate the EIS’s overall level of adoption of their communication tools throughout the institution (Appendix 5). It is apparent that three forms of communication is preferred across the organization (Mobiles, Email and Face to Face), although there have been adopters trying to initiate the use of other tools (Telephone Conferencing and Palm Pilots). A prediction has been made that over a period of time IM will be integrated and adopted by the entire organization.

Instant Messaging (IM) is quasi-synchronous, computer-based, one-on-one communication (Nardi, Whittaker, & Bradner, 2000). It allows users, of the same

software, to know when others are online and have a real-time conversation, in form of a personal chat room. IM is "quasi-synchronous" because it involves a small amount of asynchronicity, e.g., typing time (Trier, 2005).

Voida, Newstetter, & Mynatt (2002) consider IM to be a hybrid communication medium as it can incorporate synchronous and asynchronous communication, and brief and continual conversations. In the context of working relationship development and improvement, this results in a combination of synchronous conversation and asynchronous use of transcripts or document transfer. Cramton (2001) believes by using IM, workers can build up common knowledge about their work by quickly exchanging and instantly correcting their intended meanings or by maintaining their working context with the use of recorded transcripts or transferred documents. Furthermore, as new needs arise, the work context can be shared easily via IM because users can check whether relevant people are logged in and available for communication. IM not only supports turn-taking and quick, informal conversations that are similar to oral conversation, but it also supports more carefully crafted formal sentences recorded in a transcript file or the transfer of formal documents.

From reading the literature the author has identified that IM is a useful and effective way to build on work relationships, however, understands that there are some underlying factors that needed to be analysed.

Despite the potential for IM to be used to maintain work relationships in an organization, the current perception of IM is that it is used mainly for socializing, not for task-related purposes. Herbsleb, Atkins, Boyer, Handel, and Finholt (2002) found that some employees resisted using IM for their work because they felt that informal communication through IM was not required and not useful. However, research conducted by Isaacs, Walendowski, Whittaker, Schiano, and Kamm (2002) found that

employees in a business organization used IM more for business purposes than for socializing.

According to Trevino, Webster, & Stein, (2000) there are two different viewpoints on how people choose different communication media. One view is that people choose communication media rationally, i.e., they choose a medium that can best convey their intended meaning, and their choice of medium is restricted by work-related contextual factors such as distance between communication partners. The other view is that people choose communication media in a social context, i.e., that social norms and culture, in addition to rational reasons, affect their choice.
The theory of media symbolism (Trevino et al., 1987, 2000) suggests that some symbolic meanings are attached to media, e.g., letters are regarded as more formal than e-mail. Symbolic meanings play an important role when people choose media, resulting in different choices of media. Given that IM is currently used as a very informal and casual communication channel, IM might show idiosyncratic communication patterns, especially depending on with whom IM communication occurs. Specifically, the author conceives that there is a different media symbolism associated with IM, depending on the formality of its use in a specific working relationship.

In addition it is important to identify how an innovation would affect behaviour in a business. For example, adding a new function to email. This will need some adjustment to behaviour, to learn about the function, but it is built on existing knowledge. According to Molesworth (2006) this behaviour consequences can be identified in three areas:

Continuous Innovation – Minor ‘improvement to the product’. Requires little or no new skills and has little impact on behaviour. E.g. EIS upgrading Performance Analysis software
Dynamically Continuous – Some adjustment to behaviour and some new skills required, but built on existing knowledge. E.g. EIS adding a new function to email.
Discontinuous – Entirely new product category requiring change in behaviour and new skills. E.g. EIS implementing Instant Messenger across the network.

As IM is considered to be new technology to the EIS, this technology would require change in behaviour and for staff to acquire new skills. This is known as discontinuous innovation. Tushman and O’Reilly (1997) suggest that discontinuous innovation involves breaking with the past to create new technologies, processes, and organizational "S-curves" that result in significant leaps in the value delivered to customers. However, this author suggests that discontinuous innovation can result in organizations delivering significant leaps of value to their members of staff and partners. New technology that aids staff to close gaps between co-workers and partners will add value to business relationships. The author does note that the technology will require sufficient training and for staff to adopt it as part of their routine.
There could be several reasons for reluctance to use IM in the workplace. Cho and Kim (2005) suggest that the informality of the medium could convey inappropriate impressions about the content of the message. Employees may be reluctant to use such a spontaneous medium to express important information, especially in situations where staff would want to check and edit their messages before sending them. These two factors could be emphasized when employees communicate with superiors with whom they wish to maintain more formal relationships. Moreover, since IM is a relatively new technology, it may not yet have been adopted by many people, especially in older generations. The recommendation section will resolve these issues.


4.0 Specific Recommendations
The author has identified that IM is a useful and effective way to build on work relationships. This section outlines specific recommendations that should be considered and ultimately followed by the EIS.

4.1 Instant Messenger System

Consulting with web design company Feref (Appendix 6), who currently manage the EIS main website, it is recommended that the EIS create a private IM system and not install a generic one, such as MSN Messenger or IChat. This will allow them to design the IM system so that it is an application that can only be used by EIS Staff and partners who have authorisation, which will limit the amount of socialising conducted over IM and help develop work relationships. Feref have identified a company called Interactive Networks Inc. (INI) that can help the EIS develop their IM system (Appendix 7).

It is suggested that the EIS let INI host the IM system as they will take control of everything. This includes: Server hardware, Operating System licensing, installing updates and backups, 24x7 monitoring and emergency support. If the EIS decided to install it on their own system this would require more resources and could potentially cost a lot more in the long term. The web-based administration console allows the EIS to have full control over the IM network.

4.2 Design

Using INI will allow EIS to design their own IM interface. This means they can customise IM branding and skins so that the staff can identify the organisation with the software, however it also allows the EIS to implement their own security protocols to make sure the IM system is safe to transfer information and files.
4.3 Implementation

The main consideration for the EIS is how to get the staff to adopt the new IM system. Fig 3.3 is a model that shows how the IM system could be communicated and integrated in the EIS, it has been adapted from Molesworth (2006). For staff to be aware of the new technology available it is important to educate and persuade them that IM is an essential tool to develop and strengthen working relationships, this can be conducted through national and regional workshops.

Fig 3.3 Diffusion Communication Process for New Technology at the EIS


New Technology
(IM)
English Institute
Of Sport

Existing Technology
e.g. Mobile, Email, Face to Face
National and Regional Workshops delivering sufficient training, knowledge and persuasion of New Technology (IM) to staff.
Rejection of New Technology
Time
Adoption
Routinization
Knowledge
Persuasion
Decision
Implementation
The EIS staff then can decide whether or not the IM will beneficial to them and if so can implement the new technology. This will lead to the adoption of the chosen technology and over a period of time will become a routine tool used in their working environment. It is important also to note that the created model does rely on previous literature on diffusion patterns (see Fig 3.0). The model has accepted that sometimes people will not adopt technology that has no use to them and can reject it all together.
4.4 Cost

The cost of the IM system is $5400.00 per year (Appendix 8) and will not affect the EIS communication budget. The national and regional workshops will also add additional costs, but is vital to integrate the IM into the culture of the institution. The implementation of the IM system will also reduce the cost on mobile phones and staff travel expenses.

4.5 Conclusion

IM is a communication medium that can be used in a business context for simple coordination but also for collaboration among heavy users. Its hybrid nature, between synchronous and asynchronous communication, renders IM a suitable medium for both ad-hoc informal and more formal communication (Trier, 2005). This makes it useful for establishing social as well as task-based aspects of a working relationship.

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You know what grinds my gears.... uncertainty... what really confuses me and I believe most students is we know we have the ability to writegood assignments, yet a dull gloom seems to hang overhead thwarting intelligent brain activity!!! Why is this??? You slowly find out in life that you have always been looking for the easy way out and when it comes to times of hard graft your brain doesn't want to know....but it will help you overcome this obstacle but to what degree...good, alrightm or unsatisfactory!!!!

I sit here typing this freely, I haven't even broken my concentration from my typing, but you tell me to think up an assignment title, combine it with theory and for good measure add a application for a company, I freeze like a rabbit in headlights!!!! What do I write for this assignment??? I want to write about product placement within online communities, for example how Costa Coffee could gain market share by having a virtual shop on Second Life where people can go and talk to each other online. Costa Coffee could observe all the people that meet up in virtual shop, send out emails to these people for a free coffee and cake Second Life day (Experential Marketing) in a real Costa Coffee shop by them.... People will associate Costa Coffee with Secondlife and have more of an inclination of going there... but Second life may not be just UK based so this could be difficult....

Seems to of helped a little just writing that....But uncertainty is a bitch!!!

And thats what grinds my gears!!!!

Crowning moment of my football season....

Wimborne Town march on into the last 16 of the FA Vase after an exhilarating 4-2 extra time victory over West Yorkshire outfit Glasshoughton Welfare at Cuthbury.

The visitors haven’t got the best record in their league, currently sitting in the lower regions of the table but they put up a fight and had the cheek to take the lead when Luke Sherman bundled the ball over the line early on in the first half.

Wimborne Town supporters celebrate a fine victory and dreaming of a trip to the new Wembley Stadium .

Wimborne didn’t seem to be at the races in the opening half and were nowhere near looking like the side that confidently beat league leaders AFC Totton 3-0 away a week earlier.

But somehow you knew that the equaliser would eventually come, despite Glasshoughton almost doubling their lead when Sherman again almost netted but hit the Magpies’ crossbar from 25 yards instead.

The second half performance from Paul Arnold’s troops was a much better one and sure enough on 71 minutes Arnold junior, Scott, netted the equaliser.

Two minutes later the game was turned on its head when Chris Kennedy finished off a superb run with a good execution to put Wimborne 2-1 up.

That had to be that the way Wimborne were now performing but a bit of Yorkshire grit took over and with nine minutes of normal time to play the team that comes from just outside one of the top rugby league clubs in the country Castleford, showed that they were just as tough with Paul Stevenson making it 2-2.

The majority of an excellent crowd of 596 were stunned into silence but there was to be another twist to this match before extra time took place.

Wimborne's Scott Joyce taking on a Glasshoughton defender - photos by Andy Starmore
A second yellow card was awarded to the Glasshoughton goalkeeper, so they had to endure the whole of extra time with ten men.

Wimborne took advantage of that and took the lead for the second time in the match when Kennedy netted his second.

Just like the World Cup Final of 1966, Wimborne were 3-2 up (definitely over the line!) and everybody thought it was all over. When Stuart Cannie netted the Magpies fourth, no doubt there would have been a few mutterings of “it is now!”

That really "doesn't" grind my gears...

Dreams are beautiful and magical thoughts created by your mind,I'll tell you a dream I had once upon a time,I closed my eyes and listened to the voices telling me a story in my head,Of a young man who lived on the beach, wherever he stopped he made his bed,As he walked along the beach front the sea breeze filled his lungs,The sun had emerged from the depths of the sea; the day had just begun,And with light came happiness upon his face, with a smile to break the day,He found a bench to rest and think and it was there that he lay,The sun as his blanket keeps him warm as he listens to the crashing waves,They disintegrate moments apart from each other it's a longer life they crave,The seagulls around dart and dive fighting for scraps of food,How beautiful life can be, he thought, if you create a positive mood.But like all moods they dissolve like the bubbles given birth by the sea,He raised from the bench, stretched his arms and headed back to reality,He continued his walk along the path to a destination unknown,In his mind he would love to find that perfect place called home,
As he scaled a chalky cliff the sun began to set,It melted in the horizon and with that so did all of his regrets,As he perched upon the edge he gazed at the starlit sky,He believed that everyone's soul becomes a star when they die,You become a star to guide your loved ones and gaze upon them every night,He knew his parents were watching him from above and said "I'll call this home tonight"As I awoke from my dream I thought of that young man,He had little but loved a lot, if he can do it we all can!

Persuasion and Influence Speech: - Mandatory Army Service 16 – 18 year olds

Attention Step

We as a nation have become soft! We have a youth culture of violence. It has always been there. Mods, rockers, skinheads, vandals and joy-riders. The only real difference now is that the age of offenders is much younger and they seem to enjoy a greater immunity from punishment.

Why is this? The introduction of Trash Culture is specifically British and has become the mainstream culture across the United Kingdom. Out with discipline, in with binge drinking, smoking, stupidity, the active hatred of intelligence & responsible behaviour, fashion-conscious youths, ignorant uneducated adults, misbehaviour at school, petty crime, organized crime, violence, homophobia, racism and xenophobia. The beast has been unleashed!

If our culture encouraged us to be citizens rather than consumers then these kinds of issues wouldn't arise with such dreary frequency. Responsibility for one's actions within a society framework is something that can be taught and integrated into behavioural norms. Is it really the childrens fault? How can an undisciplined generation bring up a disciplined one? Are we truly the great nation we think we are?

Need Step

The amount of young people engrossing in this trash culture is rising. In a national survey, conducted by the Home Office, on problem behaviour among young people, one in ten eleven year old boys and almost a quarter of sixteen year olds said they had carried a weapon in the past year. One in five sixteen year old boys admitted attacking someone intending to hurt them seriously. More than four out of ten students in Year 10 (14-15 years olds) and over half in Year 11 acknowledged 'binges', where they consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in a session. Three out of ten boys and one in four girls in Year 11 (15-16 year olds) said they had used cannabis at least once.

Discipline throughout children’s lives is withering away. Smacking was outlawed in the 1980’s and since then teachers have struggled to cope with problematic children in the class room. Headmaster Paul Council from Wilson’s Grammar School said “The classroom has become a battle ground.” Threatening children with detentions or simple raising your voice does not discourage children from behaving badly.
Satisfaction Step
How do you battle against this? How can you issue discipline without it being challenged? Future generations need mandatory army service. I propose that children who are 16 – 18 years old must complete at least one year. Children who are currently attending school can postpone their service until they have finished their secondary school studies. Children who leave school at 16 must enrol for army service for at least two years.

Why will the army service help? Diversity - Service helps different people come together and realize the true nature of an all-inclusive society. It helps them understand the problems of other classes, professions, cultures, and educational levels. Home Office statistics also show that racist incidents recorded by the police, in this country, have increased by 7% in 2005. Children are frightened of what they don’t know, the army will give them a chance to work in teams with people from a variety of cultures and religions. Make their own opinions on them not live off past stereotypes.
Careers - The army provides a future for children who do not know where to turn too, who don’t know what they can achieve. They can find where their strengths lie. Logistics, Human Resources, Administration and Finance, Engineering, Linguistics are but a few careers available for the children to choose. It provides them with a future and abright one at that!
Exercise – An Article released by the Daily Mail in 2006 suggested the UK will see a 14 per cent rise in obesity by 2010. Children have become inactive, would rather play there playstation then go down the park with their friends. Would rather sit on their computers or laptops, then go to the gym. The army will keep the children active and ingrain it into their nature. Discipline – The army is an institution of discipline, it runs on discipline. Bad behaviour will not be tolerated. Bad behaviour will be punished. The children will learn right from wrong, to stand on their on two feet, to be independent.
The army will provide every child in Britain with common ground. It will unite a nation.
According to the Journal of Scandinavia in Criminology Norway, Sweden and Finland boast the lowest youth crime rate in Europe, they have integrated this Mandatory army service into their culture. They use the service as an ideal tool for teaching population basic, important skills such as first aid, wilderness survival and discipline. In Finland, acquiring a reserve military rank is considered by people a valuable asset for a manager position in civilian work, carrying prestige comparable to education, work experience or recommendations. We should turn to our allies and use them to set an example.
Visualisation Step
Close your eyes and imagine tranquillity. A world where you could walk past a group of children without fear. Imagine a world where children respected the elderly, opened doors for them helped them. Imagine a world where you could talk to children without them cursing or swearing. Imagine a world without the constant flash of blue neon lights and spilt blood! Imagine! Just Imagine!
Action Step
We are apart of this culture, now we must change our culture! Something needs to be done before the streets of Britain become overrun by anti social behaviour. Before control is handed to the young! Before chaos rules the streets! We must teach the next generation to bleed as one. Not make each other bleed.

References

Home Office Statistics on UK youth culture, 2006

Daily Mail, UK, December 10th 2006 “ New Scanner shows hidden fat”

Journal of Scandinavia in Criminology, 2006-12-13

BBC News Education Website
And thats what really grinds my gears!

An Internet forum is a facility on the World Wide Web for holding discussions, or the web application software used to provide the facility. Web-based forums, which date from around 1995, perform a similar function as the dial-up bulletin boards and Internet newsgroups that were numerous in the 1980s and 1990s. A sense of virtual community often develops around forums that have regular users. Technology, computer games, and politics are popular areas for forum themes, but there are forums for a huge number of different topics. Internet forums are prevalent in most developed countries. The largest forum in the world is 2channel, a Japanese site. The English-speaking world is dominated less by one large forum and more by many smaller forums, including SomethingAwful, Gaia Online, GameFAQs and IGN.
Small forums are often based around a single subject. Usually there is an "off-topic" forum where users can post any items they find interesting or play "forum games". Larger Internet forums are in general more subject to public conflicts between users, catch phrases, and private jokes. Depending on the level of moderation there may also be conflicts between users and administrators.

Like other forms of online communication, Internet forums are home to many heated exchanges and rivalries. Often, administrators and moderators ask users to conform to netiquette; if they leave a forum unmoderated it may degenerate and become useless for discussion. However, some forums allow only selective postings effectively censoring information even though the posts might have followed netiquette and were in good spirit. This is especially true of team/country specific forums that do not wish to see a different viewpoint of the same topic/post.

Been in quite a mellow mood over the past couple of weeks...nothing has really grinded my gears...but as they say you wait ages for a bus then two come at once... So a little rant about Rudeness and a little rant on why it is our responsibility to make sure we vote at elections....

The Rudeness topic will only be short because it just makes my blood boil... but before I come too the situation that sparked this rant I want to touch on the idea of fake friends...friends that have been fabricated because they know you through you second cousin's milkman wife (type jobbi)... I am all for networking but this just KILLS ME!!!! So there I was in the bar saturday night one moment chatting to this young feline who I have known only scarcessly through a friend ( but i thought she 's been making an efoort so I will) and then she was in a panick as she lost her bag so I said I'd help find it... we split up to search and later I went to ask her if she found... Blanked...I grabbed her arm (gently) just for recognition ... a distance gaze in her eyes and then shakes the hand of someone else gives them a hug ...looks at me and turns her back... By god I was angry... so I thought I'll throw some shapes on the dancefloor to cool down...and then she walks past me and starts talking to me...I reiterated what just happened to her and she said she didin't see me ...complete BOLLOCKS!!!!! I'll come onto lying in another rant!

AS for it being our responsibility to make sure we vote at elections...I completely agree... a girl in the lecture today argued that the government were not doing enough to entise the young generation to vote so why should they... I think this is where our country has slipped over the last century and why we are not the power we used to be... You need to know the history of your country... If she had thought before she had spoken she would have realised that our forefathers fought to gain the right to... thousands upon thousands of lives taken in order for this generation to have the opportunity to put a cross on a piece of paper for the party that represnts there best interests at heart!!!

And thats what really grinds my gears!!!!