Using the Internet to Promote Organizational Goals
Introduction
Glossary
of Terms
Model
and Issues
Communication in a Membership-based Organization
The fundamental premise of the framework proposed
here is that the Internet is a means of communication. The following diagram
provides a general scheme for the communication that occurs within any
membership-based association, with reference points for five types of
information exchange that occur.
1 Communication between the leadership and the
membership
2 Communication within the membership
3 Communication within the leadership
4 Communication between the organization and potential members
5 Communication between the organization and external decision-makers
who impact member concerns (including the public)
Examples follow of ways in which the Internet can be used to promote organizational goals by facilitating each of the five types of communication described above. This framework can be used to address the needs of subgroups of an organization, as well.
1. Communication between the leadership and the membership
1.1 Information on a WWW site
A web site can contain an unlimited amount of information that may be pertinent to the membership. However, it should be kept in mind that members may not regularly visit a web site unless prompted by their own information needs. Thus, it might be appropriate to first think of the web site as a place for resource documents, links to other resources, or databases (preferably searchable) about which the membership would be aware and would access on an as-needed basis. Information that may reflect the needs of the organization more than the needs of the membership may not get broad enough exposure if just posted on a web site.
1.2 Electronic newsletters
The leadership of an organization can systematically communicate with the membership via electronic newsletters which, in terms of content, can resemble their hard-copy counterparts. Because electronic newsletters use e-mail, options for layout and formatting are very limited (though new developments are emerging that will provide more richness to the look of e-mail). Ease of distribution and quick delivery may outweigh what is lost in presentation. If an electronic newsletter is possible in lieu of a paper version, significant cost savings can accrue; however, for most established organizations, dropping the hard-copy newsletter is not an option.
1.3 Training events via the WWW
The technology for using the WWW for distance learning is evolving very quickly. As quickly as the technology is developing, the models for formatting distance learning are also evolving. The possibilities are beyond the scope of this article; however, suffice it to say that current models often combine web site and e-mail technologies with both synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous communication.
1.4 Chat rooms for focus groups or other forms of interaction
Structured (or unstructured) synchronous exchanges between the leadership
and a selected group of members can occur using chat room technology.
The structure and format might be very much like a focus group conducted
face-to-face; however, it is recommended that the technique be piloted
so that leaders or facilitators are comfortable with the process
1.5 Posting to membership listservers
Though the primary purpose of a listserver may be to allow member-to-member communication (see 2.2 below), an organization's leadership can also use the listserver to inform its members via timely communications. New services available to members, meeting announcements or reminders, new developments pertinent to external audiences, or the availability of the resources on the WWW site might all be communicated by an organization's leadership via listserver postings. For some organizations (perhaps those that are smaller or more grass-roots oriented), the leadership may want to actually conduct some of its business on the general membership listserver rather than on a leadership-exclusive list (see 3.1 below). This exposure to the work of the leadership may be useful for increasing the awareness of the membership and enhancing their ownership of the organization.
1.6 Establishing threads on newsgroups and forums
If an organization sponsors either a newsgroup or a forum for its membership’s use (see 2.2 below), discussions can be initiated about organizational matters or other issues the leadership wishes to bring to the membership’s attention. Of course, these modes of communication are also means by which the membership can let the leadership know about salient concerns. It is important to recall that most newsgroups and forums do not push the information to the user; only those members that seek out the forum or newsgroup will receive the communication.
2. Communication within the membership
2.1 Membership listservers and newsgroups
In our opinion, membership listservers can be a very powerful tool for an organization. They provide an immediacy of communication without requiring members to be hooked up simultaneously. There is much to learn about the successful use of listservers, and a few observations follow. A listserver can have both too little and too much traffic. A facilitator is needed both to manage unskilled users and nip unproductive communication in the bud. The more skilled the members are at listserver participation, the more traffic it can handle without alienating. For busy lists or busy users, a digest feature can keep subscribers in touch while minimizing the time required to view postings of interest. Another benefit of listservers is that the e-mail message or digest arrives without prompting or--in WWW lingo--the subscriber is "pushed" the information rather than needing to initiate the information-seeking.
2.2 Chat rooms and forums for members
Chat rooms and forums also allow members to communicate among themselves. However, it has been our experience that caution is needed regarding these methods of communication. Beyond the technologic limits brought by the user for successful chat room involvement, this is a form of synchronous communication and the quality of the exchange will be dependent upon who is participating at the moment. Forums are asynchronous and do not have this requirement; however, both forums and chat rooms require that the individual go to them rather than the member being promoted by the technology itself. For membership exchange, listservers appear to be a superior alternative because they do not require synchronous participation and communication is pushed to the member.
3. Communication within the leadership
3.1 Listservers exclusive to the leadership
Listservers can be used as a method for the leadership to exchange information between regularly scheduled meetings or in lieu of a meeting. If employed, it would be particularly important for all members of a board or committee to have e-mail capability so that no one is left out of the loop. It might be noted that if the membership is national or international in scope, considerable savings over conference calls can be effected via substitution of listserver communication. As noted above (see 1.4), in some organizations it may be appropriate for the leadership to use the general membership’s listserver for between-meeting communications.
3.2 Board or committee meetings via the WWW
As noted above, there is significant emergent technology utilizing the WWW for synchronous communication. Low-cost audio and video conferencing technology using existing web-based protocols is advancing, but quality is still dependent upon equipment and computer connection speed. We have heard anecdotal reports from several international organizations that have effectively used audio-only hook-ups via a web site, saving the enormous expense of a conference call. Participants can cue up to talk by adding their name to a list viewable on each person’s monitor. In theory, going through a web site can also allow documents on the site to be reviewed while an exchange is occurring. Again, as when using listservers, the politics of inclusion would normally dictate that all members of a board or committee have minimal capability for accessing the WWW in order to participate in a meeting conducted on the Internet.
4. Communication between potential members and
the organization
4.1 Membership information and sign-up on the WWW
Beyond being an entry-way for member services, a web site can also be a means of attracting new members. A potential member who stumbles across a site should be provided a pithy summary of the purpose of the organization and the benefits of membership. Immediate access to the process of enlisting should be available.
4.2 Push technology for membership campaigns
Membership information on the WWW requires the potential member to find the WWW site in the first place. To avoid waiting to be stumbled across, many new "push" techniques used in Internet marketing can be employed to attract a potential member to a web site. Many of these techniques are exploratory, and caution is suggested as the very process of "pushing" is counter to the culture of the Internet. Like broadcast faxes for advertising, it may be as easy to turn off potential members as it is to interest them.
5. Communication between the organization and external decision-makers who impact member concerns (including the public)
5.1 Alerting the membership to emerging issues
Communication that gains value by its timeliness is especially well-suited to the Internet. E-mail, including listservers, can be used to quickly and efficiently alert members to fast-breaking information, new opportunities, or developing problems. WWW sites can also be used for this purpose, but the push quality of e-mail assures members receive the information.
5.2 Lobbying decision-makers via e-mail
The federal government has embraced the Internet as a way to do business,
and in so doing has provided an additional means of access to decision-makers
(elected and not). From expressing one’s opinion of Congress to commenting
on proposed priorities for programs, e-mail can be used to communicate
with federal decision-makers. State governments have moved onto the Internet
at varying speeds, but access via the Internet similar to that at the
federal level is available in many states.
5.3 Influencing the external environment via the WWW
Beyond being an entry-way for member services or for attracting new members,
a web site can be used to influence the environment impacting both members
and the general public.
A Note About Resources
Too often, organizations decide how much they want to spend on the Internet
before determining what services they want to provide with what intended
outcome. We have tried to help organizations put the horse before the
cart. However, resources have to be considered eventually.
While it is beyond the scope of this paper to provide cost estimates,
a few reminders are in order. There will be both initial and ongoing costs
that are determined by the services you decide to offer. The hardware,
software, and training to use them will be initial costs. Among ongoing
costs, monthly charges for access to the Internet are usually the most
affordable expense (indeed, access for e-mail use can be obtained free
of charge).
It is extremely easy to underestimate the effort needed to maintain a
reliable and useful service for members. Some services require higher
maintenance than others. A listserver, for instance, may be easily maintained
by a volunteer. But keeping a dynamic and appealing web site may require
the use of paid staff, outside consultants, and/or a team of volunteers.
Working Hypotheses Regarding Organizations and the Internet
The newness of the Internet, as well as the dynamic pace of technological
development, make any conjectures regarding its use very tentative. However,
the following hypotheses are offered as food for thought in organizational
planning.
1. The greater the barriers created by geographic distance (i.e., the geographic distribution of members, members without travel dollars or capability, the international constituency of the membership, widely dispersed sub-populations of members), the more useful the Internet will be.
2. Organizational functions that are more valuable when provided in a timely basis (i.e., have some immediacy) will benefit most by use of the Internet.
3. The ability of the organization to benefit from use of the Internet will be limited by its members’ and constituents’ use of and sophistication with the technology. For example, if no potential members use the World Wide Web, a recruitment page is useless. Listservers can only reach members with e-mail. A corollary of this principle is that at some point, it may benefit an organization to systematically improve its members' sophistication (i.e., getting Internet access for hold-outs whose inclusion in organizational communication is essential or training members in the skills and etiquette of e-mail use).
Final Thoughts
We have attempted to provide organizations with a starting point for considering
how their goals and objectives can be promoted by using the Internet.
The framework provided here can be employed in low-budget strategic planning
for use of the new technology. The rapid pace of technological development
creates a very short shelf life for any plan addressing Internet use.
An organization must be prepared to regularly reconsider and adapt its
Internet strategies. And, as an organization’s use becomes more sophisticated,
so should its frequency of revisiting strategy.
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