Groupware Support for Operational Management: How to Utilize Groupware Tools to Support Operational Management Functions and Tasks

This work presents conceptual models about the operational management and groupware. The work of the operational management is divided into different management functions. The tasks related to these functions can be identified from the work of the operational managers. Each task has a special needs for interaction, information and knowledge. Groupware tools are categorized and examined from three dimensions: interaction, information and knowledge creation. The model about groupware tools elucidates: 1) what kind of groupware tools exists, 2) what kind of interaction can be supported, 3) what kind of information can be supported and 4) what kind of knowledge creation can be supported. The results of this work are the framework about groupware support for the operational management and the empirical models about operational management and groupware utilization. Presented criteria about interaction, information and knowledge creation are also important for the holistic evaluation of the results. From the practical point of view, developed framework indicates how groupware modules could be used to facilitate the work of the operational managers.