Abstract
This thesis explores how the company-closed microblogging service Yammer affects internal
knowledge sharing in Capgemini, a large, multinational consultancy company. The corporate
microblog is a character-limited blog technology where participants in principle can connect
to and exchange information with colleagues from all around the world. At present time, the
phenomenon that is corporate microblogging has received ample academic attention, but it
does seem that the technology has a considerable positive impact on knowledge-sharing
activities. Companies using Yammer have reported that they experience increased benefits in
terms of innovation, efficiency, increased inter-unit collaboration and improved, virtual
community building. This thesis explored how these benefits came about by collecting data
with a pilot survey through conducting in-depth interviews with active Yammer users. The
results suggest that Yammer facilitates the creation of new and more efficient communication
patterns, giving its users easier access to fellow colleagues. As a result of this new channel its
users solves solves problems faster and (sometimes better), get fast feedback on ideas, and are
able to locate and using old projects as references, to sell in new projects. Yammer was also
identified as a tool that could be used as a substitute for the informal water-cooler
conversations that was not available for people working from a customer location. The
corporate microblog does however struggle with low uptake among the employees in
Capgemini, and people using it do have conflicting perceptions as to whether the tool only
should be considered as a productivity utility, or of it could also be used for socialization
purposes.