Online social networking communities can help strengthen professional ties among members of almost any profession. How useful they are to the engineering professions in contributing to the process of intergenerational knowledge transfer depends on the site. Prior to the popularity of online communications and networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, Power Industry engineers have utilized with varying success a number of knowledge transfer facilitation tools, both within their companies and outside them. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of both traditional and emerging methods and present specific examples that address technical issues, learning styles, differences in generational approaches to learning and communication. Issues relating to global needs in the engineering profession, organizational flexibility, the ability of people and organizations to adapt and change, and educational and workforce challenges will also be discussed. Short case studies illustrating various solutions for addressing some of these issues, including development of useful technical content and formation of communities of practice, will also be provided.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME 2014 Power Conference
July 28–31, 2014
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Power Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4608-7
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Does Online Social Networking Automatically Lead to 21st Century Communities of Practice?
Jane A. Hutt
Jane A. Hutt
International Generator Technical Community, Olympia, WA
Search for other works by this author on:
Jane A. Hutt
International Generator Technical Community, Olympia, WA
Paper No:
POWER2014-32273, V001T04A004; 8 pages
Published Online:
November 19, 2014
Citation
Hutt, JA. "Does Online Social Networking Automatically Lead to 21st Century Communities of Practice?." Proceedings of the ASME 2014 Power Conference. Volume 1: Fuels and Combustion, Material Handling, Emissions; Steam Generators; Heat Exchangers and Cooling Systems; Turbines, Generators and Auxiliaries; Plant Operations and Maintenance; Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM); Plant Systems, Structures, Components and Materials Issues. Baltimore, Maryland, USA. July 28–31, 2014. V001T04A004. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/POWER2014-32273
Download citation file:
11
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Articles
Professional Networking
Mechanical Engineering (January,2013)
Positions of Power
Mechanical Engineering (January,2010)
Results of Experiments and Models for Predicting Stability Limits of Turbulent Swirling Flames
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power (April,1998)
Related Chapters
Anticipating and Promoting Change
Change Management: Concepts and Practice (The Technical Manager's Survival Guides)
A New Approach to Annotate Web Images and how to Search for the Personal Images
International Conference on Computer Technology and Development, 3rd (ICCTD 2011)
Link Prediction in Social Network by SNA and Supervised Learning
International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Technology (ICMET-London 2011)