Development of a Communication Analysis System for Detecting Isolated Users in Slack
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52731/liir.v005.312Keywords:
business chat data, network analysis, social isolation, social graphAbstract
In recent years, various online communication tools such as Slack and Teams have been attracting attention. Unlike email, these tools have the advantage of reducing information oversight by enabling closed communication within an organization. Furthermore, they are more useful than email as they allow for easy messaging in a chat format and the ability to organize conversations by topic (a feature known as channels in Slack). Additionally, with the spread of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these tools have become increasingly utilized in many companies.
On the other hand, a drawback of online communication is that it becomes difficult to notice things that were visible in the workplace before. For example, employees who feel isolated and have trouble fitting into the organization could be discerned from their presence in the office or their expressions, but this is less visible online. Similarly, it’s harder to gauge the atmosphere of teams that are not performing well. In this study, to address these issues caused by the emphasis on online communication, we designed and developed a system to analyze online communication histories. We defined i ndicators to i dentify i solated users and developed a system capable of analyzing and visualizing data from the widely used Slack. In this paper, we outline the system, discuss the results of organizational analysis using the system, and provide insights into future prospects.
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