Employee rants

"Finnish mobile phone company Nokia is an unquestioned leader in the smartphone market, with 38 per cent of the global handset market, twice as much as number two Samsung. But between the bad economy and competitors like Apple, RIM, Motorola, and Palm, that lead has been dropping steadily."
"One of their solutions: Leverage social media and encourage critiques of the company by its own employees – inviting push-back that most firms would have shut down. Nokia set up online environments called BlogHub and Sphere specifically to encourage and capture employee rants on what they think needs changing – from its purchasing practices to how its software works."
"More than an electronic suggestion box, these push-backs and critiques flow right into company R&D, which includes nearly one out of every three Nokia employees, or thirty-nine thousand people. Rapid changes in its touch screens, keyboards, and specialised local services for customers all have their origins in employee rants."
"The key to all this? Senior management being 'as open as you can be. Don't fear the social media space – embrace it. Accept and acknowledge criticism where it is fair. Don't just listen to feedback and comment – act on it,' says Molly Schonthal, who heads social media for Nokia North America.'"
('Hacking Work: Breaking stupid rules for smart results' by Bill Jensen and Josh Klein, p. 106 Penguin)