Skip to main content

Abstract

The current chapter discusses issues related to the use of the wiki technology at the workplace for social knowledge collaboration and sharing. This kind of technology is principally flexible and free in the sense of allowing people to create, edit, and shape content collaboratively. However, this chapter argues that the application and use of a wiki within an organizational setting might be influenced by social and structural properties that govern collaboration and sharing. It is based on empirical data obtained through 11 semi-structured interviews with employees working for a large multinational organization. The theory of structuration was used as a theoretical framework to guide the empirical inquiry. Eventually, the chapter concludes with discussing a number of structures associated with evolving norms, interpretations, and resources that govern and shape the use of a wiki as a tool for social and open collaboration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Cole, M., Avison, D.: The potential of hermeneutics in information systems research. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 16, 820–833 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Cunningham, W.: Wiki design principles. http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiDesignPrinciples (2004). Accessed Oct 2011

    Google Scholar 

  3. Danis, C., Singer, D.: A wiki instance in the enterprise: opportunities, concerns, and reality. In: Proceedings of the Computer Supported Cooperative Work, San Diego, USA (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Faraj, S., Jarvenpaa, S., Majchrzak, A.: Knowledge collaboration in online communities. Organ. Sci. 22(5), 1224–1239 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gruber, T.: Collective knowledge systems: where the social web meets the semantic web. Web Semant. 6, 4–13 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Happel, H., Treitz, M.: Proliferation in enterprise wikis. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, Carry le Rouet, France (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hasan, H., Pfaff, C.: Emergent conversational technologies that are democratizing Information Systems in organizations: the case of the corporate Wiki. In: Proceedings of the Information Systems Foundations (ISF): Theory, Representation and Reality Conference, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Holtzblatt, L., Damianos, L., Weiss, D.: Factors Impeding Wiki Use in the Enterprise: a case study. In: Proceedings of the 28th ACM Conference on Human Computer Interaction, Atlanta, USA (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Jones, M., Karsten, H.: Review: Structuration Theory and Information Systems Research. Research papers in management studies, Judge Institute of Management, University of Cambridge, England (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Jones, M., Karsten, H.: Gidden’s structuration theory and information systems research. Manag. Inf. Syst. Q. 32(1), 127–157 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jones, M., Orlikowski, W., Munir, K.: Structuration Theory and Information Systems: a critical reappraisal. In: Mingers, J., Willcocks, L. (eds.) Social Theory and Philosophy for IS. Wiley, West Sussex (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kaplan, A., Haenlein, M.: Users of the world unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Bus. Horizons. 53, 59–68 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Klein, H., Myers, M.: A set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive field studies in information systems. Manag. Inf. Syst. Q. 1(23), 67–94 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kosonen, M., Kianto, A.: Applying wikis to managing knowledge—a socio-technical approach. Knowl. Process. Manag. 16(1), 23–29

    Google Scholar 

  15. Majchrzak, A., Wagner, C., Yates, D.: Corporate wiki users: results of a survey. In: Proceedings of WikiSym’06, Odense, Denmark (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  16. McAfee, A.: Enterprise 2.0: new collaborative tools for your organization’s toughest challenges. McGraw-Hill Professional, Boston (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  17. O’Reilly, T.: What is Web 2.0: design patterns and business models for the next generation of software. Commun. Strategy. 65, 17–37 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Orlikowski, W.: The duality of technology: rethinking the concept of technology in organization. Organ. Sci. 3(3), 398–427 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Orlikowski, W.: Using technology and constituting structures: a practice lens for studying technology in organizations. Organ. Sci. 11(4), 404–428 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Orlikowski, W., Robey, D.: Information technology and the structuring of organizations. Inf. Syst. Res. 2(2), 143–169 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y.: Online motivational factors: incentives for participation and contribution in Wikipedia. In: Barak, A. (ed.). Psychological Aspects of Cyberspace: Theory, Research, Applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rose, J.: Evaluating the contribution of structuration theory to the IS discipline. In: Baets, W. (ed.) Proceedings of the 6th European Conference on Information Systems, pp. 910–924, Euro-Arab Management School, Aix-en-Provence, France (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rowlands, B.: Employing interpretive research to build theory of information systems practice. Australas. J. Inf. Syst. 10(2), 3–22 (2003)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  24. Stenmark, D.: Web 2.0 in the business environment: the new Intranet of a passing hype?. In: Proceedings of the 16th European Conference on Information Systems, Galway, Ireland (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Walsham, G.: Knowledge management systems: representation and communication in context. J. Commun. Inf. Technol. Work. 1(1), 6–18 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Yates, D., Wagner, C., Majchrzak, A.: Factors affecting shapers of organizational wikis. J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci. Technol. 61(3), 543–554 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Osama Mansour .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag London

About this paper

Cite this paper

Mansour, O. (2012). The Not-So-Open Wikis: Structures of Collaboration At Work. In: Dugdale, J., Masclet, C., Grasso, M., Boujut, JF., Hassanaly, P. (eds) From Research to Practice in the Design of Cooperative Systems: Results and Open Challenges. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4093-1_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4093-1_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4092-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4093-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics