When is virtual virtuous
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The document examines the role of virtual communities in knowledge sharing and collaboration, highlighting both their potential and challenges. It argues that while virtual communication can foster knowledge flows, it also faces obstacles such as cultural differences and lack of trust. The author emphasizes the necessity for organizations to develop socio-technical tools and foster an open culture to effectively engage in virtual collaboration.
When is virtual virtuous
- 1. InnoSpring Access 2007 WHEN IS VIRTUAL VIRTUOUS? ”What we do know is that the technology of virtuality, with its power both to separate people and draw them together, calls out for examination…” (Cohen & Prusak, 2001, 21) Knowledge-intensive environment is deeply rooted in open sharing and creation of knowledge. Creative communities can be either physical, mental, or virtual (Sawhney & Prandelli, 2000). From innovation viewpoint, it is useful to understand organizations as a set of social communities, operating on various interfaces and having different time perspectives. Technology-resistant luddites of the 1990s were afraid of wolves, which did not come. Instead, we have seen Web 2.0 to appear. Internet is not a force of nature with a huge destruction capacity, breaking existing social networks – instead, it can be thought as their extension (Uslaner, 2000). For some reason we still tend to think like in the ages of information: virtual communication is always temporary and superficial in nature, all social cues are missing, and cooperation cannot be systematically coordinated because of the lack of mediating norms. If any of these arguments held true, no successful virtual community would exist. However, we do know this is not the case. A virtual community allows people to co-operate and share knowledge despite the limits of time, space and traditional organization. Community members share a common interest, upon which they ground their norms and frames, and over time adopt roles that seem most applicable for them. While others become leaders, others contribute knowledge and co-operate actively; most members, however, stay at the background. It is evident that virtuality also sets challenges for the social processes of knowledge creation. Communication is impeded by cultural differences, lack of commitment, lack of trust, and unclarity of shared meanings and language (Ardichvili et al., 2003; Wasko & Faraj, 2005). Knowledge flows will be paralyzed if there are no shared procedures, practices and common values. Building shared understanding requires time and in purely virtual environment this process is even slower than in face-to-face settings. It is important for management to understand the frames of virtual community-based collaboration and trust its employees – the Net is not a channel for monitoring or control but for more open knowledge. Also, community-supporting tools should be developed and implemented on a socio-technical basis, not forged by technology. By applying new communication tools, companies strive for cost savings, efficiency, customer- orientation, and better information management, to name a few. Fundamentally, the key issue seems to be individuals’ and groups’ capability and motivation to apply virtual technologies as a form of social interaction. For capable organizations, the Net offers new opportunities to build groups of peers, share knowledge more openly and flexibly, and to engage in on-going dialogue with partners and customers. M.Sc. (Econ.), Researcher Miia Kosonen is currently working on her PhD, studying virtual communication and the related social processes. E-mail: miia.kosonen@lut.fi Gsm: +358 50 586 2853 Blog: http://verkkoyhteisot.blogspot.com