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Title:
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WIKI VS. EMAIL - UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATION WITHIN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES |
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Author(s):
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Osama Mansour |
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ISBN:
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978-972-8939-40-3 |
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Editors:
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Piet Kommers, Nik Bessis and Pedro Isaías |
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Year:
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2011 |
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Edition:
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Single |
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Keywords:
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Wiki, Email, Collaboration, Communities of Practice (CoPs), Knowledge Sharing. |
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Type:
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Full Paper |
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First Page:
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20 |
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Last Page:
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28 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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The email has been for many years now an indispensable organizational tool for personal communication and group collaboration. However, recently, the evolution of the wiki technology has introduced novel forms of open collaboration and flexible communication. More organizations are increasingly adopting and using this technology at the workplace. This paper reports on results from an interpretive case study which explored the evolution in collaborative and communicative practices. It examined the perceptions of members of communities of practice towards the differences between using a wiki and an email for collaboration within their communities. The case was primarily based on 16 interviews at a large multinational organization. The paper concludes with rich insights into five themes which characterize the major differences between wiki and email collaboration. These themes are nature or purpose of use, patterns or forms of collaboration, technological characteristics, representation of content, and habitual behavior. |
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