The use of computer conferencing as an organizational knowledge transfer tool

William G Pope, Pace University

Abstract

Electronic bulletin boards allow for asynchronous communications among organizational members in both open and restricted contexts. How do organization members use the media when access is unrestricted? How is knowledge diffusion affected by electronic asynchronous communication? The focus of my study is the systematic investigation of a mature subject matter oriented computer conference openly available to a large organization experiencing technological change. My thesis is that, given these conditions, users of computer conferencing diffuse private knowledge by collaboratively solving problems and that a small subset of prolific contributors stimulate the participation of others. The research found that the predominant use of the electronic bulletin board was an organization-wide problem solving process that transferred private knowledge. Key organizational implications were found. First, a significant amount of private knowledge was harvested from a broad population of organization members. Second, a small set of contributors functioned as discourse leaders whose prolific participation not only provided a rich source of knowledge but also catalyzed the participation of others, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of knowledge transfer.

Subject Area

Management|Information science|Communication

Recommended Citation

Pope, William G, "The use of computer conferencing as an organizational knowledge transfer tool" (2001). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI3149855.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI3149855

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