The Concept of E-Collaboration

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Table of Contents

Boundaries of e-collaboration
Collaboration as the future of invention
Online collaboration
The future of E-collaboration
Doing business nowadays
Lesson

E-collaboration is defined as the process of integrating people engaged in a common task through electronic technologies. The concept of e-collaboration emerged in mid-1800s with the invention of the telegraph. However, invention of the telegraph was not effective and efficient in supporting individuals performing common tasks.

Discovery of email between early 1970s and 1980s culminated into attainment of the first e-collaboration technology. Due to increased innovation, what was referred to as the ARPANET has undergone significant transformations culminating into the current ubiquitous internet. The internet constitutes a network of computers which are interconnected through this technology.

Boundaries of e-collaboration

Boundaries mark the limits in addition to guiding future exploration. In addition, the boundaries are multifaceted and also interrelated. Some of these boundaries relate to theoretical boundaries, technical boundaries, use boundaries and conceptual boundaries. This combination of boundaries facilitates expansion of e-collaboration.

Collaboration as the future of invention

The concept of teamwork in relation to enhancing innovation is not a new phenomenon. Team members contribute new ideas and diverse knowledge resulting into effective and efficient innovations. Developments which have been witnessed in modern physics are as a result of teamwork. Another example of success of teamwork relates to the Manhattan project. This project was executed by a team of approximately 130,000 people who were working in 30 different sites in Europe and North America.

Online collaboration

In the 21^st century, management teams of various companies are considering amending their operational strategies. As a result, they are shifting from traditional methods of business operations and incorporating online collaboration. This arises from the fact that it has proved to be effective and efficient.

The future of E-collaboration

E-collaboration has overtaken traditional methods of doing business. Numerous businesses are increasingly considering the internets as one of the major tools which can enhance innovation. For example, the internet is currently being used as a source of information which entrepreneurs can use in the process of developing new products. Eventually, e-collaboration will transform the world into a village where people can easily communicate, exchange ideas and interact freely.

Doing business nowadays

Considering the rampant growth and development in technology, it is inefficient and ineffective for firms to operate using traditional methods. One of the factors whchi has contributed to increased transformation of the business is an increment in the intensity of competition. In order to compete successfully, firms it is paramount for firms to adopt modern ways of doing business.

Lesson

From the class, a number of issues in relation to how e-collaboration tools can be used to enhance learning were discussed. Some the tools considered included e-mails, wikis, chat, whiteboards, discussion boards, video conferencing and blogs. In addition, the study also included how the quality of e-collaboration can be enhanced. Ethical issues to be considered in the process of enhancing e-collaboration were also discussed.

This was achieved by undertaking a project in which the students developed a webquest. As a result, an understanding of the positive and negative issues associated with e-collaboration tools was gained. Through the study, an appreciation of how technological innovation will improve e-collaboration in the future was taken into account.

The various theories which affect the development of e-collaboration were also evaluated. These included the Task-Technology Fit theory, Knowledge Management Theory, Metcalfe’s Law and Adaptive Structuration theory. The challenges facing virtual teams which are enhanced by e-collaboration were analyzed.

This enabled students to appreciate these challenges so as to develop effective strategies to address them in an effort to attain objectives of their collaborative efforts. For example, some of the communication elements which are absent in virtual communication such as the non-verbal cues were considered.

Factors which aid in developing a good virtual team were evaluated. These include trust, team style and communication, purpose and commitment, group affiliation and identity. In addition, the study also included other elements which should be incorporated in order to facilitate e-collaboration.

In order to ensure success of e-collaboration, the need for assessment prior to implementation was considered. This was attained by undertaking a case study of existing social networking tools such as YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo and Facebook. The advantages and disadvantages of each site were analyzed.

The study also considered how e-collaboration can be integrated in business field in an effort to enhance performance. Finally, the future of e-collaboration was taken into account.

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