The Wisdom of Collaborative Network Organizations: Capturing the Value of Networked Individuals

Prometheus, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 211-230, September 2008

43 Pages Posted: 14 Jul 2008 Last revised: 14 Oct 2011

See all articles by William H. Dutton

William H. Dutton

GCSCC Computer Science University of Oxford

Date Written: June 1, 2008

Abstract

Digital networks, particularly the Internet, are used widely to search for information and to share expertise and knowledge between peers. Such collaborative problem solving and co-creation of services and products go beyond traditional organizational boundaries and geographical constraints, raising major questions about how to manage networked individuals and capture the value of their activities. This paper conveys the findings of a series of case studies designed to explore these questions. This led to a framework for categorizing the networks which suggests the management and performance of 'collaborative network organizations' will be contingent on the ways in which they are used to reconfigure information and communication flows for the distributed sharing, generation or co-creation of content.

Keywords: collaborative working, distributed problem solving networks, organisational change, information and communication technologies, network society, wisdom of crowds

Suggested Citation

Dutton, William H., The Wisdom of Collaborative Network Organizations: Capturing the Value of Networked Individuals (June 1, 2008). Prometheus, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 211-230, September 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1150394

William H. Dutton (Contact Author)

GCSCC Computer Science University of Oxford ( email )

Department of Computer Science
Robert Hooke Bldg 010
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3PR
United Kingdom

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
687
Abstract Views
5,224
Rank
75,116
PlumX Metrics