Collaboration Engineering:

Designing Collaboration

Processes & Systems

 

Collaboration & Knowledge

Management

 

Chair(s):                          

Tom L. Roberts (primary contact)

Louisiana Tech University

Management and Computer Information Systems Department

Phone: (318)  257-3768 FAX: (318) 257-4253

e-mail: troberts@latech.edu

 

Alanah Davis

University of Nebraska at Omaha & Delft University of Technology

Department of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis

Phone: (402) 554-2084  FAX: (402) 554-3400

e-mail: alanahdavis@mail.unomaha.edu

 

Gert-Jan de Vreede

University of Nebraska at Omaha & Delft University of Technology

Department of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis

Phone: (402) 554-2026  FAX: (402) 554-3400

e-mail: gdevreede@mail.unomaha.edu

Description:

Collaboration Engineering aims to create recurring collaboration processes that support the execution of high-value organizational tasks and can be transferred to self-sustaining groups using collaboration techniques & technology. Its goal is to create simple, effective designs with predictable success. These designs should be used in self-sustaining groups. A key focus within Collaboration Engineering is the design and evaluation of re-usable and predictable collaboration design components.

 

As the importance of (inter)-organizational collaboration continues to grow, an increasing amount of platforms and software products become available to support collaboration support. Experiences from research and practice show that the successful use of these products by groups is by no means a trivial matter. This research area aims to identify the key concepts behind effective and self-sustained collaboration in organizations, to enable a more profound design and implementation of technology enabled collaboration processes.

 

Collaboration Engineering has firm ties to the larger IS research field. Collaboration Engineering addresses issues of technology design, technology transition, human computer interaction, technology acceptance, the impact of IT on group work, and cognitive aspects of computer use. 

 

Themes and topics of relevance to this minitrack include, but are not limited to:

    Collaborative Technology in Action

    ·         Descriptive studies of practical applications

    ·         Success Stories of actual use of collaborative technology

    ·         Global applications of Collaborative Software

     

    Collaboration Technology Adoption, Adaptation, and Transition

    ·         Theories for technology acceptance, use, and diffusion

    ·         Studies on the efficacy of interventions intended to introduce collaborative technologies in an organization

    ·         Theory and practice of creating self sustained collaboration communities in organizations

     

    Design approaches for collaboration processes & technologies

    ·         Measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of collaboration processes and systems

    ·         Theories and guidelines for designing collaboration processes

    ·         Strategies for designing collaboration processes & technologies

    ·         Modeling techniques for collaboration and information exchange in groups

    ·         Theoretical foundations of quality measuring constructs relating to mission-critical tasks for which collaboration processes and systems must be designed

     

    Collaboration Technology

    ·         Building robustness into collaboration systems

    ·         Building flexibility and longevity into collaboration systems

    ·         Design principles for collaboration technology

    ·         Proof of concepts – examples of breakthrough collaboration technologies

    ·         Collaboration software architectures

     

    Collaboration techniques and methods

    ·         Studies on the effectiveness of existing and new techniques for divergence (brainstorming), convergence, coordination, communication, organization, evaluation, and consensus building

    ·         ThinkLets (collaboration process building blocks) – development, field experiences, laboratory evaluation

    ·         Group processes for requirements specification & analysis in virtual and global projects and in using agile analysis and design techniques

    ·         Collaborative Risk Management

     

    Facilitation support for collaboration processes

    ·         Effects of facilitation interventions on collaboration performance

    ·         Styles of facilitation

    ·         Embedding facilitation support in groupware technology

    ·         Facilitation of dispersed group processes

    ·         Facilitation guidelines for different socio-cultural environments

    ·         Ethical issues around facilitation

      

 

 

 AMCIS 2007 Colorado        http://www.biz.colostate.edu/amcis07/       Key Dates:

Paper Abstracts Due (optional)

: 

Monday, February 5, 2007

Papers Due:

 

Monday, March 5, 2007

Notification of Acceptance:

 

Monday, April 16, 2007

Camera Ready Copy Due:

 

Monday, April 30, 2007