Virtual Organizing: Using Threads to Coordinate Distributed Work
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4320-03.pdf
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Author(s)
Yates, Joanne
Orlikowski, Wanda J.
Woerner, Stephanie
Date Issued
August 1, 2003
Series/Report no.
MIT Sloan School of Management Working Paper;4320-03
Abstract
This paper explores the critical role of conversational threads in facilitating the ongoing,
distributed work of one virtual organization. In studying the electronic mail exchanges
of organizational members during one year, we found that they engaged in a range of
threading activity to establish and maintain continuity, coherence, and coordination in
their collaborative work over time. In particular, we found that organizational members
relied on simple threads to focus their attention and action on a particular topic over a
short period of time, concurrent threads to enable their participation in multiple topics
at the same time, and compound threads to allow provisional settlement of key issues
that were subsequently revisited over extended periods of time. We conclude by
discussing the implications of conversational threads for research and practice of virtual
organizing
Subjects
Virtual Organizing
Electronic Mail
Conversational Threads
Persistent DSpace Link
