[AISWorld] International Journal of e-Collaboration (IJeC) Volume 6, Issue 3, July-September 2010

[Ned Kock]

The contents of the latest issue of:

International Journal of e-Collaboration (IJeC)
Official Publication of the Information Resources Management Association
Volume 6, Issue 3, July-September 2010 
Published: Quarterly in Print and Electronically
ISSN: 1548-3673 EISSN: 1548-3681
Published by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA
www.igi-global.com/ijec

Editor-in-Chief: Ned Kock, Texas A&M International University, USA

PAPER ONE

Communication Genres for Dispersed Real-Time Collaboration (RTC): The Role
of Presence and Awareness

Frank Frößler (University College Dublin, Ireland)

E-collaboration systems have become the backbone infrastructure to support
virtual work in and across organizations. Fuelled by recent technology
trends, the market today offers an abundance of systems that often support a
wide range of communication and collaboration features. In this article, the
author presents a study that sheds light on the market for e-collaboration
systems by structuring the range of available systems into meaningful
classes. Samples of ninety-four e-collaboration systems are characterized
using a classification approach. The author describes the system classes and
discusses trends of systems integration and convergence.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=44907 

PAPER TWO

Self-Regulation in Instant Messaging (IM): Failures, Strategies, and
Negative Consequences

Anabel Quan-Haase (University of Western Ontario, Canada)

In this paper, the author examines RTC and its implications on people’s
lives. This paper analyzes the production and reproduction of presence and
awareness through (RTC-mediated) communication genres. Specifically, the
author argues that presence and awareness are two interrelated concepts.
Four communication genres are presented, which people intentionally or
unintentionally draw on in dispersed settings to create awareness.
Furthermore, presence, understood as a person’s sensation of being perceived
by others in whatever he or she is doing, is influenced by the information
imparted through communication genres. The author argues that the sensation
of presence shapes the characteristics of communication genres and that RTC
technology modifies existing or enables new communicative practices.
Consequently, emerging RTC technologies may affect the sensation of presence
in dispersed settings. The line of argument is developed by presenting the
working conditions and communication practices of a university professor,
working on several projects with both dispersed and co-located colleagues. 

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=44908 

PAPER THREE

Instant Messaging in Global Software Teams

Suling Zhang (Kean University, USA) 
Felix Köbler ( Technische Universität München, Germany ) 
Marilyn Tremaine (Rutgers University, USA) 
Allen Milewski (Monmouth University, USA)

Instant Messaging (IM) has been strictly forbidden in some companies as an
unproductive use of time and exists in others via unsanctioned employee
actions without explicit approval or directive from upper management. This
paper examines a set of globally distributed software teams in a company
that has explicitly installed and integrated IM capabilities with its
collaboration management tools. Through a set of semi-structured interviews
and the application of adaptive structuration theory, this study finds that
because of the unique characteristics of global software development, IM is
a highly useful tool for maintaining team cohesiveness and supporting team
communication. Although the study finds strong support for the value of IM,
it also identifies that the time distributed nature of the work, the
informality of the medium as it interacts with different cultures and the
productivity loss from IM’s interruptive nature are problematic. A set of
recommendations is made to address these problems. The paper concludes that
IM is a useful tool for global software development and its advantages
outweigh its problems.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=44909 

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For full copies of the above articles, check for this issue of the
International Journal of e-Collaboration (IJeC) in your institution's
library. This journal is also included in the IGI Global aggregated
“InfoSci-Journals” database: www.infosci-journals.com.
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CALL FOR PAPERS

Mission of IJeC:

The mission of the International Journal of e-Collaboration (IJeC) is to
publish papers that address the design and implementation of e-collaboration
technologies, assess the behavioral impacts of e-collaboration technologies
on individuals and groups, and present theoretical considerations on links
between the use of e-collaboration technologies and behavioral patterns.
This journal emphasizes technologies that include Web-based chat tools,
Web-based asynchronous conferencing tools, e-mail, listservs, collaborative
writing tools, group decision support systems, teleconferencing suites,
workflow automation systems, and document management technologies.

Coverage of IJeC:

Topics to be discussed in this journal include (but are not limited to) the
following:

Analysis of different research methods and their impact on the study of
e-collaboration technologies in organizations 
Collaborative writing tools 
Comprehensive reviews of previous studies on e-collaboration technologies in
organizations 
Design and evaluation of asynchronous learning networks (ALNs) in
organizational setting 
Design and evaluation of intelligent e-collaboration technologies in
organizational settings 
Design, implementation, and assessment of e-business solutions that include
e-collaboration features 
E-collaboration technologies impact on individuals and society 
E-collaboration technologies impact on knowledge management and
organizational learning 
E-collaboration technologies support for distributed process reengineering
and process improvement 
E-collaboration technologies support for quality certification programs 
E-collaboration technologies support for the creation of virtual teams and
virtual organizations 
E-mail 
Listservs 
Organizational and national culture as moderating factors in the adoption
and use of e-collaboration technologies in organizations 
Web-based asynchronous conferencing tools
Web-based chat tools

Interested authors should consult the journal's manuscript submission
guidelines at www.igi-global.com/ijec.

All inquiries and submissions should be sent to:
Editor-in-Chief: Ned Kock at nedkock at tamiu.edu