| Towards Improved Community-supporting Systems Design: A Study of Professional Community Activity (2005) | |||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||
| In this paper, we analyze design factors for community systems in two real-world professional communities a learning network and an expert network which employ a mix of communication modes, i.e., face-to-face communication and computer-mediated communication. Our objectives are to determine which design factors influence community activity, and therefore community output, and to give recommendations for the improved design of community systems supporting professional communities using a mix of communication modes.Given the lack of studies on the design of community-supporting systems in professional communities, which employ a mix of communication modes, our study is exploratory and based on action research. To illustrate similarities and to enhance the generalizability of our findings, we analyzed two real-world professional communities in-depth, namely a learning network and an inter-organizational expert network.Our study shows that face-to-face communication is the primary mode of communication in these communities; community systems only have a supporting function. This leads us to some design guidelines for systems supporting such communities: Generally, community systems have to support work processes and relationship development of professional communities. Important functions for work process support are functions that support face-to-face meetings (for preparation and wrap-up of meetings) and that explicitly support specific work processes. Important functions for relationship development are functions that enable or facilitate face-to-face meetings, e.g., member profiles. In contrast, functions that do not support face-to-face meetings or are not explicitly assigned to work processes or relationship development are dispensable and should not be implemented. Also, functions for general computer-mediated communication, e.g., chat or general discussion areas are mostly dispensable. | |||||||||||
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