Stumbling blocks or stepping stones? Overcoming barriers to e-collaboration in communities of practice

Advances in both managerial theory and information systems have paved the way for organizations to take advantage of the next electronic era, the era of collaboration. One of the key beneficiaries of successful e-collaboration are communities of practice. To optimize the possibilities inherent to e-collaboration one must understand group theory as well as information system management because both human and technical issues present obstacles and opportunities. This paper summarizes key technical and nontechnical barriers to adopting and utilizing e-collaboration in organizations, and presents solutions for turning e-collaboration stumbling blocks into organizational stepping-stones.