The impact of knowledge management systems (KMS) on organizations grows rapidly. Increasingly, corporations are also using wikis to support employee collaboration and knowledge management (cf. Wagner, 2004, p. 104). A 2008 study by Gartner indicates that this year half of all US companies will use wikis (Morse, 2008). Wikis allow open collaboration in organizations and offer great potential for teamwork and knowledge management (KM). Using this potential for organizations in research context is a difficult task, because user groups are smaller and many tools already exist. It is therefore crucial to understand what makes a wiki successful. This seminar paper investigates the success factors of wikis derived from practical surveys, classifies them for relevance to small organizations and finally builds a wiki success model based on IS research and the practical success factors found.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Problem Definition and Objectives
1.2 Course of Investigation
2 Wiki Success for Small Organizations
2.1 Wiki Characteristics
2.2 Success Factors for Small Organizations
3 Success Measurement Model
3.1 Information System Success
3.2 Related Basic Theories
3.2.1 Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
3.2.2 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
3.2.3 Information Systems Success Model of DeLone & McLean
3.2.4 Model Suitability for Wikis in Small Organizations
3.3 Adapted Models
3.3.1 Updated D&M IS Success Model (2003)
3.3.2 Success Model by Nelson & Todd (2005)
3.3.3 KMS Success Model by Clay et al. (2005)
3.3.4 KMS Success Model by Wu & Wang (2006)
3.3.5 KMS Success Model of Kulkarni (2007)
3.3.6 Knowledge Sharing Research
4 Adaption to Wiki Success
4.1 Wiki Success Model
4.2 Variables
4.2.1 Knowledge Quality
4.2.2 System Quality
4.2.3 Perceived Wiki Benefits
4.2.4 Motivation
4.2.5 User Satisfaction
4.2.6 Knowledge Use
5 Conclusion
5.1 Discussion and Limitations
5.2 Future Research
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to investigate success factors for wikis within small organizations and to construct a tailored wiki success model based on existing information systems (IS) research. By analyzing practical success factors and mapping them against theoretical models, the paper aims to provide a framework that explains how wikis can be effectively implemented and evaluated in small-scale professional environments.
- Analysis of wiki characteristics and their relevance for small organizations.
- Evaluation of traditional IS success theories, including TRA, TAM, and the DeLone & McLean model.
- Examination of adapted success models in knowledge management and sharing contexts.
- Mapping of practical success factors to theoretical variables to form a comprehensive wiki success model.
- Discussion of variables such as knowledge quality, motivation, and system usage.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Wiki Characteristics
Wikis were introduced by Ward Cunningham in 1994, under the name WikiWikiWeb (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001, p. 3). In Hawaiian the word “wikiwiki” means “quick”. „A WikiWikiWeb (aka wiki) is an open source collaborative server technology that enables users to access, browse, and edit hypertext pages in a real-time context” (Leuf & Cunningham, 2001, p. 442). “This makes a wiki a simple and easy-to-use platform for cooperative work on texts and hypertexts” (Ebersbach, Glaser, Heigl, & Warta, 2007, p. 12).
The aim of wikis is to create a set of dynamically linked pages. A simple markup language is used to connect the linked words to new pages. This process does not require a deep technical knowledge and can be accomplished easily. The nature of this idea leads to the necessity of the existence of a user group willing to contribute individual knowledge to a shared knowledge base. Kousetti (2008, p. 1) and Schaffert (2006, p. 1 f.) describe the following key characteristics of Wikis:
Easy Editing: The content can be edited in a browser, resulting in minimal technical requirements. No additional client software has to be installed. The navigation, access and update of Wiki content is easy and can be conducted from the contributor’s point of access (cf. Ebersbach et al., 2007, p. 15).
Simplified Wiki Syntax: Wiki systems use a simplified hypertext format that is easy to learn and use for non-technical users. No knowledge of HTML is required. However, most Wikis enable the integration of more complex content via HTML or Widgets. As markup constructs are necessary for linking and embedding more complex content; limited expertise is required (cf. Schaffert, 2006, p. 1).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Defines the problem regarding wiki usage in small organizations and outlines the research questions and investigation methodology.
2 Wiki Success for Small Organizations: Details key wiki characteristics and evaluates success factors specifically tailored for small organizational settings.
3 Success Measurement Model: Reviews fundamental IS success theories and explores adapted models from various domains including Knowledge Management Systems (KMS).
4 Adaption to Wiki Success: Presents the developed wiki success model, discusses the variables and hypotheses, and provides a systematization of the measurement approach.
5 Conclusion: Discusses the findings of the study, outlines the limitations, and provides recommendations for future research in this field.
Keywords
Wiki, Small Organizations, Information Systems, Success Measurement, Knowledge Management, KMS, DeLone & McLean, Technology Acceptance Model, Knowledge Quality, System Quality, User Satisfaction, Motivation, Knowledge Sharing, Wiki Success Model, Collaborative Editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this seminar paper?
The paper focuses on determining the factors that contribute to the success of wikis in small organizations and proposes a model to measure this success based on existing information systems research.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include the characteristics of wikis, traditional IS success models (TRA, TAM, D&M), the adaptation of these models for knowledge management, and the identification of success factors relevant to small team environments.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to develop a wiki success model by identifying practical success factors and mapping them to theoretically validated variables derived from literature.
Which scientific method is applied in this research?
The research uses a qualitative analysis approach, examining literature on existing IS and KMS success models to adapt and construct a new model specifically suited for the wiki context in small organizations.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body reviews wiki characteristics, analyzes basic IS theories, compares various adapted models (like those of Clay et al. and Kulkarni), and details the construction and variables of the proposed wiki success model.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include Wiki, Information Systems, Success Measurement, Knowledge Management, System Quality, Knowledge Quality, and User Satisfaction.
Why is the D&M model chosen as the foundation for the proposed wiki success model?
The D&M model is selected because it is a comprehensive and multidimensional model that includes user acceptance, which is considered crucial for social software like wikis.
How does the proposed model handle the concept of 'motivation'?
The model introduces 'motivation' as a new construct, dividing it into organizational motivation (incentive, leadership, recognition) and sharing motivation (teamwork, altruism, enjoyability) to better explain user behavior.
What role do 'small organizations' play in the study?
The study specifically filters and evaluates success factors based on their relevance to small organizational contexts, noting that factors like flat hierarchies or specific knowledge sharing cultures are more critical in these environments than in large corporations.
- Quote paper
- B. Sc. Mathias Riechert (Author), 2011, Measuring the Success of a Wiki for Small Organizations, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/171757
