The purpose of this study was to present the experience of knowledge sharing by applying wiki collaboration system as an experiment in a Taiwan Company. The findings of this study might be the reference resources to those who want to employ wiki system as the on-line knowledge-sharing tool in organizations. In this research, the researchers followed the Phenomenological research methodology to describe “What is the content and context of experience of on-line knowledge sharing through wiki application system for those people in case company?” The results shown that the essences of experience of knowledge sharing by applying wiki collaboration system come into four themes: mass collaboration with co-workers to construct knowledge, infrastructure of wiki collaboration system, collaborative knowledge sharing design, and scaffolding as the learning facilitator.
The first stage of the web is a static web sites and an accessing content. Web 2.0 is a trend in World Wide Web technology, and web design, a second generation of webbased communities and hosted services such as socialnetworking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies, which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing among users [
O’Reilly [
With the rapid evolution of blogs, wikis, social networking and bookmarking, and related applications offer rich users’ experiences where the process of knowing is a community-based, collaborative endeavor [
The term “wiki” refers to a social computing system that allows a group of users to initiate and evolve a hyper-linked set of Web pages using a simple markup language [
This study attempted to discover the experience of how participates sharing their knowledge when joined the experiment of wiki collaboration system as the tool on constructing document technical reports in the case company.
Web 2.0 breaks the traditional boundaries between the information providers and the passive audiences. An advantage of these technologies is that they are available when and where the user is available (just-in-time learning) [
A successful online example of this phenomenon is Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia that enables anyone with Web access to post articles on any topic, edit them or challenge their relevance [
The open principle solicits the constant interaction of wiki contributors through editing page syntax or content, and adding or correcting posted knowledgeelements that foster the social ties vital for knowledge sharing. A wiki environment is conducive to the constructivist learning theory, where trust enables an individual to express knowledge in order to construct it, and influence helps to refine knowledge [5,9]. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to understand the knowledge sharing experience of employees of a company through the Wiki collaboration system.
Garcia’ and VanÕ [
Driven by a knowledge economy, many organizations have recognized knowledge as a valuable intangible resource that holds the key to competitive advantages [
Knowledge sharing can define as a social interaction culture, involving the exchange of employee knowledge, experiences, and skills through the whole department or organization [
Kim and Lee [
The term “Wiki” was sourced by language of Hawaii, which means “super-fast”. Wikipedia is the website to let any users or visitors from anytime, anywhere can edit freely. “Wiki collaboration system” or “wiki Software” could operate and develop to accomplish the concept of mass collaboration. Wiki Software includes all the Wiki related software, such as web server, management database and Wiki Engine [
A wiki is a website that allows, and in fact encourages, users to share information by freely writing new content, adding to existing content, and editing or commenting on content. It can be viewed as an electronic version of a brainstorming session among colleagues when it works well, and it has the advantage of extending the session around the globe so that like-minded individuals can contribute productively to a discussion.
Gorman [
Wiki collaboration systems encourage student-centered learning environments, because they encourage students to be co-creators of course content. However, there are several problems with the traditional wiki paradigm for use in the classroom. This paper identifies these problems, and describes a system we implemented to solve them.
In order to exploring and describing the knowledge sharing experience of the participants in wiki collaboration system, we took Phenomenology as the perspective to analyzing corpus. This study adopted single case to analyze the data descriptively. This single case is about a company applying Mediawiki, the software of wiki system, to co-write the technical reports for RD staffs. We desire to introduce this exploratory experiment in order to demonstrate the innovative application in the concept of web 2.0. Quinn, Anderson et al. [
There are six aspects that composed factors affecting individual to share knowledge on-line, which were organizational culture, infrastructure of wiki collaboration system, rewarding system, work pressure, knowledge sharing design, and willingness of sharing knowledge [
There were more barriers for experienced employees to operate this system for co-write the technical report. The knowledge transfer will be limited through technical problems.
The tool itself provides convenience to end users including writers, readers, and managers inside the company. In the viewpoint of sharing resources in the organization, the wiki collaboration system combines with the organization intra-structure will lead more feasibility. All the employees joining in the project build the benefits of applying wiki collaboration system. The outcomes of the project are the processes that participants working together to cohere. The information renewal of wiki collaboration system use the way of branching to modifying the data. The benefits are leading to a more efficient pattern comparing with traditional file system management. New information will be accessed by users who exactly needed by just-in-time concept. The ultimate objective is that organizational employees are communitilized by the project. All members could collaborate with each other. Knowledge that shared in the discussion board needs to be adapted and induced by gatekeeper. In the other hand, wiki collaboration system presents the entire modifying log for anyone to perceive.
The case company adopted free wiki software to develop the intra-wiki co-write system such as Mediawiki and shareport. Language of wiki is a difficult barrier for RD staffs to use. For example, the double quotes are a specific part of wiki, which made RD staffs confused quite offen. Some systematic issue should be tailored, in order to eliminate the impact of corporation. Hyperlink in intra-net will be a convenient part for users to apply. In application viewpoint, managers can assign several certain topics to share and interact. Then managers can review the discussing log through the process, which is the most valuable part of wiki system in the web 2.0 environment.
The wiki system is easier to collecting data than other platform, such as Google the search engine because of the data convergence. But, the correctness of the content will be important concern, especially the no-supervisor condition. When thinking about implementing the wiki knowledge sharing system, organization design side will consider to developing by itself to customize to the organization design. In the application way, the functions and integrity of more than 256 kinds of wiki engines are different. From technical viewpoint, the database format will be the important issue to regard as as well as the compatibility with the intra-net system. Some employees are still used to web custom. They need more experience in practice. The wiki participants are qualified in the characteristics and experience. The content validity to be delivered will be confirmed.
The facilitators need to recommend this system to the executive level to let them realize the benefit of the wiki system for sharing the synchronous knowledge with openness. Users will feel free to use this system when they become conscious that the system will help the workflow so well. Inside the organization, the employees are used to communicate by phone or face-to-face. The success factors will follow the development of environment. When the web 2.0 concept becomes maturely in the business side, the wiki will be adopted to working process without more barriers. The willingness of sharing knowledge will be more openly and actively.
The on-line knowledge sharing using wiki collaboration tool is a new model of knowledge management. The case company applied experimentally the open source - Mediawiki as the software system to co-write technical reports within intra-net. The experiment showed good expanding functions for RD staffs to discuss and interact intelligence and experience from on-line discussion board to intra wiki collaboration system. The oriented training program of new system usage for participants is needed when conducting new system into the organization. Although the volunteers were very familiar to the on-line discussion board, they still had some difficulties to get used to the wiki collaboration system. Which means the operating process is the important guide to promote the willingness of users to adopting wiki collaboration system as the on-line knowledge sharing tool. It will also be an important issue to implement the wiki collaboration system to the entire company. The intra-net discussion board as the on-line knowledge-sharing tool has made the interaction patterns for RD staffs in the case company. To successfully applying the wiki collaboration system, the facilitators need to distinguish both the functions between wiki collaboration system and discussion board. As well as deal the barrier of adopting the wiki system such as familiar to wiki language.
The experiences were explored by this study. The meaning and explanation of knowledge sharing by applying wiki collaboration system are highly recommended to be the further research topic.