ABSTRACT
From four research streams – the strategy, organization, knowledge-based, and information systems views – this chapter clarifies the characteristics of fractal community organizations, new organizational structures that promote the use of collaboration systems to combine “exploration” for new business development with “exploitation” for growth of existing business. The use of collaboration systems in fractal community organizations is a strategic IT application that generates and develops IT-enabled knowledge communities within and among companies, including customers, combines exploration for new business development with exploitation for the growth of existing businesses, and brings competitiveness to companies.
As fractal community organizations, networked collaborative organizations promote the establishment of triad knowledge communities (triad KC), which consist of layered IT-enabled knowledge communities (online KC) within and outside companies. Triad KC, which utilize collaboration systems, create new boundaries innovation by integrating IT-enabled dynamic capabilities with IT-enabled ordinary capabilities, thus making them an important management force for companies to achieve sustainable growth in the long term.
