Thesis (DTech (Informatics))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The concept of virtual community of practice (VCoP) emanates from the need to create a new mode of learning and knowledge creation. It is found that highly structured forums are not necessarily the best way to assist people to learn and improve their knowledge. This then, requires organisations to seek alternative informal ways to share knowledge. The significance of optimising knowledge sharing results in VCoPs receiving considerable attention while searching for new ways to draw on expertise dispersed across global operations. This impacts organisations, thereby enabling them to respond more speedily to the demands of their stakeholders. The fast pace of change in their business environments is also a factor to contend with. Within this context, the use of VCoPs to optimise both, tacit and explicit knowledge sharing within stakeholders, is the central theme of this research. The findings from literature enables the researcher to explore scientific based models that may have the potential to enhance knowledge sharing in an enterprise. The Life Cycle knowledge flow model is found to be the most comprehensive compared to two other models – namely, a Spiral knowledge flow model and Dynamic knowledge flow model. The outflow from the findings in literature is that the Life Cycle knowledge flow model is selected as the basis to conduct two surveys to determine if the model could be adapted to improve knowledge sharing within VCoPs in particular, and in an enterprise in general. The result of the two surveys conducted (in 2011/2012 and 2016), leads to establishing an extended Life Cycle knowledge flow model. The established model enhances knowledge sharing within VCoPs, and in turn, assists when optimising knowledge sharing in an enterprise. This extended model covers six phases of knowledge development to improve knowledge sharing within VCoPs. The first phase enhances the creation of both, tacit and explicit knowledge. The second phase enables to optimise the organisation of knowledge. The third phase enables the formalisation of tacit knowledge, that is, conversion of tacit to explicit knowledge. The fourth phase improves the distribution of knowledge. The fifth phase enables to optimise the application of knowledge and the final phase enables the evolution or continuous development of knowledge. The contribution of this research proposes that a comprehensive knowledge flow model, namely the Life Cycle knowledge flow model found in literature, served as the basis for this research. However, this model was never tested or verified if it indeed optimises knowledge sharing within VCoPs. The two surveys (Survey One 2011/12 and Survey Two 2016) were developed and distributed to respondents to verify the model’s suitability to VcoPs. As a result of responses received from the two surveys, the researcher was then able to develop an extended Life Cycle knowledge flow model that particularly, optimises knowledge sharing within VCoPs. This research further contributes in formulating a scientific based knowledge flow model that can be adapted to social networks. Therefore, this research also creates the foundation to further study to investigate the optimisation of knowledge sharing in social networks. In recent literature, social networks are established as one of the informal mechanisms to share and enhance knowledge sharing in an enterprise.

University of Macau / Faculty of Arts and Humanities. / Department of English

Fu Li. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-186). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.2 / Acknowledgement --- p.4 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.5 / Is the Internet an agent of empowerment in Chinese journalism? --- p.6 / Thesis organization --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- "Theoretical Background and ""Mediationist"" Perspective" --- p.15 / "Changing technology, changing human communication" --- p.15 / Internet as a liberalizing force --- p.24 / Change or continuity? --- p.29 / The third way: a mediationist perspective --- p.33 / Concluding remarks --- p.37 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- "Internet, Journalists and Media Reform with a Chinese Character" --- p.39 / Hegemonic control: Institutional settings for China's Internet --- p.39 / Dancing with shackles: Journalists in China's media reform --- p.45 / Empowerment of journalists in a Chinese context --- p.58 / Concluding remarks --- p.60 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research Questions and Methodology --- p.62 / Research questions --- p.62 / Research methods --- p.64 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Chinese Journalists' Internet Usage in News Making --- p.72 / News resource --- p.74 / Reference framework --- p.82 / Supplementary media outlet channel --- p.86 / Concluding remarks --- p.89 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Patterns of the Internet's Impact on Journalists' News Making --- p.91 / Reinforcement of the media's surveillance role --- p.91 / Facilitation of news values reorientation --- p.101 / Promotion of news timeliness --- p.106 / Improvement of news making efficiency --- p.109 / Concluding remarks --- p.113 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Internet's Situational Empowerment on News Making Practices --- p.115 / Situationality of the Internet's impact --- p.116 / Characteristics of situational empowerment --- p.130 / Social mechanisms of situational empowerment --- p.147 / Concluding remarks --- p.154 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Conclusion and Discussion --- p.156 / Mediationist perspective on the Internet's impact on Chinese journalists --- p.158 / Implications for Chinese journalism reform --- p.161 / Limitations of the research --- p.164 / Appendices --- p.166 / Bibliography --- p.173

These results have implications for VC organizers as well as VC researchers. For researchers, the interpersonal relationship perspective of VC participation not only offers a comprehensive theoretical framework but also opens a new perspective for future research. / This dissertation contributes to virtual community research by proposing and empirically validating an exploratory theoretical framework from the interpersonal relationship perspective using two interpersonal behavior theories---the Triandis interpersonal behavior model and FIRO (Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation) to explain two types of VC participation---BOI (Behavior to Obtain Information) and BGI (Behavior to Give Information). Data was collected in three representative Chinese VCs. Data analysis results showed that the two interpersonal relationship theories are effective in explaining VC participation. Specifically, 53% of the variance of BOI and 41% of the variance of BGI are explained by the Triandis model. VC participation habit is found to have the largest positive effect on BOI and BGI. BOI also has a positive effect on BGI. The conclusion from the FIRO theory is that the three dimensions of FIRO---inclusion, control, and affection---constructed in two directions, wanted and expressed, significantly influence VC participation. Wanted and expressed inclusion have positive effects on both BOI and BGI; expressed control has a positive effect on BGI, and wanted control has a positive effect on both BOI and BGI; and expressed affection has a positive effect on BGI, and wanted affection has a positive effect on both BOI and BGI. / Virtual communities (VCs) have emerged as one of the most popular Internet services during the last decade and have been effective tools in knowledge management, customer relationship management, and other business related functions. The growth of VCs is crucial to VC operation, which mainly depends on the members and their participation. Only after the aggregation of a critical mass of members can VCs accumulate invaluable information and diversity to generate revenue for the VC organizers. Thus, understanding of VC participation is of importance to VC organizers. Although VC participation has been explored from diverse perspectives, few studies can offer a comprehensive theoretical framework to explain why people participate in VCs. / Li Honglei. / "September 2006." / Adviser: Siu King Vincent Lai. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3482. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-169). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Wong Sun Fai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-102). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter I: --- Introduction --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter II: --- A New Issue in Historiography / Chapter 2.1 --- Issues on Historiography in Recent Years --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2 --- Computer Game as a Topic of Historical Study --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter III: --- The Scope of Game/Play Studies / Chapter 3.1 --- Archeology of Game Studies: Historical Approach --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2 --- Anthropology and (Post-)structuralism --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3 --- Psychology and Pedagogy --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4 --- Cultural Studies and Recent Approaches --- p.45 / Chapter Chapter IV: --- Romance of Three Kingdoms / Chapter 4.1 --- The Company: KOEI --- p.52 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Simulation of History --- p.54 / Chapter 4.3 --- Controlling and Interactivity --- p.61 / Chapter 4.4 --- Digitalization of Historical Image --- p.65 / Chapter 4.5 --- Reconstructing of Historical Ideology --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter V: --- Reconstructing History / Chapter 5.1 --- Evolution of Medias --- p.76 / Chapter 5.2 --- Game as Media --- p.80 / Chapter 5.3 --- Virtual Reality and the Reconstruction of History --- p.84 / Chapter Chapter VI: --- Conclusion --- p.91 / Reference --- p.95

No description available.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Communication

 The relationship between Internet technology and human beings has been the main focus in the realm of Internet study. Those studies, generally speaking, either paid attention to the political, economical and social influences of the burgeoning Internet technology on human society, or focusing on the changing of human behavior, attitudes and psychological conditions in the Internet technological environment. Lacking of considering the core nature of Internet technology, most of studies, though proposed many insightful arguments, cannot explain why and in what way the Internet has such great influences on human beings. Since the Internet technology constructed the cyberspace, its relationship with human beings has been undoubtedly influenced by the inherent nature of the Internet. Examining the intrinsic nature and the bias of Internet technology, this study proposes the concept of cyber-micropower to describe the power relationships in the Internet field, and explores the origins of cyber-micropower. By investigating the formation and operational mechanism of the three kinds of cyber-micropower – information micropower, context micropower and subject micropower, this study provides a new analytical framework to the Internet study as well as understanding various cyberspace phenomena. The qualitative methods, especially critical literature research, online participant observation, and oral history are adopted to make thick description of various online phenomena, get empirical online data and develop the key concept of cyber-micropower. Particularly, the formation of information micropower is examined through the phenomenon of online free. Based on the analysis of online virtual identity, the formation process of context micropower and subject micropower can be developed. Then, the operational mechanism of cyber-micropower was mainly investigated through human flesh searching phenomenon. Briefly, this study argues that the bias of Internet technology is liquidity. As the core features of the Internet, both digitalization and networking of information directly reflect the widespread requiring for liquidity. This liquid Internet plays the role by empowering cyber subjects. Cyber-micropower, then, is the liquid networking relations among cyber subjects. During online interactions and the Internet use, cyber subjects always tend to make surveillance and self-surveillance, restriction and self-restriction, group participating and other ways, through which cyber subjects adapted to the new liquid cyber contexts and relations, as well as positioning their own locations in the liquid network. This new liquid disciplinary model in the “many watch the many” kind of cyberspace is the operational mechanism of cyber-micropower. Accordingly, disciplined cyber subjects and cyber conditions are like numerous panopticons superimposed together. Then, this study further argues that with the development of Internet technology, the liquid may be faster, and a larger scale of digitalization and intensive networking will follow. Such trends, though may liberate human beings initially, will go beyond humans’ ultimate state in the end. The liquid nature of information restricts cyber subjects’ ability of self-reflexive and understanding. And the liquid cyberspace may promote multiple and unstable virtual identities. As a result, cyber subjects’ cyber-micropower will become more fragile and sensitive. And the human nature may also be networked and liquefied gradually. Yet, when human beings become numerous nodes in the liquid network, not only their traditional ethics and morality are in the danger of reversing, but also the meaning of humans’ existence may be challenged. / published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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Since its inception the internet has grown to have an all pervasive impact on social life, affecting the private, socio-cultural, economic and political aspects of human existence. An email discussion list hosted on the internet by a South African Tertiary Education institution provides an opportunity for researchers to study how members of the list manage textual talk amongst themselves. Given the context of the study, race is the “elephant” in the room, or in this case the online space, which may be pointed out at any given moment in conversation on the discussion list. The analysis of the data in this study indicate that participants in an asynchronous discourse environment make extensive use of techniques such as addressivity, linking or quoting to maintain the relevancy of their contribution to the conversation. As well as these techniques, there is evidence that echoing is a crucial conversational process through which inter-subjective understanding is created amongst members of the discussion list. Furthermore, the analysis displayed that race talk in this context is occasioned to perform specific social activity, for example, drawing in the audience to inferred systems of meaning by gesturing towards a racial membership category which then forces listeners to apply their common sense knowledge in an effort to hear race as relevant for understanding the conversation. The study concludes by arguing that the discursive techniques presented in the data are relevant to the further study of discourse, and especially discourse where race may be occasioned at any given time, in post-apartheid South Africa. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.