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Governments around the world have pursued ICT based initiatives including the provision of infrastructure to assist regional areas to develop economically (Beckinsale et al. 2006). There has been considerable interest in exploiting ICT to develop high technology clusters and support innovative networks (Lawson & Lorenz 1999). However, these initiatives have met with mixed success. It is clear that such development depends on more than providing appropriate technology Attention to social and organisational factors is crucial if regional areas are to realise the potential of ICT as a tool for regional development (Gengatharen & Standing 2005). It is important to understand the nature of business networking as well as the perspective of those participating in such networks if successful initiatives are to be established. The aim of this research is to identify how ICT can be used for knowledge sharing among businesses in regional areas and how the online networks through which knowledge is shared can contribute to the development of the region. This research investigates the question of what value small businesses in those regions derive from knowledge sharing networks using ICT. It also seeks to identify the value creation potential of those networks for their region. Previous research has shown that large organisations have achieved significant value from virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) as a structure for sharing knowledge and supporting innovation (Wenger 2004). The concept of Communities of Practice and Virtual Communities of Practice provided a useful point of departure for this research. The investigation comprised interpretive case studies of two Australian regional areas and their local business networks which incorporated SMEs in a variety of industries. Each case study was conducted in three stages. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with regional economic development leaders. Second, 192 small and medium business owners were surveyed about their business activities and their participation in local business networks. Third, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 small business owners to gain a richer understanding of their participation in knowledge-sharing networks and the value they realised or anticipated from various knowledge-sharing activities. A combined analysis of the two cases was conducted as well as the individual analyses. The research adopted a modified Structured Case method (Carroll & Swatman 2000). The analysis of the two case studies revealed: a.) There was a significant difference between the majority of SMEs who traded within the region and those trading largely beyond the region. The latter’s more proactive online sharing knowledge and seeking of business opportunities would enable them to access most value from VCoEs. b.) The participating SMEs operated in a number of industries and what they had in common was an interest in improving their enterprises. Consequently they used their regional networks which were not aligned to any one industry to make connections and share knowledge. They did not necessarily seek to access specific information. c.) A necessary prerequisite of VCoEs is having vibrant CoEs where face-to-face interaction enhances the development of trust and social capital. This appeared as an important factor facilitating the move to incorporate online knowledge sharing. d.) Younger businesses appeared to gain the most value from knowledge sharing in CoEs as they were using their networks to determine how to grow their firm. e.) The value of VCoEs to the SME participants is primarily in their general connection to other businesses in the region. Since the participants operate in a number of industries, what they have in common is an interest in their enterprises. The main value appears to come from the potential of the VCoEs to add to this connection and to social capital. This study found that successful management of VCoEs must: i) Ensure the network website is actively used by members before attempting to incorporate online knowledge sharing. ii) Monitor and stimulate online forum interaction rather than rely on interaction to occur naturally. iii) Not rely on email as a mechanism for stimulating knowledge sharing. Email is seen as more appropriate for formal documentation than for candid exchange of views. The concept of virtual communities of practice was found to be somewhat inappropriate for the diverse SMEs in the regional networks. Because of their diversity, they do not necessarily see value in sharing knowledge about practice but they do see value in sharing more general information and in providing support, connection and ideas that facilitate the strategic direction of their business. To address this issue, the concept of virtual communities of enterprise (VCoEs) is proposed as recognition of what the participating SMEs had in common: an interest in their individual businesses as part of the region. The original contribution of this research consists of its identification of the issues in linking SMEs across industries. It provides new insights on the business practices of regional SMEs and developed the concepts of Community of Enterprise (CoE) and Virtual Community of Enterprise (VCoE) to capture the special nature of knowledge sharing in regional multi-industry business networks. New perspectives are revealed on the ways that value could be derived from knowledge sharing by these regionally networked SMEs, as such it adds to the body of knowledge in an area where there has been little systematic investigation. This research reinforces the importance of social capital as an essential pre-requisite for accessing the value of intellectual capital in regions. Social capital emerges as vital when establishing and maintaining face-to-face knowledge sharing in regional networks and a necessary pre-condition for successfully establishing online knowledge sharing. Trust is a key factor and this research extends understanding of the role of social capital and the importance of trust in regional networks and online interaction. Its findings have significant implications for the development and management of CoEs and VCoEs as it outlines the key elements that need to be addressed when establishing and maintaining them, the appropriate applications for this context and the issues involved in management of the networking and online contexts. These findings not only increase our understanding of the management dynamics of online networks, they can also provide guidance to those seeking to establish successful VCoEs.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:18:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sharine Machado Cabral Melo.pdf: 2025912 bytes, checksum: ed426fdc87bf951e75380ee68b1a6d10 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-03 / This paper intent to present how virtual communities formed from brands alter consumer relations and how social networks are also affected by the culture of them. While most companies seek to build the brand image of products and services through strategies still very much rooted in widespread official communication from one to many others - as proposed by Aaker from the concept of brand equity - mainly the brand has built relationships with their customers, the way it interacts with products and with other brands, giving new semantics to official messages. As Martin-Barbero would say, if culture spreads all aspects of contemporary society, the brand can be seen as culture, as advocated by Ricardo Guimaraes in his articles on branding, because it encompasses habits, rites and the perception of products image and services. Assuming also that point of view, Everardo Rocha defines consumption as a social act, as it acquires meaning only in the processes of symbolic exchange. As a social act, consumer relations are affected by changes in the concept of community that in digital culture becomes more related to networks of contacts than geographical location, according to Barry Wellman. Formed around common interests, many of these communities have been focused on these brands. In The Cluetrain Manifesto, Christopher Locke argues that markets work as "conversations" and studies suggest that communication between consumers on the Internet strongly influence the image of brands, buying behavior, and therefore, consumer relations. This unofficial communication, performed by virtual communities and networks, has been implicated in the literature on the subject, as more and more significant over the officially established communication between the company and the market, which is the focus of this paper.The methodology, therefore, was based on literature research, and visiting the sites of virtual communities and consulting both qualitative and quantitative research on the internet´s profile users and access to digital media. It has tried to point the way to the study of contemporary culture, which are parts of the consumer relations / Esta dissertação procura mostrar de que maneira as comunidades virtuais formadas a partir das marcas alteram as relações de consumo e como as redes sociais são também afetadas pela cultura das marcas. Embora a maior parte das empresas busque construir a imagem de marcas de produtos e serviços por meio de estratégias ainda muito ancoradas na comunicação oficialmente difundida de um para muitos como proposto por Aaker a partir do conceito de brand equity , a marca é construída principalmente nas relações com seus consumidores, na maneira como eles interagem com os produtos e com as próprias marcas, ressemantizando as mensagens oficiais. Se, como afirma Martin-Barbero, a cultura se espalha por todos os aspectos da sociedade contemporânea, as marcas podem ser entendidas como cultura, assim como defendido por Ricardo Guimarães em seus artigos sobre branding, porque englobam hábitos, ritos e percepções a respeito da imagem de produtos e serviços. Partindo também desse ponto de vista, Everardo Rocha define o consumo como um ato social, uma vez que ele adquire significado somente nos processos de troca simbólica. Sendo um ato social, as relações de consumo são afetadas pelas alterações no conceito de comunidade que, de acordo com Barry Wellman, na cultura digital, passa a ser mais relacionada às redes de contato do que à localização geográfica. Formadas em torno de interesses comuns, muitas dessas comunidades têm como foco as marcas. No Manifesto da Economia Digital, Christopher Locke afirma que mercados são como conversas e estudos sugerem que a comunicação entre os consumidores na internet influencia profundamente a imagem das marcas, o comportamento de compra e, portanto, as relações de consumo. Essa comunicação não oficial, realizada por meio de comunidades e redes virtuais, tem sido apontada, na bibliografia sobre o assunto, como cada vez mais significativa em detrimento da comunicação oficialmente estabelecida entre a empresa e o mercado, sendo este o foco deste trabalho. A metodologia utilizada foi, então, pesquisa bibliográfica, além da visita a sites de comunidades virtuais e consulta a pesquisas qualitativas e quantitativas já realizadas sobre o perfil de usuários de internet e sobre o acesso às mídias digitais. Com isso, procurou-se apontar caminhos para o estudo de parte da cultura contemporânea, da qual são integrantes as relações de consumo

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:18:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Newton de Andrade Branda Junior.pdf: 1742141 bytes, checksum: f38e8fa5c88a31b88abca5bfb7f03f52 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-30 / The aim of this research is to analyze the construction that allows a greater prevalence of the integration, acceptance and trust drives (eros) at the CouchSurfing website, which is a digital organization that allows free hosting for people worldwide in the homes of its users. Thus, two psychoanalysis concepts will be used eros and thanatos taking into account their expansion to a regional and current context. These concepts were originally formulated by Sigmund Freud in Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1996) and Civilization and its Discontents (2006). The following pieces will also be used and placed to engage concepts: Paradoxical Logic, presented in the book The Vision Machine (2002), from Paul Virilio; Umwelt, by the German biologist Jakob von Uexküll, from a text by Thure von Uexküll published in Galaxy magazine, # 7 (2004); and Mass, by the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, in In the Shadow of Silent Majorities (2004). As well as the concepts of Collective Intelligence, by Pierre Lévy; The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki; and Emergence, by Steve Johnson, published respectively in books with the same name and finally, Social Logic, by the researcher Alan Zuckerman, in The Social Logic of Politics (2005). Within all these theoretical basis, it will be identified which specific strategies of this community website lead many of its users to enhance the erotic impulse of cooperation, trust and care to the point of opening their homes to host complete strangers. Therefore, an analysis of the community website ways of attraction and operation was made in the sense of identifying which communications logic ultimately generates such trust. Through hypotheses, it is believed that the possibility of disengagement whenever needed is a crucial factor in helping availability. The fact that digital communication allows the expression of the natural instinct for socialization, now constrained by much of the mass media fear prioritization (thanatos) has also been taken into account in this study. Another assumption is that the CouchSurfing enables choice. The user, within his or her personal expectations, defines lasting and relationship intensity options during accommodation. This study relevance is in understanding how some mass communication vehicles mostly encourage fear among one another while the new communication vehicles (the digital media or the new media ) enable the flow of the need for belonging and encourage community collaborative actions. These study findings may offer the possibility of a more critical understanding of communication strategies used by digital media / O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar qual a construção que permite uma predominância das pulsões de integração, acolhimento e confiança (eros) no website Couchsurfing, organização digital que possibilita a hospedagem gratuita de pessoas no mundo inteiro, nas casas de seus usuários. Para tanto, utilizar-se-á de conceitos da psicanálise eros e tânatos levando em conta a ampliação e contextualização temporal e regional desses conceitos formulados originalmente por Sigmund Freud em Para Além do Princípio do Prazer (1996) e em O Mal-estar na Civilização (2006). Também serão colocados a dialogar os conceitos de Paul Virilio (Lógica Paradoxal) apresentados na obra A Máquina de Visão (2002); Umwelt, do biólogo alemão Jacob von Uexküll, a partir de texto de Thure von Uexküll publicado na revista Galáxia, n. 7 (2004), massa, do filósofo Jean Baudrillard, em À Sombra das Maiorias Silenciosas (2004), e Inteligência Coletiva, de Pierre Lévy, Sabedoria das Multidões, de James Surowiecki, e Emergência, de Steve Johnson, publicados respectivamente em livros com o mesmo nome, ademais de Lógica Social, do pesquisador Alan Zuckerman, em The Social Logic of Politcs (2005). Com essa base teórica, delimitar-se-á quais estratégias específicas desse website comunitário levam muitos de seus usuários a valorizarem a pulsão erótica de colaboração, confiança e acolhimento, chegando a abrirem suas casas para hospedar completos estranhos. Para tanto, far-se-á uma análise dos meios de atração e do funcionamento do website comunitário, identificando quais formas comunicacionais geram tal confiança. Por hipóteses, tem-se que: (a) a garantia do descompromisso, quando oportuno, é fator determinante da disponibilidade em ajudar; e (b) este meio comunicativo digital permite a manifestação da pulsão natural de socialização, restringida por boa parte dos meios de comunicação de massa em sua valorização do medo (tânatos). Outra suposição é a de que o CouchSurfing permite a escolha das opções de relacionamento durante a hospedagem, definidas pelo usuário, dentro de seus anseios pessoais. A relevância desse estudo está no entendimento de como parte dos veículos de comunicação de massa se utilizam marcadamente do incentivo ao medo do outro para manterem-se em evidência, ao passo que novos veículos de comunicação (os digitais) acabam por canalizar a necessidade de pertencimento e ações colaborativas comunitárias. As conclusões desse trabalho poderão oferecer a possibilidade de um maior entendimento crítico sobre as estratégias comunicacionais utilizadas pelas mídias digitais

Estudo de caso exploratório que se baseia no Nudi Núcleo de Desenvolvimento de Relações Institucionais e de Inovação e visa identificar os estímulos à inovação nas pesquisas tecnológicas no âmbito das necessidades informacionais dos professores da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo e as mudanças sucedidas, produzidas pela publicação dos boletins On-line, oriundo das ciências exatas engenharias. Foram analisados os conteúdos de onze boletins nacionais e internacionais e investigadas quais as fontes de informação utilizadas pelos pesquisadores para participação em editais de fomento à pesquisa. A metodologia etnográfica utilizada comportou o envolvimento do pesquisador no ambiente explorado como observador participante pelo foco do grupo pesquisado. As informações de campo foram coletadas por meio de entrevistas roteirizadas, realizadas com 48 pesquisadores entre os 473 membros da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. Os dados coletados revelaram uma série de sugestões oferecidas pelos entrevistados durante a pesquisa, que abrem possibilidades de pesquisas futuras e o aprofundamento nas questões que surgem deste estudo de caso no sentido de aperfeiçoar as redes de conhecimento por meio da utilização das tecnologias da informação e comunicação no incentivo à inovação. / An exploratory case study is presented, based on Nudi Núcleo de Desenvolvimento de Relações Intitucionais e de Inovação viewing to identify the stimulus to innovation in technologic researches in sphere of action of professors information necessities from Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo and the succeeded changes, produced by publication of Bulletins online, derived of science exact engineerings. Was analyzed eleven bulletins content national and international and investigated the online information sources used by researches. The ethnographic methodology utilized make the investigator to be involved with the explored ambient like participant observer by inquired group focus. The information collected by interview route from the group, realized with 48 researches among 473 members from Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. The data collected revealed series of suggestions gave by researchers during the interviews that open future possibilities to make a profound study with the questions that emerge from this case study to improve the Knowledge net by utilization of Information and Communication Technologies to encourage innovation.

Mestrado em Arte Multimédia / Explorando o Bazar Tipográfico: A importância dos modelos emergentes de comunicação na criação de uma plataforma de colaboração livre para o design tipográfico trata de temas como a evolução da Web, a Cibercultura e Modelos de Comunicação, o desenvolvimento de Software Livre e a criação de Projectos Colaborativos sob a realidade electrónica. No âmbito da Comunicação na Cultura Digital, o desenvolvimento de Design Tipográfico foi a aplicação prática escolhida como objecto de análise, tendo por base a ideologia e o modelo de desenvolvimento de Software Livre. Reflecte-se principalmente a mudança de paradigma provocado pelo aparecimento da sociedade de informação desde o desenvolvimento do conceito de Internet. É, acima de tudo, uma análise dos processos de comunicação e colaboração na sociedade digital. Assim, apesar de abordar temas gerais como a Comunicação, ou Cibercultura, foca principalmente propostas colaborativas on-line, a dicotomia da Tecnologia versus Cultura, a Rede e os Modelos de Comunicação e as Plataformas de Colaboração actualmente mais populares. No entanto, sendo uma investigação desenvolvida no âmbito do Mestrado em Arte Multimédia, investiu-se essencialmente no Design Tipográfico. O subtítulo A importância dos modelos emergentes de comunicação na criação de uma plataforma de colaboração livre para o design tipográfico representa um desafio de síntese dos assuntos mais importantes da dissertação: A evolução e o desenvolvimento da Internet, da Web e da Cibercultura como iniciativas livres, de reacção e de contracultura; O surgimento da sociedade em rede actual, que reflexos existem na história do Ciberespaço como meio de comunicação e como este meio se revela ser o espaço ideal para o desenvolvimento da cultura digital actual; A influência dos modelos de comunicação dos finais dos anos 1960 no fenómeno de rede actual; O modelo de gestão adoptado pelo desenvolvimento de Software Open Source e como este influência o quotidiano e a produção criativa; Os presentes métodos colaborativos de produção e partilha de conhecimento e de produtos intelectuais motor de impulsão da inteligência colectiva e de uma sociedade mais produtiva, crítica e responsável. / Exploring the Type Bazaar: the importance of the emergent models of communication in the creation of a platform of free collaboration for type design deals with themes as the evolution of the Web, Cyberculture and Communication Models, the Development of Free Software and the creation of Collaborative Projects under the electronic reality. In the scope of the Communication in the Digital Culture, the development of Typographical Design was the practical application chosen as object of analysis, having the ideology and the Open Source Software model of development for its basis. It reflects mainly the change of paradigm provoked by the appearance of the information society since the development of the concept of the Internet. It is, above all, an analysis of the communication processes and its contribution in the digital society. Thus, although it approaches subjects as wide as Communication, or Cyberculture, it focuses mainly on on-line collaborative proposals, the dichotomy of the Technology versus Culture, the Net and Models of Communication and currently popular Platforms of Collaboration. However, being an investigation developed in the scope of the Master in Multimedia Art, the investment was made essentially in Typographical Design. The sub-heading the importance of the emergent models of communication in the creation of a platform of free collaboration for type design represents a great synthesis challenge of the most important subjects of the present dissertation: The evolution and the development of the Internet, the Web and the Cyberculture as free initiatives, as reaction and as Counterculture; The sprouting of the current net society. What reflections exist in the history of the Cyberspace as the communication media and how does this medium reveals itself to be the ideal space for the development of the current digital culture; The influence of the late 1960 s communication models in the current Web phenomenon; The management model adopted for the development of Open Source Software and as this inflences everyday life and the creative production; The current collaboration methods of production and of knowledge sharing of intellectual products - main impulse of the collective intelligence and of a more productive, critical and responsible society.

Using a data-driven qualitative approach and drawing from language socialization and communities of practice theories, this dissertation study examines the second language (L2) identity-building strategies of 22 American learners of Russian who engaged in a six-week telecollaborative project with Russian native speakers in two genres of Internet-mediated communication: in one-on-one interactions with an assigned native Russian speaking keypal and in selected virtual communities populated predominantly by native Russian speakers. The investigation of L2 identity enactment in Internet-mediated environments was guided by three research questions pertaining to (1) the nature of the discourse Russian (L2) learners use in interactions with native speakers in two genres of online interactions, (2) the discursive manifestations of L2 learner and speaker identity performances in the learners' online discourse; and (3) the learners' perceptions of their online experiences in two genres of online interactions with native-speaking peers. The methods of critical discourse analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis were employed to examine the Russian learners' online interactional discourse and offline metatalk regarding their online experiences in the two genres. The analysis of the Russian learners' discourse revealed the complex nature of discursive L2 identity enactment as they moved into and out of the frames of language learners to complete class assignments and negotiate their competent L2 speaker positions in conversations with Russian-speaking peers. The findings indicate that the two genres of online interaction evoked distinct participation patterns and interactional practices. In both genres, L2 identity enactment involved three dimensions: the macro-level of global identity categories, the locally assigned identity positionings (e.g., heritage speaker, multilingual speaker), and interactionally negotiated stances and temporary positions that evoked self- or other-initiated L2 learner/speaker identity performances. The author concludes that L2 identity, when enacted in Internet-mediated environments, represents a continuum of L2 learner-speaker performances that rely on the contextual factors of the online encounter, learners' global identity tokens, and the dynamics of power relations in native-nonnative speaker interaction. Performing an L2 identity online is construed as a critical experience of re-evaluating one's association with the target language and transformation into a new kind of socially oriented multilingual subject.

La tecnología de la sociedad red ha favorecido la posibilidad de ampliar y adaptar modelos de comunicación y organización a un nuevo paradigma en que todos pueden comunicarse con todos. Además, ha mejorado el acceso a la información superando barreras geográficas y de disponibilidad temporal. En el proceso recíproco de producción y adopción de la tecnología por la sociedad, se construyen nuevos espacios de interacción. La investigación se centra en uno de estos espacios, los foros de pacientes. Objetivo El objetivo de éste análisis es contrastar la siguiente hipótesis principal: Las comunidades virtuales son útiles en el acompañamiento de los enfermos crónicos como complemento a la atención individualizada. Para comprobar la hipótesis se realizará una investigación cualitativa y cuantitava sobre el portal de pacientes forumclínic del Hospital Clinic de Barcelona. / The aim of this research is to test the hypothesis that ‘Virtual Communities of patients are a useful support for chronically ill patients, complementing personalised clinical care’. To test that hypothesis a qualitative and quantitative research will be carried out on the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona web, forumclinic. / La tecnologia de la societat xarxa ha afavorit la possibilitat d'ampliar i adaptar models de comunicació i organització a un nou paradigma en què tots poden comunicar-se amb tots. A més, ha millorat l'accés a la informació superant barreres geogràfiques i de disponibilitat temporal. En el procés recíproc de producció i adopció de la tecnologia per la societat, es construeixen nous espais d'interacció. La investigació se centra en un d'aquests espais, els fòrums de pacients. L'objectiu d'aquest anàlisi és contrastar la hipòtesi principal: Les comunitats virtuals són útils en l'acompanyament dels malalts crònics com a complement a l'atenció individualitzada. Per comprovar la hipòtesi es realitzarà una investigació qualitativa i cuantitava sobre el portal de pacients forumclínic de l'Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.

Aquesta tesi estudia la situació social de l'excursionisme a la Catalunya dels primers anys del segle XXI des de la perspectiva de l'antropologia de l'esport. Temàticament es divideix en dues parts clarament diferenciades. La primera d'elles fa una anàlisi descriptiva de la situació actual d'aquest fet social des d'aproximacions quantitatives i qualitatives. En la segona part s'estudien les noves comunitats virtuals que estan sorgint i que serveix per vehicular la sociabilitat pròpia d'aquest moviment. L'estudi analitza les principals línies de futur del fet excursionista a Catalunya. / Esta tesis estudia la situación social del excursionismo en la Cataluña de los primeros años del siglo XXI desde la perspectiva de la antropología del deporte. Temáticamente se divide en dos partes claramente diferenciadas. La primera de ellas hace un análisis descriptivo de la situación actual de este hecho social desde aproximaciones cuantitativas y cualitativas. En la segunda parte se estudian las nuevas comunidades virtuales que están surgiendo y que sirven para vehicular la sociabilidad propia de este movimiento.El estudio analiza las principales líneas de futuro del hecho excursionista en Cataluña. / This thesis examines the social situation of mountainneering in Catalonia in the early years of the 21th century from the perspective of anthropology of sport. Thematically is divided into two clearly differentiated parts. The first part is a descriptive analysis of the current situation of this social fact from quantitative and qualitative approaches. The second part focuses on the new virtual communities that are emerging and which serves to convey sociability characteristic of this movement.The study shows the main lines of future hikers made in Catalonia.