In this chapter, the term online groups is used as an umbrella term to encompass the many new types of Internet-enabled groups that group leaders are called upon to facilitate. Groups such as global virtual teams, virtual communities, e-groups, discussion forums, chat rooms, facilitated blogs, and audio and Web conferencing teams. These new forms of groups communicate collaboratively across time, distance and borders through the use of information and communication technology.
Published in Chapter:
The Use of Story in Building Online Group Relationships
Stephen Thorpe (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand)
Copyright: © 2008
|Pages: 19
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-863-5.ch040
Abstract
Throughout history, story has been a powerful and effective way to build relationships within groups of people. Professional group facilitators know the power that story can bring to the workshops and group sessions they lead. From within the membership of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), a group of 18 facilitators came together to collectively research the benefits of story in online groups. There was strong interest in developing practical processes and techniques that facilitators could use in building and maintaining relationships in the online groups they work with. This chapter presents some of the findings from a cooperative inquiry the group undertook investigating the use of story using a variety of media including: e-mail, audio, telephone, video and Web conferencing, instant messaging, chat, blogging, and online surveys. Our investigations reveal that story can be a powerful means for building relationships between group members within online groups. The impact of disembodiment, restrictive feedback, unclear membership, and tolerance for technical difficulties are also detailed and some interventions are outlined.