Groupware and the social infrastructure of communication

Groupware has been widely promoted as a technology that can facilitate the global integration of geographically distributed organizations by overcoming time-space barriers to communication and hence promoting knowledge sharing. Despite huge investments in groupware technologies, results have often failed to live up to expectations. While various technical, managerial, and cultural explanations have been proposed, limited consideration has been given to the importance of the social relations that underpin effective communication. Some key difficulties associated with using such technology are explored.