Knowledge Flow in Online Communities: A Study of the Relationship Between Knowledge Complexity, Online Collaboration, and Knowledge Flow

Prior research establishes useful theory on knowledge flow, knowledge complexity, and collaboration in organizations. However, blogs, wikis, and discussion forums support collaboration and knowledge flow in a new realm, distributed work settings, where participants rarely if ever enjoy face-toface contact. This research will investigate the unique features of online communities that facilitate knowledge flow. Specifically, we will look at the interaction of knowledge complexity and collaboration in knowledge flow in online communities and help provide guidance for researchers in designing online communities for more efficient knowledge transfer.