Title: Wikis and their adoption: factors influencing user behaviour

Authors: Parag Uma Kosalge

Addresses: Grand Valley State University, 50 Front Ave SW, #3053, Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Abstract: Wikis can provide unique business advantages at tactical as well as strategic levels, including harnessing collective intelligence, group collaboration, and improved business processes. The adoption rate is low but increasing. As wiki is believed to be a bottom-up phenomenon, this paper empirically examines the benefits of the wiki technology as perceived by the new generation. An exploratory factor analysis reveals four factors that may influence wiki adoption: business improvement, day-to-day collaboration, innovation, and personal use. Business benefits such as collective intelligence, collaboration, and cost reduction find strong recognition. This research is important for academicians as there are few studies that examine what motivates the modern workforce to adopt the wiki technology. A better understanding of the end user perceptions can help organisations shape their wiki-related initiatives and improve successful adoption. Wiki technology providers can focus their attention on improving performance on aspects important for business users.

Keywords: internet; world wide web; wikis; Web 2.0; benefits; end user perceptions; technology adoption; wiki adoption; drivers; collective intelligence; collaboration; knowledge management; user behaviour; business improvement; innovation; personal use; collective intelligence; collaboration; cost reduction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2016.074261

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2016 Vol.21 No.2, pp.237 - 248

Received: 31 Jul 2014
Accepted: 25 Sep 2014

Published online: 20 Jan 2016 *

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