Dariusz Jemielniak
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804789448
- eISBN:
- 9780804791205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804789448.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter presents the major internal stakeholders of the Wikimedia movement: the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the local chapters, and the Wikipedia communities. It describes the power struggles ...
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This chapter presents the major internal stakeholders of the Wikimedia movement: the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the local chapters, and the Wikipedia communities. It describes the power struggles between them and explains their resources as well as cultural and ideological backgrounds. It reveals the drive of the chapters to professionalize their staff and operations as natural, even if at some point they fill the niche already occupied by the WMF. The chapter shows that even though to a common bystander they may seem as if they were on the verge of splitting (“forking”), the high number of disputes is actually typical for open-collaboration communities, as there is no fear of hierarchy to prevent people from freely expressing their opinions.Less
This chapter presents the major internal stakeholders of the Wikimedia movement: the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the local chapters, and the Wikipedia communities. It describes the power struggles between them and explains their resources as well as cultural and ideological backgrounds. It reveals the drive of the chapters to professionalize their staff and operations as natural, even if at some point they fill the niche already occupied by the WMF. The chapter shows that even though to a common bystander they may seem as if they were on the verge of splitting (“forking”), the high number of disputes is actually typical for open-collaboration communities, as there is no fear of hierarchy to prevent people from freely expressing their opinions.
Dariusz Jemielniak
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804789448
- eISBN:
- 9780804791205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804789448.003.0008
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter draws on the previous considerations about organization and management in open-collaboration movements to analyze the phenomenon of personal leadership, examining the example of Jimmy ...
More
This chapter draws on the previous considerations about organization and management in open-collaboration movements to analyze the phenomenon of personal leadership, examining the example of Jimmy Wales, cofounder of Wikipedia. It shows the evolution of his role and the reasons why his influence on the movement could only increase when he stepped down from operational, daily activities and stopped his attempts at direct management. It makes some conclusions about modes of leadership in open-collaboration organizations and suggests that both an authoritative, single-handed style of leadership and a subservient, supportive one can work but must be in line with the leader's level of engagement in the community. The chapter also shows that the lack of formal leadership only makes it more difficult for natural leaders to legitimize their role.Less
This chapter draws on the previous considerations about organization and management in open-collaboration movements to analyze the phenomenon of personal leadership, examining the example of Jimmy Wales, cofounder of Wikipedia. It shows the evolution of his role and the reasons why his influence on the movement could only increase when he stepped down from operational, daily activities and stopped his attempts at direct management. It makes some conclusions about modes of leadership in open-collaboration organizations and suggests that both an authoritative, single-handed style of leadership and a subservient, supportive one can work but must be in line with the leader's level of engagement in the community. The chapter also shows that the lack of formal leadership only makes it more difficult for natural leaders to legitimize their role.
Dariusz Jemielniak
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804789448
- eISBN:
- 9780804791205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804789448.003.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter introduces open-collaboration communities in general and Wikipedia studies in particular. It describes Wikipedia as a unique phenomenon: the largest collaborative project of humankind, ...
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This chapter introduces open-collaboration communities in general and Wikipedia studies in particular. It describes Wikipedia as a unique phenomenon: the largest collaborative project of humankind, sustained by a vibrant and active global community of editors who act without direct financial or professional incentives.Less
This chapter introduces open-collaboration communities in general and Wikipedia studies in particular. It describes Wikipedia as a unique phenomenon: the largest collaborative project of humankind, sustained by a vibrant and active global community of editors who act without direct financial or professional incentives.
Dariusz Jemielniak
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804789448
- eISBN:
- 9780804791205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804789448.003.0004
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter is dedicated to conflicts on Wikipedia. It explains that while egregious errors are easily dealt with, when more fundamental and nontrivial details are under consideration, conflicts on ...
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This chapter is dedicated to conflicts on Wikipedia. It explains that while egregious errors are easily dealt with, when more fundamental and nontrivial details are under consideration, conflicts on Wikipedia abound; thus, Wikipedia cannot be perceived as mainly collaboration driven; it is also dissent driven. By analyzing one of the biggest edit wars in Wikipedia history (Gdańsk/Danzig), it shows that traditional methods for dispute resolution on Wikipedia are often ineffective, and consensus is often impossible to reach. While presenting possible alternatives (by seeking analogies with other participative organizations), it shows that a major reduction in the scale of conflicts is unlikely, as conflicts play a crucial role in motivating people to participate (by increasing their involvement and fueling engagement).Less
This chapter is dedicated to conflicts on Wikipedia. It explains that while egregious errors are easily dealt with, when more fundamental and nontrivial details are under consideration, conflicts on Wikipedia abound; thus, Wikipedia cannot be perceived as mainly collaboration driven; it is also dissent driven. By analyzing one of the biggest edit wars in Wikipedia history (Gdańsk/Danzig), it shows that traditional methods for dispute resolution on Wikipedia are often ineffective, and consensus is often impossible to reach. While presenting possible alternatives (by seeking analogies with other participative organizations), it shows that a major reduction in the scale of conflicts is unlikely, as conflicts play a crucial role in motivating people to participate (by increasing their involvement and fueling engagement).
Dariusz Jemielniak
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804789448
- eISBN:
- 9780804791205
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804789448.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This book describes the results of a six-year ethnographic research project on Wikipedia. It explains how Wikipedia's theoretically ahierarchical system may increase Wikipedians’ perception of ...
More
This book describes the results of a six-year ethnographic research project on Wikipedia. It explains how Wikipedia's theoretically ahierarchical system may increase Wikipedians’ perception of inequality in practice and how hierarchy is enacted through community elections. Although Wikipedia is sometimes portrayed as collaborative and peaceful, it often breaks into conflicts and disputes. The book describes how the gradual increase in editing participation determines its attractiveness, addictiveness, and, ultimately, its level of conflict. The seemingly chaotic organization of cooperation on Wikipedia is actually susceptible to tight control through observation of all behaviors, the participants’ structured discourse, and procedures. Nonetheless, organizational control, so strict in other aspects, is more lenient on Wikipedia than in other types of organizations in terms of credential checks, as a result of a transformation of interpersonal trust and of trust in procedures. The lack of recognition of real-world credentials and formal authority helps sustain the Wikipedia community, by both allowing for alternative authority-building patterns and negating the real-world knowledge structures. The book studies the internal composition of the Wikimedia movement and describes how it is influenced by increasing professionalization. Finally, it reviews the evolution of Jimmy Wales's leadership of Wikipedia and explains how open-collaboration communities require congruence in terms of their organizational leadership model (authoritative or egalitarian) and the exercise of leadership power (direct and interventionist or general and visionary).Less
This book describes the results of a six-year ethnographic research project on Wikipedia. It explains how Wikipedia's theoretically ahierarchical system may increase Wikipedians’ perception of inequality in practice and how hierarchy is enacted through community elections. Although Wikipedia is sometimes portrayed as collaborative and peaceful, it often breaks into conflicts and disputes. The book describes how the gradual increase in editing participation determines its attractiveness, addictiveness, and, ultimately, its level of conflict. The seemingly chaotic organization of cooperation on Wikipedia is actually susceptible to tight control through observation of all behaviors, the participants’ structured discourse, and procedures. Nonetheless, organizational control, so strict in other aspects, is more lenient on Wikipedia than in other types of organizations in terms of credential checks, as a result of a transformation of interpersonal trust and of trust in procedures. The lack of recognition of real-world credentials and formal authority helps sustain the Wikipedia community, by both allowing for alternative authority-building patterns and negating the real-world knowledge structures. The book studies the internal composition of the Wikimedia movement and describes how it is influenced by increasing professionalization. Finally, it reviews the evolution of Jimmy Wales's leadership of Wikipedia and explains how open-collaboration communities require congruence in terms of their organizational leadership model (authoritative or egalitarian) and the exercise of leadership power (direct and interventionist or general and visionary).
Dariusz Jemielniak
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804789448
- eISBN:
- 9780804791205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804789448.003.0005
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
The chapter describes the amount of peer control that all Wikipedians experience, the Panopticon-like recording of all behaviors, and the control of participation through a high degree of regulation ...
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The chapter describes the amount of peer control that all Wikipedians experience, the Panopticon-like recording of all behaviors, and the control of participation through a high degree of regulation and procedures. It explains how the iron cage of bureaucracy on Wikipedia is tightening as a result of the community's need to stratify users and to create barriers to entry for newcomers. It shows that the bureaucratic creed is only one of Wikipedia's many ways of introducing informal strategies of domination and differentiation of user status.Less
The chapter describes the amount of peer control that all Wikipedians experience, the Panopticon-like recording of all behaviors, and the control of participation through a high degree of regulation and procedures. It explains how the iron cage of bureaucracy on Wikipedia is tightening as a result of the community's need to stratify users and to create barriers to entry for newcomers. It shows that the bureaucratic creed is only one of Wikipedia's many ways of introducing informal strategies of domination and differentiation of user status.
