Distributed Leadership, Trust and Online Communities

Abstract

Abstract. This paper analyses the role of distributed leadership and trust in online communities. The team-based informal ethos of online collaboration requires a different kind of leadership from that in formal positional hierarchies. Such leadership may be more flexible and sophisticated, capable of encompassing ambiguity and rapid change. Online leaders need to be partially invisible, delegating power and distributing tasks. Yet, simultaneously, online communities are facilitated by the high visibility and subtle control of expert leaders. This paradox: that leaders need to be both highly visible and invisible as appropriate, was derived from prior research and tested in the analysis of online community discussions using a pattern-matching process. It is argued that both leader visibility and invisibility are important for the facilitation of trusting collaboration via distributed leadership. Advanced leadership responses to complex situations in online communities foster positive group interaction and decision-making, facilitated through active distribution of specific tasks.

Learning facilitating leadership

“…During the course, the Danish and international engineering student facilitators learned the importance of being clear, unambiguous, and supportive in guiding the workshop participants. They also learned to apply sensitivity and empathy, when and how to engage with high visibility, and when to fade away and 'step back' while group members' idea-creation and decision-making processes are underway (Jameson, 2009). As potential future leaders, they have taken the first steps towards becoming professional facilitators, and transforming group dynamics towards increasingly synergistic effectiveness.…”

“…Different cultural backgrounds may especially be experienced as a collaboration problem in online communities or with virtual teamwork. Therefore, it is recommended that further research be carried out to investigate and identify appropriate ways of conducting effective facilitating leadership in online communities, as well as how this research can be used to initiate more courses like the one we have presented in this paper (Rasmussen, 2012, Jameson, 2009. Another area for further research is how technical universities can improve their capabilities to prepare their students to become not only technical specialists, but also leaders able to communicate and sustain continuous learning among their subordinates and for themselves.…”

“…Why are these facilitative skills especially relevant in organisations with distributed leadership? (Bussey, 2014;Raelin, 2012;Jameson, 2009). The paper is based on the authors' more than ten years' experience conducting teaching about facilitation for Danish and international engineering students at the Technical University of Denmark illustrated by an example and supported by literature.…”

Organisational Form

“…147-149). Instances have, however, been recorded of collaboration predicated on distributed forms of leadership (Jameson 2009 ). Based on a horizontal, informal and fl exible approach to group coordination, distributed leadership both encourages and is contingent on active participant contributions to the articulation of a collective project.…”

Probing the Implications of Facebook Use of the Organizational Form of Social Movement Organizations

“…Still, when collaboration occurs in interaction on SNSs, it can be associated with distributed forms of leadership (Jameson, 2009). Based on a horizontal, informal and flexible approach to group coordination, such distributed leadership can empower participants to actively contribute to the articulation of a collective project.…”