The social factors that promote collaboration have been analyzed by a diverse group, including marketing groups, educational researchers, and information scientists.
Common themes pervade the research.
The expectation and practice of collaboration must be established as part of any collaborative effort-and should not be assumed to exist solely because of the use of technology. When the collaborative environment introduced by the technology is antithetical to the established working environment, success is not strongly correlated. If individuals have been rewarded for their unique contribution through performance reviews, proposal awards, and the like, it will be difficult for a the collaborative environment to be established. The expectation and practice of collaboration should be evident prior to the introduction of the technology. Once the cultural expectations have been established, technological tools can help sustain and nurture this environment, thus engendering further growth of the collaborative culture by providing experiences and support not previously possible.