Web-Based Collaborative Systems and Harvesting the Collective Intelligence in Business Organizations

Abstract

The major purpose of this article is to empirically explore the role of web-based collaborative systems in harvesting the dimensions of collective intelligence and the expected outcomes. A questionnaire survey was developed to collect data from 29 firms across all industries with a sample of 239 respondents. Structural Equation Modeling, using Smart PLS was conducted to analyze the data. The results indicated that web-based collaborative systems play a significant role in harvesting the dimensions of collective intelligence, including collective cognition, shared memory, collective problem solving, knowledge sharing, and collective learning. The results also revealed the significant impact of web-based collective intelligence on the sense and response capability and on the quality and morality of organizations' decisions. In addition, the article reveals the significant impacts of BI tools and relationship quality on the role of web-based CI in achieving the expected outcomes.