Using Web 2.0 to Collaborate with Stakeholders: An Exploratory Study of Central Government Organisations in New Zealand

Abstract

Web 2.0 tools such as wikis appear to hold promise for collaboration between organisations and their stakeholders. Government organisations in certain countries have only started making use of wikis to collaborate with their stakeholders. This phenomenological study examines the experience of select officials in two central government organisations in New Zealand who have been instrumental in deploying wikis to collaborate with their stakeholders. Three wikis are the subject of this study, and the officials are interviewed to gain an understanding of: (a) the circumstances under which decisions were taken to deploy wikis; (b) the benefits that might accrue to the organisations from using wikis; (c) the strategies they have used to maximise the benefits of using wikis; (d) the pitfalls that they have faced in deploying the wikis, and the manner in which they have overcome these pitfalls. The experiences of these officials are distilled to share their insights with others who may wish to follow their lead.