本論文的研究目的在於，對專業虛擬社群以團隊為基礎之知識分享與創新，發展一理論性之了解。本研究採用紮根理論，對於整個環境、資訊科技、專案、組織、群體、以及個人等，提供脈絡上的豐富，並且發掘在打破組織藩籬以團隊為基礎之知識分享與創新的重要影響因子。本論文最後並歸納出五種－「專業虛擬社群以團隊為基礎之知識分享與創新的過程（此過程定義為一連續的因果條件、行動�互動策略、以及結果）」型態，並提出九個主要命題，可被未來實證研究做為驗證。本研究結果可以支援專業虛擬社群之永續經營與發展，並且作為未來有關跨越組織藩籬，以團隊為基礎之知識分享與創新的相關研究之基礎。

The objective of this thesis is to develop a theoretical understanding of team-based knowledge sharing and creation in professional cyber-communities. In order to provide contextual richness in environmental, information technology, project, organizational, group, and individual contexts, we apply the grounded theory approach to discover essential factors affecting team-based knowledge sharing and creation across organizational boundaries. Moreover, the thesis summarizes five types of processes of team-based knowledge sharing and creation in professional cyber-communities, defined by the sequence of causal conditions, action/interactional strategies, and consequences, and concludes nine main propositions that can be tested empirically in the future research. The research results will support sustained development of professional cyber-communities and be a basis for further studies of team-based knowledge sharing and creation across organizational boundaries.

Abstract .....................................................................I
中文摘要 ....................................................................II
Table of Contents ..........................................................III
List of Figures ...........................................................VI
List of Tables ..........................................................VII
Chapter 1 Introduction ...................................................1
1.1 Research Background ..........................................1
1.2 Research Motivations ..........................................3
1.3 Research Objectives ..........................................5
1.4 Research Scopes and Limitations......................................6
1.4.1 Research Scopes ..........................................6
1.4.2 Research Limitations .................................7
1.5 Thesis Organization ..........................................7
Chapter 2 Literature Review ...................................................9
2.1 Knowledge Management ..........................................9
2.1.1 Knowledge Management Strategy .......................10
2.1.2 Knowledge Creation and Conversion .......................11
2.2 Organizational Learning .........................................13
2.3 Inter-organizational Learning ................................15
2.3.1 Inter-organizational Relationships .......................15
2.3.2 Inter-organizational Learning .......................16
2.3.3 Virtual Organizational Learning .......................17
2.4 Professional Community .........................................19
2.4.1 Professionalism .........................................19
2.4.2 Professional Intellect ................................19
2.4.3 Teachers’ Professional Community .......................20
2.5 Cyber Community ..................................................21
2.6 Technology-supported Distributed Teams .......................22
2.6.1 Social Presence in Face-to-Face Teams versus Virtual Teams..22
2.6.2 Technology Acceptance Models and Media Richness Theories...24
2.6.3 Processes of Virtual Teams ................................25
Chapter 3 Design of Study ..................................................27
3.1 Research Framework ..................................................27
3.2 The Selection of Research Methodology .......................29
3.2.1 Grounded Theory Approach ................................30
3.2.2 Case Selection by Theoretical Sampling ..............32
3.3 Research Process ..................................................34
3.3.1 Stage I Study .........................................35
3.3.2 Stage II Study .........................................37
3.4 Data Sources ..................................................39
3.5 Data Analysis ..................................................41
3.6 Roles of Researchers .........................................41
Chapter 4 Research Results and Discussions of Stage I Study ..............42
4.1 Contexts ...........................................................44
4.1.1 Environmental Context ................................45
4.1.2 IT Context .........................................46
4.1.3 Project Context .........................................47
4.1.4 Organizational Context ................................48
4.1.5 Group Context .........................................49
4.1.6 Individual Context .........................................52
4.2 Causal Conditions ..................................................54
4.3 Action/Interactional Strategies ................................55
4.4 Consequences ..................................................58
4.5 Theoretical Findings of Stage I Study .......................59
Chapter 5 Research Results and Discussions of Stage II Study ..............66
5.1 Contexts ...........................................................67
5.1.1 Environmental Context ................................68
5.1.2 IT Context .........................................69
5.1.3 Project context .........................................70
5.1.4 Organizational Context ................................71
5.1.5 Group Context .........................................72
5.1.6 Individual Context .........................................74
5.2 Causal Conditions ..................................................74
5.3 Action/Interactional Strategies ................................75
5.4 Consequences ..................................................78
5.5 Theoretical Findings .........................................79
Chapter 6 Saturated Theory of Team-based Knowledge Sharing and Creation in Professional Cyber-communities ....83
6.1 Why Built, But They Didn’t Come? ................................84
6.2 Theory of Team-based Knowledge Sharing and Creation in Professional Cyber-communities ....91
Chapter 7 Conclusions and Suggestions ................................99
7.1 Conclusions ..................................................99
7.2 Suggestions and Future Research ...............................101
References ............................................................i

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