Building Governance Capability in Online Communities: A Social Network Perspective

Abstract

Online communities are increasingly seen as new forms of organising. However, we have limited understanding of how governance emerges in an online community. Prior literature either focuses on governance as a dynamic process-oriented view or as static comparative analysis, in contexts where the online community is mature and well established. This paper therefore seeks to explore how governance evolves throughout the history of an online community, from an embryonic stage, through the emergence stage to the establishe stage. In the context of an online community built around a GitHub-hosted project called GitPoint, we draw on the concept of capability to carry out a theoretical narrative of interactions between individual members that are conducted across social networks, including Twitter and Gitter. Based on this narrative, the paper offers insights into the emergence of governance in an online community and makes key contributions to the literature on governance in such communities.