Resumen
This article highlights on groupware technologies that can facilitate the global integration of geographically distributed organizations. A longitudinal study was conducted on the use of groupware technology in a global professional services organization to explore some key difficulties associated with using such technology to facilitate communication and knowledge sharing within geographically distributed groups. The management needs to cultivate communities that share a social context within which they can interpret the contributions of others' norms of behavior that reduce feelings of vulnerability and promote trust and a sense of mutual solidarity as a motivation for participation. Groupware technology seemed to provide just one part of an overall communications environment, that includes the watercooler, telephone, video conference, among others. Managers must consider how groupware can coexist with and supplement these other important components of an organizations communications infrastructure.