Convergence of the Convivial

Right now I'm noodling the focus for my PhD thesis.

Based on the pilot studies I've conducted, and the papers I've written and researched during the coursework phase of my studies, two themes are emerging as interesting areas for further enquiry:

Requirements for On-Demand Computing in Knowledge Work Settings
There is a growing need for design research in the area of requirements engineering for on-demand information and knowledge management systems that can evolve quickly in an increasingly fluid business environment to meet emerging business needs.

Interorganizational and Networked Knowledge Management
Can individuals in one organization learn from the learning practices of individuals in other organizations?

This is a question that would require an understanding of the role of corporations and their employees in supporting a knowledge ecosystem world view.

Do corporations learn in interaction with others, and how does learning diffuse from one organization to another, is a research problem that would investigate how knowledge is created and transferred in exchange relationships between organizations, or between employees of organizations in their dealings with peers in other organizations.

A next level of analysis might be to research how knowledge moves within "networked" relationships and the ways in which knowledge is adopted, appropriated, or tranformed in different organizational contexts.

The potential research problems range from small to HUGE.