Role-Based Collaboration (RBC) represents an emerging research area.
[Zhu, H., "Introduction to the Special Session on Role-Based Collaboration", Proc. of the 3rd IEEE International Workshop on Distributed Intelligent Systems, Prague, Czech, June 15–17 June 2006, pp.335-336.]
RBC is an approach that can be used to integrate the
theory of roles into
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems and other computer-based systems. It consists of a set of concepts, principles, mechanisms and methods. RBC presents challenges and benefits not found in traditional CSCW systems. This research will bring exciting improvements to the development and application of CSCW systems and methodologies of
collaboration
Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...
.
[Zhu, H. and Zhou, M.C., "Role-Based Collaborations and their Kernel Mechanisms", IEEE Trans. on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part C, vol. 36, no. 4, July 2006, pp. 578-589]
Even though we proposed RBC from the point of view of CSCW, we could expand RBC to more fields. RBC can be divided into two categories: special RBC and general RBC.
[ Special RBC means role-based CSCW or HCI.][Zhu, H., "Role Mechanisms in Collaborative Systems", International Journal of Production Research, vol. 44, no. 1, Jan. 2006, pp. 181-193.] To perform better system analysis
System analysis in the field of electrical engineering characterizes electrical systems and their properties. System analysis can be used to represent almost anything from population growth to audio speakers; electrical engineers often use it b ...
, design, implementation, application and evaluations, it is hoped to apply role theory to CSCW or Human Computer Interaction (HCI) systems. Therefore, the gap can be bridged between their developers and the sociologists who are more concerned with the usability of CSCW systems. General RBC is to extend special RBC to the areas such as software engineering,[name=supporting>Zhu, H. and Zhou, M.C., "Supporting Software Development with Roles", IEEE Trans. on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A, vol. 36, no. 6, 2006, pp. 1110-1123.][Zhu, H., "Separating Design from Implementations: Role-Based Software Development", Proc. of the 5th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Informatics, Beijing, China, July 17–19 July 2006, pp. 141-148.] social psychology, organization, management, and artificial intelligence (AI).[Zhu, H., "A Role-Based Architecture for Intelligent Agent Systems", Proc. of the 3rd IEEE International Workshop on Distributed Intelligent Systems, Prague, Czech, June 15–17 June 2006, pp.354-359.] General RBC considers not only supporting cooperation among people (CSCW) with computers but also that among the components of a system and between people and machines
See also
* Role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
* Commons-based peer production
Commons-based peer production (CBPP) is a term coined by Harvard Law School professor Yochai Benkler. It describes a model of socio-economic production in which large numbers of people work cooperatively; usually over the Internet. Commons-bas ...
* Enterprise social networking
References
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Human–computer interaction