Formation of Groups

If managers aren’t important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or MySpace have provided newly emerging groups?


Chapter two of Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody, goes into detail about the vast changes that have encountered the process of forming organizations and groups. Shirky states that, in the past, organizations and firms had a strong need for organizational hierarchies (i.e. managers and assistant managers) to communicate and run smoothly. Without managers, groups were in danger of failing. He provides an example of the danger in lack of organization when discussing Western Railroad. This particular Railroad company used one track for both directions of trains and had many tracks cross one another. Because of a lack effective organization and communication, two of their passenger trains collided in 1841, killing and injuring many people. 


Now, thanks to advanced technologies and websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, and MySpace, managers and organized hierarchy are no longer needed for sharing, collaboration, and collective action to occur. These sites allow individuals with specific interests, ideas, and beliefs to unite together by simply clicking a "like this", "join group", or "meet up" button. After clicking an icon to join the group or cause, everyone can share their beliefs, stories, and photos. They can plan events, whether they are parties, meetings, rallies, or even protests. Once an event is created, everyone who joined the group gets the information with no need for phone trees. I think the main role these sites provide emerging groups is a forum for individuals to organize. Never before has it been so easy for  supporters of any cause to organize. A couple years ago, a football coach at my former high school was being forced to retire because of his age. The students and faculty alike were deeply saddened that this was happening and felt helpless until someone started a Facebook group for supporters of the coach to join. Not only did faculty, students, and parents joined, but so did former students who lived all across the country. Members of the group shared their favorite members of the coach, signed various petitions against his forced retirement, wrote in letters to the school, and organized to attend a school board meeting. Two years later and the coach is still there. The powerful response the group presented would not have been easy without one of these sites, if it would be possible at all. This is the type of sharing, collaborating, and collective action that Shirky explains the internet is making so much easier.


Source: Shirky, C. (2009). Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics).