Virtually a Sisterhood: Social Connectedness and Online Collaboration

The purpose of this ethnographic research was to uncover the experiences of culturally diverse women participating in an online business strategy course and to evaluate the impact of virtual collaboration on social connectedness among this group. This study was situated within a national organization for women of color who are entrepreneurs. Data was collected from three members during an eight-week online course that also functioned as a virtual community of practice. Qualitative data was collected in three phases of semi-structured interviews with each participant being interviewed at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the course. Inductive analysis revealed that virtual collaboration positively impacted participants' feelings of social connectedness when activities were supported by use of virtual collaboration tools. The virtual collaboration tools allowed participants to work towards common goals, build a support network, and participate in skill development that contributed towards their career advancement.