In this paper we demonstrate that teams may use genre systems-sequences of
interrelated communicative actions-deliberately or habitually, to structure their
collaboration. Using data over a seven-month period from three teams' use of a
collaborative electronic technology, Team Room, we illustrate that genre systems
are a means of structuring six dimensions of communicative interaction: purpose
(why), content (what), participants (who/m), form (how), time (when), and place
(where). We suggest that researchers and users may benefit from explicitly recog
nizing the role genre systems can play in collaboration and from examining
changes in these six dimensions accompanying changes in electronic technology.
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