Cień cyfrowy – „zacienione” elementy fandomów internetowych
Digital Shadow – “Shady” Elements of Internet Fandoms

Summary/Abstract: Contemporary socio-economic changes affect organizations and management. Management processes more and more often concern spheres and groups that go beyond the “traditional”understanding of the organization. Among them are online communities such as fandoms. Along with the process of organizing, the organizational shadow is emerging. Organizational shadow is defined as “a set of unacceptable features, tendencies, aspirations rejected in the process of socialization” (Kostera 2014, s. 23), the appearance and functioning of which is negated or hidden within the organization. Fandoms are governed by slightly different rules, often more variable and more difficult to identify than in formal organizations. That does not make them free from “shady”elements such as certain people, activities, features and values that do not match the current shape of the community. The article describes fandoms as new, informal organizational forms and subjects of management processes, and then identifies examples of the emergence of organizational shadow within them. These are three main causes of such a shadow manifestation –excessive control (e.g., of the forum moderator), undisclosed actions of administrators of the internet platform used by the group, as well as negligence (e.g., forgetting someone’s contribution to the project). The conclusions indicate the need for a further, in-depth identification of the elements influencing the development of the shadow in non-standard organizational forms.

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