Management, Barriers, and Self-organisation in FabLabs

Collaboration, as a form of collective intelligence, is central to the co-construction of goods or services through knowledge sharing, driving contemporary organisational learning and knowledge management. This chapter examines collaborative spaces, highlighting their role in fostering innovation and competitiveness within organisations. By exploring different collaborative dynamics—economic, utilitarian, and altruistic—the chapter highlights trust building processes. Management and leadership play a crucial role in fostering collective identity and community within collaborative environments. Barriers to collaboration at the individual, collective, and organisational levels pose challenges for collaborative organisations such as FabLabs. Individual cognitive and volitional factors influence participation, while free-riding risks undermine collective efforts. Organisational barriers, including strategic and resource-related aspects, require a balance between autonomy and control in collaborative management. Analysing FabLabs as communities of practice and epistemic communities reveals intertwined processes of knowledge sharing and collective identity formation. The chapter emphasises rulemaking, peer monitoring, and participant engagement in the management of tangible and intangible commons. The chapter provides insights into collaborative spaces and demonstrates their transformative potential in fostering creativity, knowledge exchange, and community engagement in contemporary organisational contexts.