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New Media & Society
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The digital divide and the theory of optimal slack

Terry Newholm

University of Manchester, UK, terry.newholm{at}mbs.ac.uk

Kathy Keeling

University of Manchester, UK

Peter McGoldrick

University of Manchester, UK

Linda Macaulay

University of Manchester, UK

Joanne Doherty

University of Central Lancashire, UK

The digital divide and exclusion from the knowledge society have become important subjects of government policy. This article compares online communities located in two UK housing estates. Both have relatively high levels of computer literacy but also significant numbers of novices and non-users. It is argued that one estate is achieving a higher level of inclusion because it combines teamwork with optimal levels of organizational slack. Further, this article discusses the optimal conditions for creating an information and communication technology (ICT) learning community and hence contribute to the debate on how best to overcome the digital divide. The possible implications of the findings are explored in terms of policy initiatives.

Key Words: digital divide • information technology • online communities • slack • teamwork

New Media & Society, Vol. 10, No. 2, 295-319 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1461444807086475
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