Yes, my observation too was driven by my own practical experience trying to get these groups going. For me, the real issue has always been getting things kicked off. In other words, getting people to start talking (on the net in the new electronic medium). Now, there are all sorts of things that come into play in that, some of it may be existing relationships (perceived status difference, power diffrences, etc.) inhibit people from joining in. There are also very frequently issues of overcoming habit; people are just not always comfortable with web interaction, and it is not just old vs. young. Some like it and some do not.

My other observation is that if I can get the ball rolling, things work really well, interaction gains a critical mass, communications between individuals trying to achieve organizational goals shoots up, and we achieve better outcomes. One critical thing in getting that to work is getting management buy-in, and by buy-in I mean management is ready to accept both positive and negative interactions and use them as feedback.

Truth be told, most managers have to come to this view gradually.