Computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) systems are computer-based tools that support the collaborative activities of human users. They should not only support virtual face-to-face collaborative environments but also improve face-to-face collaboration by providing more mechanisms to overcome the drawbacks of usual face-to-face collaboration. Introducing roles into CSCW systems is important in achieving this. This paper's contributions include establishing the requirements for a role-based collaboration, presenting the concept, requirements, and principles of role-based collaboration, proposing a model E-CARGO for role-based collaboration, and describing the kernel mechanisms and their implementation to facilitate the development of role-based collaborative systems for industrial applications.