Abstract Interviews with employees of a large, high-technology company reveal that computer-mediated communication (CMC) enhanced voice, defined as employees' ability to express their views and to participate in decision-making. The authors explore how two unique features of CMC enhanced voice. First, computer-mediated discussions were broadcast company-wide. Second, CMC facilitated employees' efforts to form interest groups. The authors analyze several examples of the expression of voice, including employees' response to distributive issues (a profit-sharing plan, for instance) and non-distributive policies (such as changing pay periods). They extend previous analyses by focusing on cases in which employees were trying to change management policies and by documenting the mechanisms by which computer-mediated voice operated and how it affected company policy. Journal Information Issued quarterly since October 1947, the Industrial & Labor Relations Review is a leading interdisciplinary journal, broad in scope and international in its coverage of work and employment issues. We also publish reviews of some 20 books per year. We define industrial relations to include a broad range of market, organizational, and institutional processes related to the world of work. Relevant topics include the organization of work, the nature of employment contracts, human resource management, employment relations, conflict management and dispute resolution, labor market dynamics and policies, labor and employment law, and employee attitudes and behaviors at work. Our articles are edited with the aim of making their findings and conclusions intelligible to all readers. Publisher Information Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 900 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Abstract Contingency theory predicts that using computer-mediated communication to accomplish complex collaborative work will be difficult, especially for tasks that require interactive, expressive communication. This proposition was examined in an experiment in which 67 three-person groups of MBA students completed two collaborative writing projects under either Computer Only, Computer + Phone or Face-to-Face communication conditions. The effects of these manipulations on group processes and performance were examined using data obtained from questionnaires and scores on the projects themselves. Although communication modality did not affect project performance, being restricted to computer-mediated communication made completing the work more difficult and diminished the participants' satisfaction with their work and with the other members of their work groups. The results also provide partial support for the idea that tasks that require more intensive communication, such as project planning, were more difficult than those that can be completed more independently, but this premise was not consistently confirmed. Taken together, these findings tend to confirm the contingency hypothesis regarding the difficulty of accomplishing work that involves ambiguous goals, multiple perspectives, and information that is susceptible to multiple interpretations without an interactive multiperson communication medium, such as face-to-face meetings. However, the results also suggest that modifications of contingency theory are required to incorporate the evidence that individuals can, to some extent, adapt to restricted communication channels. Further research designed to examine patterns of adaptation under various task/technology combinations is recommended. Journal Information Information Systems Research (ISR) is a leading peer-reviewed, international journal focusing on theory, research, and intellectual development for information systems in organizations, institutions, the economy, and society. It is dedicated to furthering knowledge in the application of information technologies to human organizations and their management and, more broadly, to improving economic and social welfare. The journal serves the interest of the information systems research and practitioner communities by providing an effective forum for the timely dissemination of research and addresses prominent and topical issues that are relevant to executives in practice. Publisher Information With over 12,500 members from around the globe, INFORMS is the leading international association for professionals in operations research and analytics. INFORMS promotes best practices and advances in operations research, management science, and analytics to improve operational processes, decision-making, and outcomes through an array of highly-cited publications, conferences, competitions, networking communities, and professional development services. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. |
