Work group structures and computer support: a field experiment

Abstract

It is frequently suggested that work groups that have computer technology to support activities such as text editing, data manipulation, and communication develop systematically different structures and working processes from groups that rely on more conventional technologies such as memos, phone calls, and meetings. However, cross-sectional or retrospective research designs do not allow this hypothesis to be tested with much power. This field experiment created two task forces, each composed equally of recently retired employees and employees still at work but eligible to retire. They were given the identical tasks of preparing reports for their company on retirement planning issues, but they were randomly assigned to different technology conditions. One group had full conventional office support; the other had, in addition, networked microcomputers with electronic mail and routine office software. Structured interviews were conducted four times during the year-long project; in addition, electronic mail activity was logged in the on-line group. Although both groups produced effective reports, the two differed significantly in the kind of work they produced, the group structures that emerged, and evaluations of their own performance. Although the standard group was largely dominated by the employees through the extensive reliance on informal meetings, the electronic technology used by the other task force allowed the retirees to exercise primary leverage. We conclude that use of computer support for cooperative work results in both quantitative and qualitative changes but that effective participation in such electronically supported groups requires significant investments of time and energy on the part of its members to master the technology and a relatively high level of assistance during the learning process.

Strong, Weak, and Latent Ties and the Impact of New Media

“…On the one hand, they are seen as providing a reduced cues environment that is ill-suited to emotional, expressive or complex communications , and responsible for longer decision times, anti-social aming behaviors and decreased social involvement (Daft & Lengel, 1986;Finholt & Sproull, 1990;Fish et al, 1993;Kiesler & Sproull, 1992;Kraut et al, 1998;Lea et al, 1992). On the other hand, new media are seen as integrative, connecting disparate others (Constant et al, 1996;Feldman, 1987;Pickering & King, 1995), increasing the involvement of peripheral players (Eveland & Bikson, 1988;Sproull & Kiesler, 1986, 1991, consolidatin g existing connections (Lind & Zmud, 1995), and supporting rich online communities (Jones, 1995(Jones, , 1998Kiesler, 1997;Smith & Kollock, 1999; Sudweeks et al, 1997). These contradiction s make it dif cult to assess the impact of new media, and to plan for its implementation and use.…”

“…Changes in connectivity were recognized early in studies of e-mail. Central and peripheral organization members became better connected (Eveland & Bikson, 1988;Finholt & Sproull, 1990;Huff, Sproull & Kiesler, 1989, 1991Kiesler & Sproull, 1992;Rice, 1994). Peripheral players also became connected to each other as e-mail allowed latent ties to become active: An employee e-mail "Gripenet" emerged, connecting formerly disconnected others in discussion of their dissatisfaction with organizational practices (Emmett, 1982); women in a large corporation came together through e-mail to form a career discussion group (Zuboff, 1988); and Israeli professors from several universities set up an e-mail network in support of their strike activities (Romm & Pliskin, 1994).…”

E-Mail and Direct Participation in Decision Making: A Literature Review

“…We can classify the studies examined in terms of duration of the experiment/case study (short or long-term PDM) and in terms in which influence has been analysed (Tab. 2) Zack and McKenney (1995) Ê In this cell we find long-term studies of the effects of e-mail on status influence: Eveland and Bikson (1989) noticed, in their one year long observation, that in electronic groups leadership roles were less stable than in FtF (authority in the electronic group influenced less than in the FtF group); Ë Here there are the short-term studies on status influence. All these studies deal with the effects of e-mail on the perception of status differences and the effects on PDM.…”

“…SNA, focusing on the relationships between actors, is a powerful instrument for emergent perspectives: SNA has been adopted for the integration of several social influence theories: Social Information Processing (Fulk, 1993;Rice and Aydin, 1991), critical mass, AST (Zack and McKenney, 1995). One of the first studies dedicated to CMC adopting the SNA perspective is offered by Eveland and Bikson (1989). They compared four groups in two conditions (CMC and FtF) for a yearlong project.…”

The office tyrant: abuse of power through e-mail

“…The new technologies, particularly e-mail, have redefined the nature of office work, making differenttimeldifferent-placeldifferent-culture teams the norm in many organisations. The changing role of technology in the modem office has been accompanied by a proliferation of research activity focusing initially on the technical aspects (Culnan, and Markus, 1987;Eveland and Bikson, 1988;Pliskin, Ball, and Curley, 1989;Pliskin, 1989;Pliskin and Romm, 1990) and more recently on the social and political aspects of the diffusion process (pliskin, Romm, Lee, and Weber, 1993;Romm, Pliskin, Weber, and Lee, 1991;Markus, 1994). One of the more intriguing lines of research on diffusion and implementation of Information Technologies has been the study of the power and politics of these processes.…”