Life and death of new technology: task, utility and social influences on the use of a communication medium

Authors:
Robert E. Kraut;Ronald E. Rice;Colleen Cool;Robert S. Fish
Affiliations:
Human Computer Interaction Institute, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;School of Communication, Information & Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;School of Communication, Information & Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;Bell Communications Research, 445 South St., Morristown, NJ
Venue:
CSCW '94 Proceedings of the 1994 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Year:
1994

Citing 5
Cited 14

Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design

Management Science
Managing organizational innovation: the evolution from word processing to office information systems

Managing organizational innovation: the evolution from word processing to office information systems
Computer-mediated communication system network data: theoretical concerns and empirical examples

International Journal of Man-Machine Studies
Iterative design of video communication systems

CSCW '92 Proceedings of the 1992 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work
Video as a technology for informal communication

Communications of the ACM

Thunderwire: a field study of an audio-only media space

CSCW '96 Proceedings of the 1996 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Hanging on the ‘wire: a field study of an audio-only media space

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI) - Special issue on speech as data
When Are Group Scheduling Tools Useful?

Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Providing awareness information to support transitions in remote computer-mediated collaboration

Conference Companion on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Virtual environments at work: ongoing use of MUDs in the workplace

WACC '99 Proceedings of the international joint conference on Work activities coordination and collaboration
It's all in the words: supporting work activites with lightweight tools

GROUP '99 Proceedings of the international ACM SIGGROUP conference on Supporting group work
Interpersonal trust and common ground in electronically mediated communication

CSCW '00 Proceedings of the 2000 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Instant messaging in teen life

CSCW '02 Proceedings of the 2002 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Beyond relative advantage: factors in end-user uptake of computer supported cooperative work

Advanced topics in end user computing
Comprehensive bibliography

Advanced topics in end user computing
City planners' information seeking behavior: information channels used and information types needed in varying types of perceived work tasks

IIiX Proceedings of the 1st international conference on Information interaction in context
End-user privacy in human-computer interaction

Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction
Fitting an activity-centric system into an ecology of workplace tools

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Supporting Scientific Collaboration: Methods, Tools and Concepts

Computer Supported Cooperative Work

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

This field experiment investigates individual, structural and social influences on the use of two video telephone systems. One system flourished, while an equivalent system died. We use a time series design and multiple data sources to test media richness theory, critical mass theory, and social influence theories about new media use. Results show that the fit between tasks and features of the communications medium influences use to a degree, but cannot explain why only one system survived. Critical mass—the numbers of people one can reach on a system—and social influence—the norms that grow up around a new medium—can explain this phenomenon.