Revisiting Media Choice: A Behavioral Decision-Making Perspective

Authors:
A. Kankanhalli;K. S. Raman;H. S. Bok;V. Sambamurthy
Affiliations:
National University of Singapore, Singapore;National University of Singapore, Singapore;National Computer Systems, Singapore;Michigan State University, USA
Venue:
International Journal of e-Collaboration
Year:
2012

Citing 17
Cited 0

A theory of task/technology fit and group support systems effectiveness

MIS Quarterly
Varieties of Social Influence: the Role of Utility and Norms in the Success of a New Communication Medium

Organization Science
Knowledge Worker Communications and Recipient Availability: Toward a Task Closure Explanation of Media Choice

Organization Science
Making Connections: Complementary Influences on Communication Media Choices, Attitudes, and Use

Organization Science
Rethinking Media Richness: Towards a Theory of Media Synchronicity

HICSS '99 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences-Volume 1 - Volume 1
The Psychobiological Model: Towards a New Theory of Computer-Mediated Communication Based on Darwinian Evolution

Organization Science
Who will you ask? An empirical study of interpersonal task information seeking

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
The complexity of richness: Media, message, and communication outcomes

Information and Management
Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratory study

Information and Management
Perceptions and use of electronic media: Testing the relationship between organizational interpretation differences and media richness

Information and Management
Effects of time pressure and communication environment on team processes and outcomes in dyadic planning

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Contextual constraints in media choice: Beyond information richness

Decision Support Systems
Review: a cognitive-affective model of organizational communication for designing IT

MIS Quarterly
Communication media repertoires: dealing with the multiplicity of media choices

MIS Quarterly
Media, tasks, and communication processes: a theory of media synchronicity

MIS Quarterly
Predicting Collaboration Technology Use: Integrating Technology Adoption and Collaboration Research

Journal of Management Information Systems
The Level Paradox of E-Collaboration: Dangers and Solutions

International Journal of e-Collaboration

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

How do managers select media for communication and collaboration? Previous research has identified a myriad of contextual factors, individual characteristics, social factors, and the fit between medium characteristics and task requirements as influencing media choice. An implication from the cumulative research base is that managers must consider a large number of factors in the process of media selection, but task contingencies may not allow for the assessment of numerous criteria. Based on a behavioral decision-making perspective, this study proposes that task contingencies in the form of complexity, importance, and urgency influence the extent to which individuals evaluate various factors for media selection. The authors utilize data from a survey of managers in a financial organization. Under conditions of high task complexity and/or importance, managers are found to extensively appraise information for media selection. However, if the task is urgent, the extent of information evaluation during medium choice is constrained. Further, to the extent that managers' appraisal is limited, their actual medium choice diverges from the optimal choice. The results indicate that a behavioral decision-making view can provide a fresh perspective and enhance understanding of how managers actually select media for their communication and collaboration activities.