Social Structures and Personal Values That Predict E-Mail Use: An International Comparative Study

Authors:
Mark F. Peterson;Stephanie J. Thomason;Norm Althouse;Nicholas Athanassiou;Gudrun Curri;Robert Konopaske;Tomasz Lenartowicz;Mark Meckler;Mark E. Mendenhall;Andrew A. Mogaji;Julie I.A. Rowney
Affiliations:
Florida Atlantic University, USA and Maastricht University, Netherlands;University of Tampa, USA;University of Calgary, Canada;Northeastern University, USA;Dalhousie University, Canada;Texas State University, USA;Florida Atlantic University, USA;University of Portland, USA;University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, USA;Benue State University, Nigeria;University of Calgary, Canada
Venue:
Journal of Global Information Management
Year:
2010

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Abstract

This article extends communication and technology use theories about factors that predict e-mail use by explaining the reasons for cultural contingencies in the effects of managers' personal values and the social structures roles, rules and norms that are most used in their work context. Results from a survey of 576 managers from Canada, the English-speaking Caribbean, Nigeria, and the United States indicate that e-mail use may support participative and lateral decision making, as it is positively associated with work contexts that show high reliance on staff specialists especially in the U.S., subordinates, and unwritten rules especially in Nigeria and Canada. The personal value of self-direction is positively related to e-mail use in Canada, while security is negatively related to e-mail use in the United States. The results have implications for further development of TAM and media characteristic theories as well as for training about media use in different cultural contexts.