Analyzing the media usage behavior of telework groups: A contingency approach

This contingency study was undertaken to increase understanding of the way in which management support and communication characteristics influence tel eworkers' use of Communication media. Complexity of communication tasks, co mmunication urgency, and perceived reliability of a medium comprise variabl es of communication characteristics. These variables represent theoretical dimensions of media richness: perceived task requirement, perceived media c haracteristics, and attitude toward communication media. Information richne ss and social influence provided the theoretical basis of this study. The s tudy focused on two general-purpose communication media, e-mail and the tel ephone, and examined how the above factors are used to determine the choice of media. Research data were collected from the formal telework program op erated by Fujitsu Kyushu Communication Systems Limited (QCS) in Japan. We d ifferentiate our study from previous studies of media choice by focusing on remotely distributed teleworkers, using clearly defined work groups that p ermit investigation of collective behaviors, and analyzing data captured du ring actual use of communication media. Analysis of data indicates that fac tors of communication characteristics, especially communication urgency and perceived reliability of a communication medium, do influence the media us e of teleworkers. Management support, as a direct social influence as well as a moderating force that overcomes the constraint of media richness, grea tly improved the adoption and effective use of e-mail, The study demonstrat es that information richness of a medium can be reinforced through social r edefinition enabled by an active management involvement. Our study rendered additional implications that warrant further attention in future research.