COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION AND MAJORITY INFLUENCE - ASSESSING THE IMPACT IN AN INDIVIDUALISTIC AND A COLLECTIVISTIC CULTURE

Strong majority influence can potentially harm organizational decision s by causing decision makers to engage in groupthink. This study exami nes whether and how computer-mediated communication (CMC) can reduce m ajority influence and thereby enhance the quality of decisions in some situations. To measure the impact of CMC on majority influence, three settings (unsupported, face-to-face CMC, and dispersed CMC) were comp ared. Matching laboratory experiments were carried out in an individua listic (the US) and a collectivistic culture (Singapore) to determine how the impact of CMC might be moderated by national culture. An intel lective and a preference task were used to see whether the impact of C MC might be moderated by task type. The results showed that the impact of CMC on majority influence was contingent upon national culture. In the individualistic culture, majority influence was stronger in the u nsupported setting than the face-to-face CMC and dispersed CMC setting s. In the collectivistic culture, there were no corresponding differen ces. The results also revealed that the impact of CMC on majority infl uence was not moderated by task type. Instead, task type had a direct impact on majority influence. Regardless of the setting involved, majo rity influence was stronger with the preference than the intellective task. Besides demonstrating how cultural factors may moderate the impa ct of CMC, this study raises the broader issue of cultural relativism in current knowledge on CMC.