Emergence of Differing Electronic Communication Norms Within Partially Distributed Teams

Abstract

Emergence of differing electronic communication norms within partially distributed teamsGeneral rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. Organizations increasingly depend on distributed teams (also referred to as virtual teams) to accomplish core work tasks (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002;Gibson & Gibbs, 2006;Hackman, 2011; Hinds & Kiesler, 2002 Cramton, 2001;Snyder & Morris, 1984). Communication between teammates can be conducted in a variety of ways, including meeting FtF, writing email, using instant messaging, conducting video conferences, etc. Discrete communication channels differentially influence group outcomes depending on whether communication is cooperative, competitive, or neutral (Swaab, Galinsky, Medvec, & Diermeier, 2012). This paper specifically deals with the possible consequences for PDTs to develop different norms for the use of those communication channels.Communication norms consist of the type of information shared, the rate of interaction, and/or formality of messages communicated (Kiesler, Siegel, & McGuire, 1984;Yates & Orlikowski, 2002). Norms can be implicit or explicit (Kelly, 1955), can either be taught directly, or can emerge while adapting to the habits of others. We specifically deal with ECNs, defined as distinct forms or styles of interaction shared by teammates when they communicate electronically. We argue that ECNs develop implicitly, based on the media environments in which individuals Media Environments in Partially Distributed TeamsThe media environment of members in PDTs can differ based on location. Remote locations may have other communication channels available to them including paper-mail, fax, phone, email, chat, video conference, etc. Collocated team members have access to other media, but also have FtF as an option, an option they will often choose, which leads to the exclusion of others. While remote members of PDTs work primarily in virtual environments, collocated members may switch between FtF and CMC environments. Thus, our main research question is whether differences in media environments in PDTs will result in the emergence of distinct and different ECNs. Imagine receiving the following email:Or These two emails ask for the same action, yet one provides more information and is more personal and polite. In teams, n...

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