Top managers' media selection and interaction goals in e-leadership

PurposeDrawing on media richness theory and a framework of interpersonal communication goals, this study investigates how and why the IT industry's top managers use communication media to achieve their interaction goals in e-leadership.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Information technology & people (West Linn, Or.) Or.), 2024-05, Vol.37 (8), p.130-153
Main Authors: Salin, Lotta, Koponen, Jonna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication channels
Communication research
Employees
Interpersonal communication
Leadership
Managers
Mass media
Media richness
Objectives
Pandemics
Personal communication
Qualitative analysis
Qualitative research
Research methodology
Work at home
Work life balance
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Summary:PurposeDrawing on media richness theory and a framework of interpersonal communication goals, this study investigates how and why the IT industry's top managers use communication media to achieve their interaction goals in e-leadership.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach is applied to understand top managers' communication media use and interaction goals. The empirical data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 33 top managers from large IT companies and analysed using theory-guided thematic and ideal-type analyses.FindingsTop managers were categorized into three types, based on their communication goals through face-to-face communication. Relationship-oriented top managers pursued relational and communal goals, whereas task-oriented ones wished to achieve instrumental and communal goals. Task- and relationship-oriented top managers pursued relational, instrumental, and communal goals. This study indicates that communal, instrumental, relational, and self-presentational goals influence managers' communication media selection.Originality/valueThis study brings new knowledge to the management communication research field. It expands the framework of interpersonal communication goals by identifying communal goals as a new category, in addition to existing instrumental, relational and self-presentational goals. This study suggests that media richness theory could be advanced by recognizing that a broader set of communication goals – including communal, instrumental, relational, and self-presentational – influences managers' communication media selection.
ISSN:0959-3845
1758-5813
DOI:10.1108/ITP-06-2023-0533