Communication Media Repertoires: Dealing with the Multiplicity of Media Choices

In today's organizations, employees have an ever-increasing variety of communication media to use in the performance of work activities. In this study, we seek to expand our understanding of media usage in organizations where there is a multiplicity of communication media available to employees...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:MIS quarterly 2007-06, Vol.31 (2), p.267-293
Main Authors: Watson-Manheim, Mary Beth, Belanger, France
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Communications media
Communications systems
Email
Information sharing
Information storage and retrieval systems
Intranets
Meetings
Multimedia communications
Office management
Organizational behavior
Organizational communication
Product management
Sales management
Studies
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Summary:In today's organizations, employees have an ever-increasing variety of communication media to use in the performance of work activities. In this study, we seek to expand our understanding of media usage in organizations where there is a multiplicity of communication media available to employees. We use communication media repertoires as the lens through which we explore how media is used in the support of communication-based work performed by individuals in complex organizational settings. Data were collected in sales divisions at two large corporations in the information technology industry. We compared multiple media use within and between the two sales divisions, and identified similarities and differences in repertoires. Our findings suggest that use of repertoires is influenced by institutional conditions (e.g., incentives, trust, and physical proximity) and situational conditions (e.g., urgency, task, etc.), and by routine use of the media over time. Based on the findings, we propose a framework for investigating the use of multiple media in organizations through examination of communication media repertoires. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
ISSN:0276-7783
2162-9730
DOI:10.2307/25148791