Business strategic conflict in computer-mediated communication

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the concept of business strategic conflict and examine its influence on communication media selection and use in inter-organisational collaborations. In doing so, we show the inherent complexities in the computer-mediated interactions between synergistic companies in the same industry. The work draws on a field study carried out for 5 months in a case of a product design collaboration between two large high-tech corporations in Taiwan and Korea. Findings show that at an early stage of the collaboration, the use of media has shifted substantially from FTF meetings to email, while it is also found that, due to the competitive nature of the inter-organisational collaboration involved, business strategic conflict significantly influences media selection and, in turn, it is influenced by the selected media. Our results contribute to media selection theories that have so far neglected the coopetitive inter-organisational environment.