Abstract
This study investigates the relationships between the use of various organizational ICTs, communication visibility, and perceived proximity to distant colleagues. In addition, this study examines the interplay between visibility and proximity, to determine whether visibility improves proximity, or vice versa. These relationships are tested in a global company using two waves of panel survey data. ESM use increases communication visibility and perceived proximity, while controlling for prior levels of visibility, proximity, and the use of other organizational ICTs. The influence of ESM on network translucence and perceived proximity is generally stronger than the impact of other technologies on these outcomes. These results highlight the importance of considering various aspects of the technological landscape conjointly, as well as distinguishing the two dimensions of communication visibility. Finally, the results indicate that perceived proximity has causal priority over communication visibility, indicating that communication visibility exists partly as an attribution of perceived proximity to distant colleagues, and is not solely inferred from the use of organizational ICTs.
Highlights
This study investigates the relationships between the use of various organizational information and communication technologies (ICTs), communication visibility, and perceived proximity to distant colleagues
All constructs demonstrate good discriminant validity as the maximum shared variance is lower than the average variance extracted, with the exception of teleconferencing; in this case the MSV between teleconferencing at T1 and teleconferencing at T2 is just slightly higher than the AVE
This study presents two important findings, namely, that different organizational ICTs impact visibility and perceived proximity in various ways and that perceived proximity has causal priority over aspects of communication visibility
Summary
This study investigates the relationships between the use of various organizational ICTs, communication visibility, and perceived proximity to distant colleagues. Following prior research, we emphasize the distinction between two dimensions of communication visibility—who knows what (message transparency) and who knows whom (network translucence; Leonardi, 2014, 2015), and assess the extent to which the above types of ICTs predict these aspects of visibility as well as perceived proximity. These distinctions are important as communication visibility theory does not explicitly consider whether different ICTs may differentially affect either dimension of communication visibility (Leonardi, 2018). This is important as both visibility and proximity can influence the effectiveness of work, especially in dispersed work contexts (Sarker & Sahay, 2004), and because their relationship via digital media has not been explicated or tested
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
