Real-Time Computer-Mediated Conferencing versus Electronic Mail

Abstract

Electronic mail-like systems are becoming a popular way of conferencing in organizations, while real-time computer conferencing (RTCC) facilities are virtually ignored. It is the suggestion of this paper that in a computerized organizational environment for group decisions made through consensus development, RTCC may have some advantages over electronic mail-like conferencing. The experimental study comparing RTCC and electronic mail as modes of computer-mediated communication during group decision making is described. The post-experimental preferences-difficulties questionnaire revealed that: (1) a majority of the participants clearly preferred face-to-face communication to computer-mediated (76% vs. 22%) and RTCC to electronic mail (93% vs. 7%); (2) since 79% of the participants were willing to give up their own opinion and simply agree in order to get away from the discussion, because communication via computer is frustrating, it is possible that the quality of the decisions may suffer due to the deficiences of the computer media; (3) The participants encountered significant cognitive difficulties in both modes of computer conferencing. These difficulties are addressed in the design recommendations for both RTCC and electronic mail.