Task Characteristics, Team Processes and Individual Use of Collaboration Technology: Test of a Cross-Level Mediation Model

Abstract

The increasing complexity of knowledge work and the concomitant use of teams to organize and accomplish such work are leading organizations to invest heavily in collaboration technologies. However, prior research suggests that the productivity gains from using collaboration technology to support team work have been mixed. The success of collaboration systems largely hinges on its use by multiple team members. In this research we examine how task characteristics affect the extent to which individual team members use collaboration technology to execute their tasks. Results from a field study involving 345 employees in 71 organizational work teams reveal that task characteristics-represented by task interdependence and task uncertainty-indirectly influence individual collaboration technology use through their effects on team communication processes and team collaboration processes. The findings have implications for research on individual use of collaboration technology in team settings.