article

Conveying information effectively in a virtual world: Insights from synthesized task closure and media richness

Authors:

Hock-Hai TeoAuthors Info & Claims

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Volume 63, Issue 6

Pages 1198 - 1212

https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22600

Published: 01 June 2012 Publication History

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners alike increasingly emphasize the importance of the virtual world as a new medium of communication. Key to the success of this digital medium is its ability to support information exchange when compared with face-to-face communication. Its potential is highlighted by the literature illustrating the inadequacy of traditional computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools, such as e-mail and video conferencing, to support communication among geographically dispersed coworkers. Many of the traditional CMC tools lack the needed support for effective information exchange to varying degrees. The emergence of a sophisticated virtual world, such as Second Life, has met this dearth. We draw on the theories of task closure and media richness to propose a parsimonious model of information exchange behavior in a virtual world context. Observations from a series of group-based project discussion sessions in face-to-face and virtual world settings, respectively, suggest that the information exchange between coworkers in both settings could be similar. Specifically, virtual coworkers might be able to achieve task closure (i.e., the complete transmission of intended work-related information) in the same way as their counterparts in the face-to-face context. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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cover image Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology Volume 63, Issue 6

June 2012

222 pages

ISSN:1532-2882

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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

United States

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Published: 01 June 2012

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Hvannberg ERudinsky J(2017)Transferability of Voice Communication in Games to Virtual Teams Training for Crisis ManagementInternational Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge Development10.4018/IJSKD.20170101019:1(1-25)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/IJSKD.2017010101
Shahrokh ZBehyar P(2017)Consumer's Participation Model in Virtual CommunitiesInternational Journal of E-Business Research10.4018/IJEBR.201710010213:4(15-36)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/IJEBR.2017100102
Han SMin JLee H(2015)Antecedents of social presence and gratification of social connection needs in SNSInternational Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.04.00435:4(459-471)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.04.004
Gupta MJin SSanders GSherman BSimha A(2012)Getting Real About Virtual WorldsInternational Journal of Virtual Communities and Social Networking10.4018/jvcsn.20120701014:3(1-46)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/jvcsn.2012070101

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