research-article

Rethinking Media Synchronicity Theory: Examining the Cooperative Assumption

Authors:

Jaime B. Windeler,

Andrew HarrisonAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, Volume 49, Issue 4

Pages 15 - 29

https://doi.org/10.1145/3290768.3290772

Published: 02 November 2018 Publication History

Abstract

Information systems (IS) research often assumes team members have aligned goals. In practice, people interpret and pursue goals to suit personal agendas, even when they are collaborating. This motivates our examination of the cooperative assumption in Media Synchronicity Theory (MST)--a leading IS theory of communication performance. We assess the boundaries of MST by relaxing the assumption of cooperation. Our results support MST for explaining communication and task performance in a cooperative context. However, MST was insufficient to capture how media capabilities influence performance in a non-cooperative context. Our study shows that relaxing the assumption of cooperation changes MST in profound ways--altering which media capabilities are central to the model and the very processes that underlie communication.

References

[1]

Ahuja, M., Fuller, R., & Magni, M. (2015). Is media synchronicity theory culture blind? An empirical test. In Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems (pp. 1--10). Puerto Rico.

[2]

Bahli, B., & Rivard, S. (2003). The information technology outsourcing risk: A transaction cost and agency theory-based perspective. Journal of Information Technology, 18(3), 211--221.

[3]

Biocca, F., Harms, C., & Burgoon, J. K. (2003). Toward a more robust theory and measure of social presence: Review and suggested criteria. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 12(5), 456--480.

Digital Library

[4]

Buller, D. B., & Burgoon, J. K. (1996). Interpersonal deception theory. Communication Theory, 6(3), 203--242.

[5]

Camerer, C. F., & Ho, T. H. (2015). Behavioral game theory, experiments and modeling. In H. P. Young & S. Zamir (Eds.), Handbook of game theory with economic applications (pp. 517--573). Oxford: Elsevier.

[6]

Carey, J. (2002). A cultural approach to communication. In D. McQuail (Ed.), Mcquail's reader in mass communication theory (pp. 36--45). London: Sage Publications.

[7]

Carlson, J. R., & George, J. F. (2004). Media appropriateness in the conduct and discovery of deceptive communication: The relative influence of richness and synchronicity. Group Decision and Negotiation, 13(2), 191--210.

[8]

Carte, T., & Chidambaram, L. (2004). A capabilities-based theory of technology deployment in diverse teams: Leapfrogging the pitfalls of diversity and leveraging its potential with collaborative technology. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 5(11--12), 448--471.

[9]

Chatterjee, S., Sarker, S., & Valacich, J. S. (2015). The behavioral roots of information systems security: Exploring key factors related to unethical IT use. Journal of Management Information Systems, 31(4), 49--87.

[10]

Choi, B., & Baek, Y. (2011). Exploring factors of media characteristic influencing flow in learning through virtual worlds. Computers & Education, 57(4), 2382--2394.

Digital Library

[11]

Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21--29.

[12]

Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design. Management Science, 32(5), 554--571.

Digital Library

[13]

Dennis, A. R., Fuller, R. M., & Valacich, J. S. (2008). Media, tasks, and communication processes: A theory of media synchronicity. MIS Quarterly, 32(3), 575--600.

[14]

Dennis, A. R., & Valacich, J. S. (1999). Rethinking media richness: Towards a theory of media synchronicity. In Proceedings of the 32nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 1--10). Maui, Hawaii.

Digital Library

[15]

Dennis, A. R., Wixom, B. H., & Vandenberg, R. J. (2001). Understanding fit and appropriation effects in group support systems via meta-analysis. MIS Quarterly, 25(2), 167--193.

Digital Library

[16]

DeVellis, R. F. (2012). Scale development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

[17]

Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57--74.

[18]

Fehr, E., & Gächter, S. (2000). Fairness and retaliation: The economics of reciprocity. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(3), 159--181.

[19]

Fuller, R. M., & Dennis, A. R. (2009). Does fit matter? The impact of task-technology fit and appropriation on team performance in repeated tasks. Information Systems Research, 20(1), 2--17.

Digital Library

[20]

Gefen, D., & Straub, D. (2004). Consumer trust in B2C e-Commerce and the importance of social presence: Experiments in e-Products and e-Services. Omega, 32(6), 407--424.

[21]

George, J. F., & Carlson, J. R. (1999). Group support systems and deceptive communication (pp. 1--10). Presented at the Proceedings of the 32nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Maui, Hawaii.

Digital Library

[22]

George, J. F., Carlson, J. R., & Valacich, J. S. (2013). Media selection as a strategic component of communication. MIS Quarterly, 37(4), 1233--1251.

Digital Library

[23]

Goodhue, D. L., & Thompson, R. L. (1995). Task-technology fit and individual performance. MIS Quarterly, 19(2), 213--236.

Digital Library

[24]

Gunawardena, C. N., & Zittle, F. J. (1997). Social presence as a predictor of satisfaction within a computer-mediated conferencing environment. American Journal of Distance Education, 11(3), 8--26.

[25]

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall.

[26]

Halpern, D., & Gibbs, J. (2013). Social media as a catalyst for online deliberation? Exploring the affordances of Facebook and Youtube for political expression. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 1159--1168.

Digital Library

[27]

Harrison, A. J. (2014). The effects of technology on interpersonal fraud. Iowa State University, Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Ames, Iowa.

[28]

Harrison, A. J. (2018). The effects of media capabilities on the rationalization of online consumer fraud. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 19(5), 408--440.

[29]

Hung, Y. T. C., Duyen, N. T. T., Kong, W. C., & Chua, A. L. (2008). Reexamining media capacity theories using workplace instant messaging. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 51(4), 352--368.

[30]

Klein, L. R. (1998). Evaluating the potential of interactive media through a new lens: Search versus experience goods. Journal of Business Research, 41(3), 195--203.

[31]

Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: The Guilford Press.

[32]

Kotovsky, K., Hayes, J. R., & Simon, H. A. (1985). Why are some problems hard? Evidence from Tower of Hanoi. Cognitive Psychology, 17(2), 248--294.

[33]

Kreijns, K., Kirschner, P. A., & Jochems, W. (2002). The sociability of computer-supported collaborative learning environment. Educational Technology & Society, 5(1), 8--22.

[34]

Kye, B., & Kim, Y. (2008). Investigation of the relationships between media characteristics, presence, flow, and learning effects in augmented reality based learning. International Journal for Education Media and Technology, 2(1), 4--14.

[35]

Lowry, P. B., Zhang, D., Zhou, L., & Fu, X. (2010). Effects of culture, social presence, and group composition on trust in technology-supported decision-making groups. Information Systems Journal, 20(3), 297--315.

[36]

Mahaney, R. C., & Lederer, A. L. (2003). Information systems project management: An agency theory interpretation. Journal of Systems and Software, 68(1), 1--9.

Digital Library

[37]

Mayo, E. (1946). The human problems of an industrial civilization. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[38]

McCornack, S. A. (1992). Information manipulation theory. Communications Monographs, 59(1), 1--16.

[39]

McQuail, D. (1987). Functions of communication: A nonfunctionalist overview. In C. Berger & S. Chaffee (Eds.), Handbook of communication science (pp. 327--349). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

[40]

Mead, M. (1976). Cooperation and competition among primitive peoples. Boston, MA: Beacon.

[41]

Miranda, S. M., & Saunders, C. S. (2003). The social construction of meaning: An alternative perspective on information sharing. Information Systems Research, 14(1), 87--106.

Digital Library

[42]

Montoya-Weiss, M. M., Massey, A. P., & Song, M. (2001). Getting it together: Temporal coordination and conflict management in global virtual teams. Academy of Management Journal, 44(6), 1251--1262.

[43]

Münzer, S., & Holmer, T. (2009). Bridging the gap between media synchronicity and task performance: Effects of media characteristics on process variables and task performance indicators in an information pooling task. Communication Research, 36(1), 76--103.

[44]

Parris, C. (2008). Testimony to the congressional hearing on virtual worlds, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

[45]

Qiu, L., & Benbasat, I. (2005). An investigation into the effects of text-to-speech voice and 3D avatars on the perception of presence and flow of live help in electronic commerce. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 12(4), 329--355.

Digital Library

[46]

Rice, R. E. (1992). Task analyzability, use of new media, and effectiveness: A multi-site exploration of media richness. Organization Science, 3(4), 475--500.

Digital Library

[47]

Ringle, C. M., Wende, S., & Becker, J. M. (2015). SmartPLS 3. Bönningstedt: SmartPLS. Retrieved from http://www.smartpls.comSmartPLS 3.

[48]

Sarangi, S. K., & Slembrouck, S. (1992). Non-cooperation in communication: A reassessment of Gricean pragmatics. Journal of Pragmatics, 17(2), 117--154.

[49]

Sarker, S., Sarker, S., Chatterjee, S., & Valacich, J. S. (2010). Media effects on group collaboration: An empirical examination in an ethical decision making context. Decision Sciences, 41(4), 887--931.

[50]

Short, J., Williams, E., & Christie, B. (1976). The social psychology of telecommunications. London: John Wiley & Sons.

[51]

Straub, D. (2012). Editorial: Does MIS have native theories? MIS Quarterly, 36(2), iii--xii.

Digital Library

[52]

Swan, K. (2002). Building learning communities in online courses: The importance of interaction. Education, Communication & Information, 2(1), 23--49.

[53]

Tang, F., Wang, X., & Norman, C. S. (2013). An investigation of the impact of media capabilities and extraversion on social presence and user satisfaction. Behaviour & Information Technology, 32(10), 1060--1073.

Digital Library

[54]

Thomas, J. (1986). The dynamics of discourse: A pragmatic analysis of confrontational interaction. University of Lancaster, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Lancaster, England.

[55]

Thomas, L., & Wareing, S. (Eds.). (2004). Language, society and power: An introduction. Oxford: Routledge.

[56]

Valacich, J. S., Sarker, S., Pratt, J., & Groomer, M. (2009). Understanding risk-taking behavior of groups: A "decision analysis" perspective. Decision Support Systems, 46(4), 902--912.

Digital Library

[57]

Yang, L., & Tan, B. C. (2012). Self-disclosure on online social networks: Motives, context feature, and media capabilities (pp. 1--10). Presented at the 33rd International Conference on Information Systems, Orlando, FL.

[58]

Yoo, Y., & Alavi, M. (2001). Media and group cohesion: Relative influences on social presence, task participation, and group consensus. MIS Quarterly, 25(3), 371--390.

Digital Library

Cited By

Windeler JHarrison ASundrup R(2024)Under the Radar or Into the Spotlight: How Does Social Presence Affect Minorities in Virtual Groups?ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3663682.366368855:2(98-119)Online publication date: 3-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3663682.3663688
Zhou JCharoensukmongkol P(2023)How Social Media Use in B2B Export Selling Contributes to Sales Performance: The Media Synchronicity Theory PerspectiveInternational Journal of Business Communication10.1177/2329488423117627961:3(650-676)Online publication date: 24-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884231176279
Rizi MRoulin N(2023)Does media richness influence job applicants' experience in asynchronous video interviews? Examining social presence, impression management, anxiety, and performanceInternational Journal of Selection and Assessment10.1111/ijsa.1244832:1(54-68)Online publication date: 11-Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12448
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Rethinking Media Synchronicity Theory: Examining the Cooperative Assumption
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Collaborative and social computing theory, concepts and paradigms
      1. Computer supported cooperative work
  2. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. HCI design and evaluation methods
      1. Laboratory experiments

Recommendations

Media, tasks, and communication processes: a theory of media synchronicity

This paper expands, refines, and explicates media synchronicity theory, originally proposed in a conference proceeding in 1999 (Dennis and Valacich 1999). Media synchronicity theory (MST) focuses on the ability of media to support synchronicity, a ...
Effects of support and job demands on social media use and work outcomes

We investigated some organizational factors that determine social media use at work.We investigated if social media use at work affects job-related outcomes.Coworker support and job demands positively associate with social media use at work.Supervisor ...
The moderating role of communication contexts: How do media synchronicity and behavioral characteristics of mobile messenger applications affect social intimacy and fatigue?
Abstract
Mobile messenger applications have become part of our daily life because smartphones represent our primary communication devices. People use messaging applications to communicate with friends more frequently than telephone calls. In ...
Highlights
- We identify the media and behavioral characteristics of a mobile messenger.
- We ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems

ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems Volume 49, Issue 4

November 2018

84 pages

ISSN:0095-0033

EISSN:1532-0936

DOI:10.1145/3290768

Editors:
Stacie Petter
Baylor University, Waco, TX
,
Tom Stafford
Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
,
Xihui "Paul" Zhang
Northern Alabama University, Florence, AL
,
Heidi Seward
Baylor University, Waco, TX

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2018 Authors.

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 02 November 2018

Published in SIGMIS Volume 49, Issue 4

Check for updates

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Research-article

Funding Sources

Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

7
Total Citations
View Citations
621
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)114
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)19

Reflects downloads up to 08 Feb 2025

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Windeler JHarrison ASundrup R(2024)Under the Radar or Into the Spotlight: How Does Social Presence Affect Minorities in Virtual Groups?ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/3663682.366368855:2(98-119)Online publication date: 3-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3663682.3663688
Zhou JCharoensukmongkol P(2023)How Social Media Use in B2B Export Selling Contributes to Sales Performance: The Media Synchronicity Theory PerspectiveInternational Journal of Business Communication10.1177/2329488423117627961:3(650-676)Online publication date: 24-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884231176279
Rizi MRoulin N(2023)Does media richness influence job applicants' experience in asynchronous video interviews? Examining social presence, impression management, anxiety, and performanceInternational Journal of Selection and Assessment10.1111/ijsa.1244832:1(54-68)Online publication date: 11-Aug-2023
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12448
Streator J(2022)Information and Communication Technologies and Individual Communication TraitsInternational Journal of Interactive Communication Systems and Technologies10.4018/IJICST.31285411:1(1-14)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/IJICST.312854
Muhammad Hasni DSarlan A(2021)Collaborative Visualization Framework for Cross-field Working Group2021 International Conference on Computer & Information Sciences (ICCOINS)10.1109/ICCOINS49721.2021.9497144(270-275)Online publication date: 13-Jul-2021
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCOINS49721.2021.9497144
Shaikh S(2020)Interactive and revisable decision-support: doing more harm than good?Behaviour & Information Technology10.1080/0144929X.2020.183724241:4(845-863)Online publication date: 27-Nov-2020
https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2020.1837242
Diwanji VArpan LUlak MHou JOzguven E(2020)Understanding citizens' communication channel preferences during natural disasters: A synchronicity-based, mixed-methods exploration using survey and geospatial analysisInternational Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101646(101646)Online publication date: May-2020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101646

View Options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

eReader

View online with eReader.

Figures

Tables

Media

View Issue’s Table of Contents