Impacts of Computer-Mediated Communication on Cultural Aspects at Work

Abstract:

This paper examines how computer-mediated communication (CMC) affects cultural aspects in workplaces. For the concept of culture used in this paper, we draw on the surface level of culture among three levels of organisational culture and 10 categories of culture. Some studies on CMC are presented based on its impacts on some cultural categories, among which temporality and territoriality are emphasised. The knowledge imparted by this kind of analysis can help CMC and information systems (IS) developers understand and predict what will happen in the users’ way of working after implementation. It will also help them develop effective systems. By emphasising time and space from the cultural point of view, we expect the paper will contribute to understanding newly emergent organisational forms such as virtual organisations in which temporal and spatial dimensions are significantly transformed.