Abstract
Organizations are increasingly attempting to leverage their IT infrastructures and gain better benefits from them. Collaborative technology is one such IT-based infrastructural application which enables organizations to increase operational efficiencies and effectiveness of organizational decision making. It is important to identify potential challenges and barriers to collaborative technology adoption and use and therefore create means and mechanisms for anticipating challenges, facing them and removing barriers. Motivated by differences in extent of use of collaborative technology by groups in organizations, this paper uses exploratory cases to analyse IT-supported collaborative decision task situations to understand the factors influencing sophistication of use of collaborative technology. Preliminary qualitative analysis suggests that level of sophistication is fit between three constructs including users’ drive to use technology, the need for technology support and the group’s cultural orientation towards collaboration. Potential group contexts are discussed using the cases as samples. Further development of an integrative framework to understand use of collaborative technology is essential for suggesting more precise and fundamental prescriptive mechanisms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Applegate LM (1991) Technology support for cooperative work: a framework for studying introduction and assimilation in organizations. J Organ Comput 1(1): 11–39
Bélanger F, Watson-Manheim MB (2006) Virtual teams and multiple media: structuring media use to attain strategic goals. Group Decis Negot 15(2): 299–321
Burton-Jones A, Hubona GS (2005) Individual differences and usage behavior: revisiting a technology acceptance model assumption. Database Adv Infor Syst 36(2): 58–77
Campbell DJ (1988) Task complexity: a review and analysis. Acad Manag Rev 13(1): 40–52
Carlson JR, Zmud RW (1999) Channel expansion theory and the experiential nature of media richness perceptions. Acad Manag J 42(2): 153–170
Daft RL, Lengel RH (1986) Organisation information requirements: media richness and structural design. Manag Sci 32(5): 554–571
Dasgupta S, Granger M, McGarry N (2002) User acceptance of E-collaboration technology: an extension of the technology acceptance model. Group Decis Negot 11(2): 87–100
DeFranco-Tommarello J, Deek FP (2004) Collaborative problem solving and groupware for software development. Inf Syst Manag 21(1): 67–80
Dennis AR, Fuller RM, Valacich JS (2008) Media, tasks and communication processes: a theory of media synchronicity. MIS Quart 32(3): 575–600
Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (2000) The discipline and practice of qualitative research. In: Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (eds) Handbook of qualitative research. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks
DeSanctis G, Gallupe RB (1987) A foundation for the study of group decision support systems. Manag Sci 33(5): 589–609
DeSanctis G, Poole S (1994) Capturing the complexity in advanced technology use: adaptive structuration theory. Organ Sci 5(2): 121–147
Eisenhardt KM (1989) Building theories from case study research. Acad Manag Rev 14(4): 532–550
Galbraith J (1973) Designing complex organizations. Addison-Wesley, Reading
Golafshani N (2003) Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. Retrieved 5th December, 2005, from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf
Hoffman N, Klepper R (2000) Assimilating new technologies. The role of organizational culture. Inf Syst Manag 17(3): 36–42
Horton RP, Buck T, Waterson PE, Clegg CW (2001) Explaining intranet use with the technology acceptance model. J Inf Technol 16: 237–249
Jarman R (2005) When success isn’t everything—case studies of two virtual teams. Group Decis Negot 14(4): 333–354
King N (1998) Template analysis. In: Cassell C, Symon G (eds) Qualitative methods and analysis in organisational research: a practical guide. Sage, London, pp 118–134
Lerouge C, Blanton JE, Kittner M (2004) A causal model for using collaborative technologies to facilitate student team projects. J Comp Inf Syst 45(1): 30–37
Lewis LF, Bajwa DS, Pervan G, King VLS, Munkvold BE (2007) A cross-regional exploration of barriers to the adoption and use of electronic meeting systems. Group Decis Negot 16(4): 381–398
Lim J (2003) A conceptual framework on the adoption of negotiation support systems. Inf Softw Technol 45(8): 469–477
Mark G, Poltrock S (2001) Diffusion of a collaborative technology cross distance. Paper presented at the international ACM SIGGROUP conference on supporting group work, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Markus LM (1990) Toward a ‘critical mass’ theory of interactive media. In: Fulk J, Steinfield CW (eds) Organizations and communication technology. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, pp 194–218
Maznevski ML, Chudoba KM (2000) Bridging space over time: global virtual team dynamics and effectiveness. Organ Sci 11(5): 473–492
McGrath JE (1984) Groups: interaction and performance. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs
Miles M, Huberman AM (1994) Qualitative data analysis, 2nd edn. Sage, Thousand Oaks
Mintzberg H (1975) The manager’s job: folklore and fact. Harv Bus Rev 53(4): 49–61
Myers MD (1997) Qualitative research in information systems. Retrieved 31 May 2007, from http://www.qual.auckland.ac.nz/
Nadkarni S, Gupta R (2007) A task-based model of perceived website complexity. MIS Quart 31(3): 501–524
Nonaka I (1991) Knowledge-creating company. Harv Bus Rev 69(6): 96–104
Nosek JT (1998) The case for collaborative programming. Commun ACM 41(3): 105–108
Nunamaker JFJ, Dennis AR, Valacich JS, Vogel DR, George JF (1991) Electronic meeting systems to support group work. Commun ACM 34(7): 40–61
Orlikowski W (1992) Learning from notes: organizational issues in groupware implementation. Paper presented at the Computer Supported Cooperative Work ‘92, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Pinsonneault A, Kraemer KL (1990) The effects of electronic meetings on group processes and outcomes: an assessment of the empirical research. Eur J Oper Res 46(2): 143–161
Powell A, Piccoli G, Ives B (2004) Virtual teams: a review of current literature and directions for future research. Database Adv Infor Syst 35(1): 6–36
Qureshi S, Vogel D (2001) Adaptiveness in virtual teams: organisational challenges and research directions. Group Decis Negot 10(1): 27–46
Ryan GW, Bernard HR (2000) Data management and analysis methods. In: Denzin N, Lincoln Y (eds) Handbook of qualitative research. Sage Inc., Thousand Oaks, pp 769–802
Sarbaugh-Thompson M, Feldman MS (1998) Electronic mail and organizational communication: does saying “Hi” really matter?. Organ Sci 9(6): 685–698
Sarker S, Valacich JS, Sarker S (2005) Technology adoption by groups: a valence perspective. J Assoc Infor Syst 6(2): 37–71
Strauss A, Corbin J (1990) Basics of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage, New York
Taggar S (2002) Individual creativity and group ability to utilize individual creative resources: a multilevel model. Acad Manag J 45(2): 315–330
Teng JTC, Ramamurthy K (1993) Group decision support systems: clarifying the concept and establishing a functional taxonomy. INFOR 31(3): 166–185
Thompson JD (1967) Organizations in action. McGraw-Hill, New York
Turner P, Turner S (2002) End-user perspectives on the uptake of computer supported cooperative working. J End User Comput 14(2): 3–16
Vaidya SD (1990) A framework for analysing end user computing environments in large organisations. Unpublished Dissertation, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Calcutta
Vaidya SD, Seetharaman P (2005) Collaborative technology use in organizations: a typology. Paper presented at the Americas Conference on Information Systems, Nebraska, Omaha
Vanden Hooff B, Groot J, De Jonge S (2005) Situational influences on the use of communication technologies: a meta-analysis and exploratory study. J Bus Commun 42(1): 4–27
Vandenbosch B, Ginzberg MJ (1996) Lotus notes and collaboration: le plus ca change. J Manag Inf Syst 13(3): 65–81
Watson-Manheim MB, Bélanger F (2007) Communication media repertoires: dealing with the multiplicity of media choices. MIS Quart 31(2): 267–293
Weiseth PE, Munkvold BE, Tvedte B, Larsen S (2006) The wheel of collaboration tools: a typology for analysis within a holistic framework. Paper presented at the 20th anniversary conference on computer supported cooperative work, Banff, Alberta, Canada
Wood RE (1986) Task compexity: definition of the construct. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 37: 60–82
Yen DC, Wen HJ, Lin B, Chou DC (1999) Groupware: a strategic analysis and implementation. Indus Manag Data Syst 99(2): 64–70
Yin R (1994) Case study research: design and methods. Sage, Thousand Oaks
Zack MH, McKenney JL (1995) Social context and interaction in ongoing computer-supported management groups. Organ Sci 6(4): 394–422
Zigurs I, Buckland BK (1998) A theory of task/technology fit and group support systems effectiveness. MIS Quart 22(3): 313–334
Zigurs I, Khazanchi D (2008) From profiles to patterns: a new view of task-technology fit. Infor Syst Manag 25: 8–13
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vaidya, S.D., Seetharaman, P. Explaining Sophistication in Collaborative Technology Use: A Context—Technology Fit Perspective. Group Decis Negot 20, 185–213 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-009-9172-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-009-9172-z