Communication Media Repertoires: Dealing with the Multiplicity of Media Choices1

Mary Beth Watson-Manheim; France Bélanger

doi:10.2307/25148791

journal article Jun 01, 2007

Communication Media Repertoires: Dealing with the Multiplicity of Media Choices1

Mary Beth Watson-Manheim France Bélanger

MIS Quarterly Vol. 31 No. 2 pp. 267-293 · MIS Quarterly

View at Publisher Save 10.2307/25148791

Abstract

In today’s organizations, employees have an ever-increasing variety of communication media to use in the performance of work activities. In this study, we seek to expand our understanding of media usage in organizations where there is a multiplicity of communication media available to employees. We use communication media repertoires as the lens through which we explore how media is used in the support of com munication-based work performed by individuals in complex organizational settings. Data were collected in sales divisions at two large corporations in the information technology industry. We compared multiple media use within and between the two sales divisions, and identified similarities and differences in repertoires. Our findings suggest that use of repertoires is influenced by institutional conditions (e.g., incentives, trust, and physical proximity) and situational conditions (e.g., urgency, task, etc.), and by routine use of the media over time. Based on the findings, we propose a framework for investigating the use of multiple media in organi-zations through examination of communication media repertoires. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

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Details

Published: Jun 01, 2007
Vol/Issue: 31(2)
Pages: 267-293

Authors

M

Mary Beth Watson-Manheim

Information and Decision Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 601 South Morgan Street (M/C 294), Chicago, IL 60607-7124, U.S.A.

F

France Bélanger

Accounting and Information Systems, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 3007 Pamplin Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0101, U.S.A.

Cite This Article

Mary Beth Watson-Manheim, France Bélanger (2007). Communication Media Repertoires: Dealing with the Multiplicity of Media Choices1. MIS Quarterly, 31(2), 267-293. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148791

Communication Media Repertoires: Dealing with the Multiplicity of Media Choices1

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