Communication openness in the workplace: The effects of medium (F2F and IM) and culture (U.S. and china)

Journal of Global Information Technology Management

Volumn 13, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 37-75

  Schiller, Shu Z ^a   Cui, Jiaying ^b  

^a WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b CAPITAL UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS   (China)

Author keywords

China; Communication Openness; Culture; Downward; Face to Face; IM; Instant Messaging; Peer; U.S; Upward

Indexed keywords

EID: 80053101737     PISSN: 1097198X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/1097198X.2010.10856514     Document Type: Article

References (90)

1. Al-Gahiani, S., and Hung-Pin, S. “The Influence of Organizational Communication Openness on the Post-Adoption of Computers: An Empirical Study in Saudi Arabia,” Journal of Global Information Management, 17, 3, 2009, pp. 20-41.
2. Al-Omari, A., Qablan, A., and Khasawneh, S. “Faculty Members’ Intentions to Stay in Jordanian Public Universities,” International Journal of Applied Educational Studies, 1, 1, pp. 25-42.
3. Ayoko, O. B. “Communication openness, conflict events and reactions to conflict in culturally diverse workgroups,” Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 14, 2, 2007, pp. 105-124.
4. Baird, J. W. “An analytical field study of open communication as perceived by supervisors, subordinates, and peers. ” Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Purdue University 1973.
5. Blunch, N. J. Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling: Using SPSS and AMOS. London: SAGE Publication Ltd. 2008
6. Breen, V., Fetzer, R., Howard, L., and Preziosi, R. “Consensus Problem-Solving Increases Perceived Communication Openness in Organizations,” Employee Responsibilities & Rights Journal, 17, 4, 2005, pp. 215-229.
7. Brockner, J., Ackerman, G., Greenberg, J., Gelfand, M. J., Francesco, A. M., Chen, Z. X, Leung, K., Bierbrauer, G., Gomez, C., Kirkman, B. L., and Shapiro, D. L. “Culture and Procedural Justice: The Moderating Influence of Power Distance on Reactions to Voice,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 4, 2001, pp. 300-315.
8. Cai, D. A., Wilson, S. R., and Drake, L. E. “Culture in the Context of Intercultural Negotiation,” Human Communication Research, 26, 4, 2000, pp. 591-617.
9. Cameron, A., and Webster, J. “Unintended consequences of emerging communication technologies: Instant Messaging in the workplace,” Computers in Human Behavior, 21, 1, pp. 85-103.
10. Cao, J., and Everard, A. User Attitude Towards Instant Messaging: The Effect of Espoused National Cultural Values on Awareness and Privacy,” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 11, 2, 2008, pp. 30-57.
11. Cardon, P. W. “A model of face practices in Chinese business culture: Implications for western businesspersons,” Thunderbird International Business Review, 51, 1, 2009, pp. 19-36.
12. Chen, K., Yen, D. C., and Huang, A. H. “Media Selection To Meet Communication Contexts: Comparing E-Mail And Instant Messaging In An Undergraduate Population,” Communications of AIS, 2004, 14, 2004, pp. 387-405.
13. Chen, Y-H., Wu, J-J., and Chung, Y-S. “Cultural Impact on Trust: A Comparison of Virtual Communities in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 11, 1, 2008, pp. 28-48.
14. Chidambaram, L, Lim, J., Hock Chuan, C., and Kyung-Il, H. “An Empirical Evaluation of Organizational Media Use in Singapore,” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 4, 1, 2001, pp. 27-44.
15. Chin, W. W. “Issues and Opinion on Structural Equation Modeling,” MIS Quartely, 22, 1, 1998a, pp. vii-xvi.
16. Chin, W. W. “The Partial Least Squares Approach for Structural Equation Modeling,” In Modern Methods for Business Research, G. A. Marcoulides (Ed., Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998b, pp. 295-336.
17. CNNIC. 2009. “Statistical Report on Internet Development in China,” by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC, 2009
18. Cronbach, L. J. “Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of a test,” Psychometrika, 16, 3, 1951, pp. 297-334.
19. Daft, R. L., and Lengel, R. H. “Information Richness: A New Approach to Managerial Behavior and Organization Design,” In Research in Organizational Behavior: An Annual Series of Analytical Essays and Critical Reviews, L. L. Cummings & B. M. Staw (eds., Greenwich, CT: JAI Press Inc., 1984.
20. Daft, R. L., and Lengel, R. H. “Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness, and Structural Design,” Management Science, 32, 5, 1986, pp. 554-571.
21. Daft, R. L., Lengel, R. H., and Trevino, L. K. “Message Equivocality, Media Selection, and Manager Performance: Implications for Information Systems,” MIS Quarterly, 11, 3, 1987, pp. 354-366.
22. Doney, P., Cannon, J., and Mullen, M. “Understanding the Influence of National Culture on The Development of Trust,” Academy of Management Review, 23, 3, 1998, pp. 601-620.
23. Dorfrnan, P. W. and Howell, J. P. “Dimensions of national culture & effective leadership patterns: Hofstede revisited,” in Advances in international comparative management, vol. 3 E. G. McGoun (Ed., Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, pp. 127-149, 1988.
24. Drucker, D. “Mail free-for-all,” Internet Week, 01/17/2000, pp. 1-2.
25. Field, A. Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods, Third Edition, Sage Publications Ltd., 2009.
26. Ford, D. P., Connelly, C. E., and Meister, D. B. “Information systems research and Hofstede's culture's consequences: an uneasy and incomplete partnership,” IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 50, 1, 2003, pp. 8-25.
27. Francesco, A.M. and Chen, Z.X. “Cross-cultural Differences within a Single Culture: Power Distance as a Moderator of the Participation - Outcome Relationship in the People’s Republic of China,” 2000, BRC Papers on Cross-Cultural Management. Retrieved from http://net2.hkbu.edu.hk/~brc/CCMP200007.pdf, on February 4, 2010.
28. Galletta, D., Henry, R., McCoy, S., and Polak, P. “When the Wait Isn't So Bad: The Interacting Effects of Website Delay, Familiarity, and Breadth,” Information Systems Research, 17, 1, pp. 20-37.
29. Gefen, D., and Straub, D. “A practical guide to factorial validity using PLS-Graph: Tutorial and annotated example,” Communications of the Associations for Information Systems, 16, 2005, pp. 91-109.
30. George, R., and Hancer, M. “The Impact of Selected Organizational Factors on Psychological Empowerment of Non-Supervisory Employees in Full-Service Restaurants,” Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 6, 2, 2003, pp. 35-47.
31. Gergle, D., Millen, D. R., Kraut, R. E., and Fussell, S. R. “Persistence Matters: Making the Most of Chat in Tightly-Coupled Work,” Paper presented at ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 24-29, at Vienna Austria, 2004.
32. Gudykunst, W.B. and Matsumoto, Y. “Cross-cultural variability of communication in personal relationships,” In Communication in Personal Relationships Across Cultures, W.B Gudykunst, S. Ting-Toomey & T. Nishida (eds) London: Sage, pp. 19-56, 1996.
33. Handel, M., and Herbsleb, J. D. “What Is Chat Doing in the Workplace?” Paper presented at ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, November 16-20, at New Orleans, LA, 2002.
34. Herbsleb, J. D., Atkins, D. L., Boyer, D. G., Handel, M., and Finholt, T. A. “Introducing instant messaging and chat in the workplace,” Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems: Changing our world, changing ourselves, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 2002, pp. 171-178.
35. Hofstede, G. Culture’s consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1980.
36. Hofstede, G. “National cultures in four dimensions, a research-based theory on cultural differences among nations,” International Studies in Management and Organizations, 14, 1, 1983, pp. 46-74.
37. Hofstede, G. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. London: McGraw-Hill. 1991.
38. Holsapple, C. “The Pulse of Multiparticipant Systems,” Journal of Organizational Computing & Electronic Commerce, 18, 4, 2008, pp. 333-343.
39. Hu, X., Lin, Z., Whinston, A. B., and Zhang, H. “Hope or Hype: On the Viability of Escrow Services as Trusted Third Parties in Online Auction Environments,” Information Systems Research, 15, 3, 2004, pp. 236-249.
40. Huang, H., and Leung, L. “Instant Messaging Addiction among Teenagers in China: Shyness, Alienation, and Academic Performance Decrement,” CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12, 6, pp. 675-679.
41. Isaacs, E., Walendowski, A., Whittaker, S., Schiano, D. J., and Kamm, C. “The Character, Functions, and Styles of Instant Messaging in the Workplace,” Paper presented at ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, November 16-20, at Minneapolis, MN, 2002.
42. Jarvenpaa, S. L., Shaw, T. R., and Staples, D. S. “Toward Contextualized Theories of Trust: The Role of Trust in Global Virtual Teams,” Information Systems Research, 15, 3, 2004, pp. 250-267.
43. Kay, B., and Christophel, D. “The Relationships Among Manager Communication Openness, Nonverbal Immediacy, and Subordinate Motivation,” Communication Research Reports, 12, 2, 1995, pp. 200-205.
44. Kim, D.“Self-Perception-Based Versus Transference-Based Trust Determinants in Computer- Mediated Transactions: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Study,” Journal of Management Information Systems, 24, 4, 2008 pp. 13-45.
45. Kim, T., Rosen, B., and Lee, D. “South Korean managerial reactions to voicing discontent: The effects of employee attitude and employee communication styles,” Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 7, 2009, pp. 1001-1018.
46. Kirmeyer, S., and Lin, T. “Social Support: Its Relationship to Observed Communication With Peers and Superiors,” Academy of Management Journal, 30, 1, 1987, pp. 138-151.
47. Koike, H., Gudykunst, W., Stewart, L., Ting-Toomey, S., and Nishida, T. “Communication Openness, Satisfaction, and Length of Employment in Japanese Organizations,” Communication Research Reports, 5, 2, 1988, pp. 97-102.
48. Leidner, D., and Kayworth, T. “Review: A Review of Culture In Information Systems Research: Toward A Theory of Information Technology Culture Conflict,” MIS Quarterly, 30, 2, 2006, pp. 357-399.
49. Leonard, K, Van Scotter, J., and Pakdil, F. “Culture and Communication: Cultural Variations and Media Effectiveness,” Administration & Society, 41, 7, 2009, pp. 850-877.
50. Li, Dahui, Chau, Patrick Y.K., and Lou, Hao. “Understanding Individual Adoption of Instant Messaging: An Empirical Investigation,” Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 6, 4, Article 5. 2005, Available at: http://aisel.aisnet.Org/jais/vol6/iss4/5
51. Limayem, M., Khalifa, M„ and Chin, W. W. “Factors Motivating Software Piracy: A Longitudinal Study,” IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 51, 4, 2004, pp. 441425.
52. Lu, Xiang-Hua, and Heng, M. “Cultural Influence on IS Practices in China: A Literature Analysis,” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 12, 4, 2009, pp. 6-24.
53. Luo, X., Gurung, A., and Shim, J. P. “Understanding the Determinants of User Acceptance of Enterprise Instant Messaging: An Empirical Study,” Journal of Organizational Computing & Electronic Commerce, forthcoming, 2010.
54. Lyytinen, K. and Hirschheim, R. “Information Systems as Rational Discourse: an Application of Habermas Theory of Communicative Action,” Scandinavian Journal of Management, 4, 1/2, 1988, pp. 19-30.
55. Majchrzak, A., Beath, C., Lim, R., and Chin, W. “Managing client dialogues during information systems design to facilitate client learning,” MIS Quarterly, 29, 4, 2005, pp. 653-672.
56. Martinsons, M., and Westwood, R. “Management information systems in the Chinese business culture: An explanatory theory,” Information & Management, 32, 5, 1997. pp. 215.
57. McCoy, S., Galletta, D. F., and King, W. R. “Integrating National Culture into IS Research: The Need For Current Individual-Level Measures,” Communications of AIS, 15, 12, 2005, pp. 211-224.
58. Morand, D. A. “Black Holes in Social Space: The Occurrence and Effects of Name-Avoidance in Organizations,” Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35, 2, 2005, pp. 320-334.
59. Myers, S., Knox, R., Pawlowski, D., and Ropog, B. “Perceived Communication Openness and Functional Communication Skills among Organizational Peers,” Communication Reports, 12, 2, 1999, pp. 71-83.
60. Myers, M. D. and Tan, F. B. “Beyond models of national culture in information systems research,” In Advanced Topics in Global information Management, F. B. Tan, Ed. IGI Publishing, Hershey, PA, 2003, pp. 14-29.
61. Nardi, B. A., Whittaker, S., and Bradner, E. “Interaction and Outeraction: Instant Messaging in Action,” Paper presented at ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, December 2-6, at Philadelphia, PA, 2000.
62. Nunnally, J. C. Psychometric Theory, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1978.
63. O'Reilly, C. A., III, “Task Group Structure, Communication, and Effectiveness in Three Organizations,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 6, 1977, pp. 674-681.
64. O'Reilly, C. A., III, and Roberts, K. “Relationships Among Components of Credibility and Communication Behaviors in Work Units,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 61, 1, 1976, pp. 99-102.
65. Pascoe, C., and More, E. “Communication education for managers managing knowledge,” Australian Journal of Communication, 35, 3, 2008, pp. 69-92.
66. Radicati. Q3 2007 “Market Numbers Update of Internet Users,’ Radicati Group, 2007
67. Raykov, T., and Grayson, D. “A Test for Change of Composite Reliability in Scale Development,” Multivariate Behavioral Research, 38, 2, 2003, pp. 143-159.
68. Redding, W. C. Communication within the organization: An interpretive review of theory and research. New York, NY; Industrial Communication Council, 1972.
69. Robin, D. “A Symbiotic Link between Entrepreneurial Objectives and Ethics: The Issue of Trust Building,” Business & Professional Ethics Journal, 26, 1-4, 2007, pp. 41-54.
70. Rodgers, R., and Heisey, D. “Perspectives on Communication Openness in the Former Soviet Union,” World Communication, 25, 3, 1996, pp. 111-124.
71. Rogers, D. “The Development of a Measure of Perceived Communication Openness,” Journal of Business Communication, 24, 4, 1987, pp. 53-61.
72. Schiller, S., and Mandviwalla, M. “Virtual Team Research: An Analysis of Theory Use and a Framework for Theory Appropriation,” Small Group Research, 38, 1, 2007, pp. 12-59.
73. Shin, S., Ishman, M., and Sanders, G. “An empirical investigation of socio-cultural factors of information sharing in China,” Information & Management, 44, 2, 2007, pp. 165-174.
74. Shiu, E., and Lenhart, A. “How Americans use instant messaging,” In Pew Internet & American Life Project, WASHINGTON, D.C., http://www.pewintemet.org/pdfs/PIP_Instantmessage_Report.pdf., 2004.
75. Spillan, J., and Mino, M. “Special Peers’ Perceived Use of Communication Openness And Functional Communication Skills In Specific Organizational Contexts,” Communication Research Reports, 18, 1, 2001. pp. 53-66.
76. Srite, M., and Karahanna, E. “The Role of Espoused National Cultural Values In Technology Acceptance,” MIS Quarterly, 30, 3, 2006, pp. 679-704.
77. Stahl, B., and Ibrahim, E. “Cultural University Versus Particularity in CMC,” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 7, 4, 2004, pp. 47-65.
78. Staples, D., and Zhao, L. “The Effects of Cultural Diversity in Virtual Teams Versus Face-to- Face Teams,” Group Decision & Negotiation, 15, 4, 2006, pp. 389-406.
79. Straub, D., and Gefen, D. “Validation Guidelines for IS Positivist Research,” Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 13, 2004, pp. 380-427.
80. Stewart, L., Gudykunst, W., Ting-Toomey, S., and Nishida, T. “The Effects of DecisionMaking Style on Openness and Satisfaction within Japanese Organizations,” Communication Monographs, 53, 3, 1986, pp. 236.
81. Stull, J. B. “Openness ” in superior-subordinate communication: A quasi experimental field study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Purdue University. 1974.
82. Tan, B., Wei, K., Watson, R., Clapper, D., and Mclean, E. “Computer-Mediated Communication and Majority Influence: Assessing the Impact in an Individualistic and a Collectivistic Culture,” Management Science, 44, 9, 1998, pp. 1263-1278.
83. Tan, B., Wei, K., Watson, R., and Walczuch, R. “Reducing Status Effects with Computer- Mediated Communication: Evidence from Two Distinct National Cultures,” Journal of Management Information Systems, 15, 1, 1998, pp. 119-141.
84. Teng, J., Fiedler, K., and Grover, V. “A Cross Cultural Study on the Organizational Context of Process Redesign Initiatives: U.S. vs. Taiwan,” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 3, 3, 2000 pp. 7-31.
85. Thompson, E. “Expertise Is One Click Away With Instant Messaging,” Knowledge Management Review, 6, 4, 2003, pp. 16-19.
86. Trombetta, J. J., and Rogers, P. “Communication Climate, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment: The Effects of Information Adequacy, Communication Openness, and Decision Participation,” Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 4, 1998, pp. 494-514.
87. Voich, D. Comparative Empirical Analysis of Cultural Values and Perceptions of Political Economy Issues, Westport, CT: Praeger 1995.
88. Wanguri, D. “Diversity, Perceptions of Equity, and Communicative Openness in the Workplace,” Journal of Business Communication, 33, 4, 1996, pp. 443-457.
89. Warkentin, M., Sayeed, L., and Hightower, R. “Virtual Teams versus Face-to-Face Teams: An Exploratory Study of a Web-based Conference System,” Decision Sciences, 28, 4, 1997, pp. 975-996.
90. Zhang, D., Lowry, P., Zhou, L., and Fu, X. “The Impact of Individualism—Collectivism, Social Presence, and Group Diversity on Group Decision Making Under Majority Influence,” Journal of Management Information Systems, 23, 4, 2007, pp. 53-80.