REVIEW: A COGNITIVE-AFFECTIVE MODEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION FOR DESIGNING IT.

Author List: Te'eni, Dov;

MIS Quarterly, 2001, Volume 25, Issue 2, Page 251-312.

There are several theories available to describe how managers choose a medium for communication. However, current technology can affect not only how we communicate but also what we communicate. As a result, the issue for designers of communication support systems has become broader: how should technology be designed to make communication more effective by changing the medium and the attributes of the message itself? The answer to this question requires a shift from current preoccupations with the medium of communication to a view that assesses the balance between medium and message form. There is also a need to look more closely at the process of communication in order to identify more precisely any potential areas of computer support. This paper provides the spadework for a new model of organizational communication, and uses it to review existing research, as well as to suggest directions for future research and development. Beginning with the crucial aspects of action, relationship, and choice, an integrated model of how people communicate is developed. This model incorporates three basic factors: (1) inputs to the communication process (task, sender-receiver distance, and values and norms of communication with a particular emphasis on inter-cultural communication); (2) a cognitive-affective process of communication; and (3) the communication impact on action and relationship. The glue that bonds these factors together is a set of communication strategies aimed at reducing the complexity of communication. The model provides a balance between relationship and action, between cognition and affect, and between message and medium. Such a balance has been lacking in previous work, and we believe it reflects a more realistic picture of communication behavior in organizations. A set of propositions generated from the model sets an agenda for studying the communication process as well as its inputs and outputs. Furthermore, this knowledge of the mechanisms that guide behavior is used to demonstrate the potential for developing design principles for future communication support systems.

Keywords: affect; communication complexity; design; Organizational communication; organizational memory

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List of Topics

#203	0.227	communication media computer-mediated e-mail richness electronic cmc mail medium message performance convergence used communications messages face-to-face findings participants results work
#191	0.150	model models process analysis paper management support used environment decision provides based develop use using help literature mathematical presented formulation
#222	0.102	research researchers framework future information systems important present agenda identify areas provide understanding contributions using literature studies paper potential review
#287	0.073	design systems support development information proposed approach tools using engineering current described developing prototype flexible built architecture environment integrated designing
#224	0.071	complexity task environments e-business environment factors technology characteristics literature affect influence role important relationship model organizational contingent actual map dimension
#26	0.056	business large organizations using work changing rapidly make today's available designed need increasingly recent manage years activity important allow achieve
#104	0.055	action research engagement principles model literature actions focus provides developed process emerging establish field build guidance known project elements insights