The Social Construction of Meaning: An Alternative Perspective on Information Sharing.

Author List: Miranda, Shaila M.; Saunders, Carol S.;
Information Systems Research, 2003, Volume 14, Issue 1, Page 87-106.
Research on information sharing has viewed this activity as essential for informing groups on content relevant to a decision. We propose and examine an alternate function of information sharing, i.e., the social construction of meaning. To accomplish this goal, we turn to social construction, social presence, and task closure theories. Drawing from these theories, we hypothesize relationships among the meeting environment, breadth and depth of information shared during a meeting, and decision quality. We explore these relationships in terms of the effects of both the media environment in which the group is situated and the medium that group members choose to utilize for their communication. Our study of 32, 5- and 6-person groups supports our belief that interpretation underlies information sharing and is necessary for favorable decision outcomes. It also supports the proposed negative effect of low social presence media on interpretation in terms of depth of information sharing; a low social presence medium, however, promotes information sharing breadth. Finally, the findings indicate that when in multimedia environments and faced with a relatively complex task, choosing to utilize an electronic medium facilitates closure and, therefore, favorable outcomes.
Keywords: Communication Media; Decision Quality; Group Support Systems; Information Sharing; Intersubjective Interpretation; Social Construction of Meaning; Social Presence; Task Closure
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List of Topics

#257 0.174 group support groups meeting gdss decision systems meetings technology study electronic ems task process communication computer-supported outcomes quality consensus face-to-face
#234 0.155 social networks influence presence interactions network media networking diffusion implications individuals people results exchange paper sites evidence self-disclosure important examine
#225 0.144 information environment provide analysis paper overall better relationships outcomes increasingly useful valuable available increasing greater regarding levels decisions viewed relative
#282 0.121 power perspective process study rational political perspectives politics theoretical longitudinal case social rationality formation construction shows multiple instead understanding fact
#74 0.094 high low level levels increase associated related characterized terms study focus weak hand choose general lower best predicted conditions implications
#245 0.088 knowledge sharing contribution practice electronic expertise individuals repositories management technical repository knowledge-sharing shared contributors novelty features peripheral share benefit seekers
#154 0.059 memory support organizations information organizational requirements different complex require development provides resources organization paper transactive depth process outside difficult breadth
#173 0.055 effect impact affect results positive effects direct findings influence important positively model data suggest test factors negative affects significant relationship