Exploring the Use of Social Communications Technologiesin Tasks and its Performance in Organizations

Chulmo KooChosun University, Korea

helmetgu@gmail.com

Jason J. Jung∗

Yeungnam Universityj2jung@gmail.com

Daeyong LeeChosun University

dyblee@chosun.ac.kr

Abstract

Social communication technologies (SCT) might be al-ternative sources of knowledge diffusion and enable em-ployee to achieve their goals. We have investigated that theeffects of SCT in the relationship with tasks and social as-pects toward task performance. This study can contributethe understanding of contemporary social media usage andits performance in organizations. We collected survey dataof 280 employees in companies and analyze it with mul-tivariate regression analysis. In sum, our findings are asfollowings: Characteristics of tasks (analyzability, urgency,complex) influence the use of SCT and social aspects (socialinfluence, social affinity) moderate the relationship betweenthe tasks and the use of SCT.

Keywords. Media Richness Theory, Social Communica-tions, Task Characteristics, Task Performance, Social Influ-ence, Social Affinity

1. Introduction

In prior research, ICT focuses on making connectionsbetween people and ICTs, and finding out its effects. How-ever, upcoming IT development is more emphasizing tolink people to people via the technologies. Conventionalview of interaction, called, sociability is exchanging peo-ple whom they maintain their tie, furthermore, social com-munications media, which is characterized as socially net-worked and very personalized based on fast broadband net-working systems. It actually reinforces business processes,sharing ideas and knowledge, and finding necessary infor-mation from mutual employees through a person-to-personsocially relational networking. Thus, characteristics of taskand behavior of people may change the way of business pro-cesses as well as the choice of technologies; indeed, manypeople, by intention, adopt social communications mediathat are accomplishing their task purposes and private mat-ter simultaneously. Depending on the characteristics of task[9, 14, 19] and relational people [2, 1, 17, 22, 23] actually

determine ICT choice. We expect that new emerging so-cially connected networking systems via communicationstechnologies would profoundly make an impact on the taskperformance to cope with the contingency situations in or-ganizations. So far, ICT itself has been importantly con-sidered; however, social ICT has been ignored relativelycompared with organizational ICT. For instance, social in-ternetworking Web 2.0 solutions bring more flexible an-swers personally than knowledge management systems orgroupware. The social communication technologies (SCT)may be another alternative source of knowledge transfer andenable employee to work fast, find solutions, and achievetheir goals. Task-oriented activities may enable end usersto choose media type including personal involvement in so-cially connected organization environment. Although thereare some proven evidences between social presence and me-dia richness through the prior research, new social commu-nications media with highly person-oriented has emergedand may be used to powerful performance in the conditionof wireless work environment.

Based on those assumptions, we investigate that the ef-fects of SCT in the relationship with tasks and social as-pects toward task performance. This study can contributethe understanding of contemporary social media usage andits performance in organizations. In sum, our purpose of re-search is verifying the question of how characteristics oftasks (analyzability, urgency, complex) influence the useof SCT and social relationships moderate the relationshipbetween the tasks and the use of SCT. SCT includes tele-phone, email, KMS, blog, virtual conferencing, and mes-senger. The next section review the theory of media rich-ness and social network, continually, propose hypotheses.In methodology section provides the explanation of surveyprocess, sample characteristics, variables measurement andvalidity, and regression analysis. Finally, we discuss find-ings, implications, and limitations.

2009 First Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems

978-0-7695-3580-7/09 $25.00 © 2009 IEEE

DOI 10.1109/ACIIDS.2009.80

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2009 First Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems

978-0-7695-3580-7/09 $25.00 © 2009 IEEE

DOI 10.1109/ACIIDS.2009.80

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2. Research Model and Hypotheses

We explore the direct relationship between task char-acteristics and SCT and its tasks performance [6, 10, 14].However, in the time of SCT has emerged in the field ofbusiness and organizations are needed to refocus the typeof technologies and its appropriateness and effects in orga-nizations. In addition, the development of ICT make socialnetwork more activate than other times, so social factorsmay influence the SCT that can be chosen and used [7]. Afirm can offer various technologies selection for communi-cations and further be persuaded to choose it with a varietyof working spheres: workgroup, project group. On the otherhand, however, people also efficiently communicate withindividual peers, or their social network and take optionssome media: messenger, SMS, cell phone. Therefore, weinvestigate how people use particular SCT for a specific taskand how social factors moderate the relationship in Fig. 1.

- Analyzability- Urgency- Complexity

Use of SCT TaskPerformance

- Social influence- Social affinity

Tasks characteristics

Figure 1. Research model

2.1. Hypotheses

Task Analyzability: The role of both traditional com-munications channels and new Internet based channels maydifferently influence on the carrying of tasks. The charac-teristics of task and performance are related in organiza-tional environments [4, 14]. Rice [14] explored the contin-gency situation of when information processing capabilitiesmatch, information processing demands, and then, task per-formance will improve. This study proved that using com-munication media differed in the condition of task analyz-ability or unanalizability. Specifically, online database andemail is statistically related to lean media, whereas vocalmail and videoconferencing has a positive relationship withunanalizability. We would investigate again the relationshipbetween task analyzability and SCT in organizational con-text. Thus, we provide the following hypothesis:

H1-1: The task analyzability will differently in-fluence on the use of social communications tech-nologies

Task Urgency: We assume that an urgent task needs afrequent and immediate feedback from the communication

partner regarding its matters, so they may choose suitableSCT for corresponding in respect to the urgent work. [6]explained that “immediacy of feedback”, which is the de-gree of a medium that can be able to rapidly feedback us-ing of communication. Feedback can be categorized as twotypes: “concurrent and sequential” [6]. Concurrent feed-back usually happens simultaneously during the transactionof communication, rather sequential feedback occurs in themiddle of communication in the representing of pausing,confirming, and interrupting, or redirecting. As feedback isimportant for sender-receiver transactional relationship tounderstand and adjust the message, an urgent task wouldbe necessary not only concurrent but also sequential feed-back as soon as possible from the opposite partner. There-fore, urgency of task seeks communication tools includ-ing text-only, vocal, or virtual cues completely and a fastunderstanding to sender and receivers purpose. Many re-searchers have indicated the importance of immediate feed-back and studied the fitness between message and media[2, 6, 16, 21, 24]. However, they did not answer where theimmediate feedback is necessary. Urgent work should over-come various situational constraints: time, location, andpresentation of social presence. Among emerging SCTs, acertain technology may be required to be selected appropri-ately to provide suitable information processing with a righttime and a full scale of explanation matched with the taskurgency. Thus, the urgency of task would be an importantfactor for choosing media use and is necessary to be tested.

H1-2: The task urgency will differently influenceon the use of social communications technologies

Task Complexity: Generally, task complexity has beenused interchangeably with ambiguity, uncertainty, and un-structured [11]. Task complexity is explained as the usersenvironment surrounding with the ambiguity and uncer-tainty in the context of business practice. We bring the con-cept of task complexity from [8]. They explain that taskcomplexity is “a function of the number of distinct acts thatmust be completed and the number of distinct informationcues about the attributes of the task-related stimulus objectan individual has to process when performing a task.” Typ-ically, high task complexity needs a large volume of data orinformation to process the work, and a processing technol-ogy can be able to embody cognitive resources to perceivemore easily [8]. Vice versus, simple tasks require infor-mation processing fewer than complex tasks [20]. In caseof a certain amount of information processing owing to thecomplexity of tasks, it may need not only a high cognitivecapacity [20], but also a suitable communication technol-ogy to communicate with the complex matter with a part-ner. Appropriate use of SCT can effectively represent ver-bal or nonverbal, text or pictorial, facial or non-facial andefficiently enhance the level of cognitive capacity through

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communications [3] in the high complex tasks. [6] foundthat task equivocality(e.g., multiple and possibly conflictinginterpretation) did not improve decision quality and time.They argued that media richness theory may fit for moresimple tasks rather than complex tasks. We confer the con-cept of task complexity here to more fully relate to the useof social communication media.

H1-3: The task complexity will differently influ-ence on the use of social communications tech-nologies

2.2. Moderate Variables

Social Influence: Communication behavior can be af-fected by factors: subjectivity, social relations, and retro-spective rationality, work group norms, and co-worker, andsupervisor attitudes and behaviors [2, 23]. Socially con-nected relationship is an important influencer to facilitateprivate or public social members to choose a certain use oftechnologies [2, 1, 21]. [2] states that depending on a certaingroup or individual may differently get involved in the rela-tionship tasks and media traits. Interaction among membersor individuals, therefore, may lead a mutual understanding,make a shared belief, and influence their information pro-cessing trough communications technologies. The effect ofsocial influence is found to be a significantly support to theperception of email usage [1]. Although objective relation-ship in the work environment may influence the specificcommunications mechanisms, social affinity may be an-other determinant for choosing the use of SCT because thepersonal relationship may have a different communicationmode including time, direction, volume, contents. Accord-ing to [23], media behavior of joint workers is found to be adeterminant for the value of electronic media, choice of me-dia, and use of media. As like this result, they also providefurther research question which traditional and new mediawould be differently influenced. Likewise, we further at-tempt to investigate the closeness of the relationship, whichcalled, social affinity. The level of communication partnercloseness would acquire information efficiently from thetasks. Ongoing interplay with close friends or co-workersmay increase ability of understanding when we face diversetasks and choose appropriate media for the each differenttask. Social affinity (personal) might help people to per-ceive the type of communication technology and integratetask-oriented information into the selected media. How-ever, we argue that the media richness theory is still unclearwhether there is a positive or a negative relationship towardthe selection of a variety of technologies among social in-fluence and affinity. Thus, we conjecture the moderatingeffect between task and the use of technologies.

H2-1: The social influence will moderate the re-

lationship between the type of tasks (2-1a: taskanalyzability, 2-1b: task urgency, 2-1c: task com-plexity) and the use of social communicationstechnologies

H2-2: The social affinity will moderate the rela-tionship between the type of tasks (2-2a: task an-alyzability, 2-2b: task urgency, 2-2c: task com-plexity) and the use of social communicationstechnologies

2.3. Social Communication Technologiesand Task Performance

Task performance is adopted as the dependent of infor-mation processing model [14]. Through the informationprocessing, people in organization can achieve their objec-tives and maintain mutual understanding among people inan organizational situation. Organizational activities andprocessing is for task performance, yet intermediate role oftechnologies (email, messenger, or blog) may highly influ-ence the task performance in assistance with a rapid feed-back and quickly response regardless of their location base[12]. In these days, email and messenger is a strong tool forcommunications media, but differently used. When emailmay be appropriately used for exchanging discrete infor-mation processing both with CC publicly but inappropriatefor exchanging “confidential information”, “resolving dis-agreements”, “getting to know someone”, or “negotiating”[5], rather messenger would be used constant informationprocessing and more appropriate for private talks, negoti-ating for agreement. The linkage between use of SCT andtasks will be highly related and would normally affect theirtask performance. High performing managers know how,appropriately and effectively, communication media use forin organizations [12]. [14] has found that computer-basedmedia including online databases, email, and voice mail di-rectly affect task performance. Usage of computing officemedia is found to be not only improvement in works ofquantity and quality but also increased awareness and acqui-sition of relevant information, and rapidly distribute the ob-tained information [15]. In the era of social network and ad-vanced telecommunication development, productivity im-pact from the SCT would increase quality of work, use-ful for work, easier to reach people, access to informationthrough connectedness. Thus, we argue that social com-munication technologies will considerably contribute taskperformance.

H3: The social communications technologiesmake directly an impact on task performance

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3. Research Methodology

In order to analyze research model, we took a surveyform heterogeneous sample from various industrial firms.Employees in firms used any SCT applications as well asapplications-owned by the firm. A questionnaire is de-veloped by the literature and checked and tested by themethodology procedure. We collected data using of com-mercial data acquisition company through web survey dur-ing 2 days. We selected sample by intention as types large,medium, and small size companies, To increase responserate and data quality, we gave cash back point around 5$ incash. Total number of respondents is 280, the ratio of sexis 171 (61%) male and 109 (38.9%) female. Total numberof respondents was 280. However, usage of social com-munication technologies was measured by the reported fre-quency (allowing multiple checking) of daily use in organi-zations, as shown in Table 1. A variety of SCT have beingused included both traditional media and new media.

Table 1. Usage of communication mediaSCT applications Frequency Percent (%)

Face-to-Face 151 15.76Seminar 95 9.92

Telephone 106 11.06e-Mail 150 15.66

Messenger 137 14.30Blog 34 3.55

KMS Systems 72 7.52Virtual conferencing 52 5.43

Tele conferencing 25 2.61Voice mail 15 1.57

Instant message 88 9.19e-Learning 35 3.44

Sum 960 100.0

3.1. Measurement of Variables

Task analyzability was measured using four itemsadopted from [14]. Task urgency was measured using fouritems manipulated from [9]. Task complexity was mea-sured using four items modified from [6]. In this study,two dimensions of social aspect are adopted as moderat-ing variables: social influence [22], social affinity [1]. Andperceived task performance was used to capture work ef-ficiency, work effectiveness, work productivity [14]. SCTand questionnaire are adapted from the measure developedby Murry and Peyrefitee (2007). Face-to-face communi-cation media is used to represent the richer media condi-tion and is used for referring points comparing with socialcommunication technologies. SCTs (i.e., telephone, email,

KMS, blog, virtual conferencing, messenger) entails any so-cially connected technology for voice, electronic data, mo-bile moving data, document transfer embedded in Desktopor Notebook of organizations.

Table 2 and Table 3 provide reliability and factor load-ings for all constructs. For all multi-indicator constructs,and the composite scale reliability, an internal consistencyestimate similar to Cronbachs exceeds a less stringent cri-terion of 0.70 [13]. Next, the factor loading for all theseconstructs indicators exceeds 0.5 [18]. The indicators ofmulti-indicator constructs demonstrate convergent and dis-criminant validity according to two method analysis.

Table 2. Characteristics of tasks reliabilityand discriminant validity; TA (Task analyz-ability), TU (Task urgency), TC (Task com-plexity)

Items Cronbachsdescription alpha Factor1 Factor2 Factor3

TA1 0.849 0.791TA2 0.832TA3 0.776TA4 0.801TU1 0.852 0.752TU2 0.815TU3 0.812TU4 0.616TC1 0.835 0.780TC2 0.781TC3 0.803TC4 0.716Total 2.818 2.788 2.685

% of explained 23.48 23.23 22.39variance

First, two separate regression models were developed,the first with only the original predictor variables in the re-gression model and the second with the inclusion of moder-ator variables to the original predictor variable set as illus-trated below:

1. Regression Step 1: Yi = α+ β1 × TA+ β2 × TU +β3 × TC + ε

2. Regression Step 2-1: Yi = α+ β1× TA×SI + β2×TU × SI + β3 × TC × SI + ε

3. Regression Step 2-2: Yi = α+β1×TA×SA+β2×TU × SA+ β3 × TC × SA+ ε

Where Yi is the dependent variable and applied for allsix social communication technologies: telephone, email,KMS, blog, virtual conferencing, and messenger.

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Table 3. Moderating variables of reliabilityand discriminant validity; SI (Social influ-ence), SA (Social affinity)

Items Cronbachsdescription alpha Factor1 Factor2

SI1 0.850 0.525 0.638SI2 0.697SI3 0.852SI4 0.854SA1 0.798 0.666SA2 0.807SA3 0.744SA4 0.772Total 2.778 2.602

% of explained 34.725 32.527variance

The result of the regression equation shows that task an-alyzability, task urgency, task complexity predicted a sig-nificant portion of the variance in the use of SCT. Interest-ingly, the usage of blog (R2=24.0%) for task analyzability(β = .425, p ≤ 0.01), task urgency (β = .029), task com-plexity (β = .087). As hypothesized (H1-3), task analyz-ability, task urgency, task complexity do have a significantpositive relationship with the usage of SCT, but Blog hasnot shown a significant relationship with task urgency andtask complexity. Lastly, virtual conferencing also has notaffection for task urgency.

Now, we want to explain the task performance (TP ) ofregression results based on the following equation.

TP = α+∑

Ti∈SCT

βi × Ti + ε (1)

where SCT = {Telephone, . . . ,Messenger}. We mea-sured the task performance of telephone, email, KMS, blog,virtual conferencing, and messenger in using of multipleregression analysis. First, we entered the usage of eachSCT as independent variables and and its SCTs task per-formance as a dependent variable. Telephone: Only usageof telephone remained a significant predictor of telephonetask performance (R2 = 61.4%, β = .586, p ≤ 0.001).Email: The task performance in the regression was posi-tively mainly related (R2 = 60.1%, β = .420, p ≤ 0.001)in the email, but also usage of messenger influenced emailtask performance (β = .246, p ≤ 0.01). KMS: The taskperformance was positively mainly related to KMS task per-formance (R2 = 74.3%, β = .521, p ≤ 0.001) and alsothe usage of virtual conferencing influence the KMS taskperformance as well (β = .325, p ≤ 0.001). Blog: The us-age of blog is significantly related to blog task performance

(R2 = 63.6%, β = .63.6, p ≤ 0.001). Virtual conferenc-ing: The usage of virtual conferencing influenced the virtualconferencing task performance (R2 = 81.8%, β = .781,p ≤ 0.001) and KIS (β = .119, p ≤ 0.05) Messenger: Theusage of messenger was directly influence the messengertask performance (R2 = 70.2%, β = 64.6, p ≤ 0.001).

4. Discussion, Implications, and Limitations

This paper argues that SCT is related to the types oftasks, and the SCT is moderated by the social aspects. Thisstudy shows, indeed, that the type of tasks is found to bepositively related to the usage of SCT and there exist the in-teraction effect between tasks and social factors as contin-gent variables for the usage of SCT. That is, in cases wherethe degree of task analyzability, task urgency, or task com-plexity may enable end users to choose the suitable SCTfor their working performance. On the other hand, in caseswhere social influence and affinity were, the option for theSCT may be influenced and changeable. This suggests that,in the depending on tasks where task analyzability, urgency,and complexity are effective when we use telephone andmessenger, whereas email has an effect on task urgency andcomplexity. Blog may be preferable to have simple task,and KMS is all effective in the all working conditions.

In a practical view, social network technologies are im-plemented in official way or private setting. One way toincrease task performance can be required to utilize bothofficial and private setting communication systems. Thestrength of traditional communication systems is the capac-ity to provide official information; however, does not pro-vide private social networking systems such like MSN mes-senger, google talks, nate on, skype etc., which they helpusers to deal with rapidly structured or unstructured infor-mation acquisition. Communications from a limitless work-place and fast exchange including text, audio, and videowould fully support various tasks problem. Still, highlycomplex tasks need a full information exchange throughrich media, which provide unstructured new idea. KMSsystems may be officially effective; also, we should utilizemore flexible and private systems such as Blog privately.

In conclusion, this study explores why task characteris-tics is related to the fitful use of SCT for exchanging infor-mation. Organization should match a mix of task charac-teristics and SCT. We suggest that communication systemsdesigners and developers should discuss how people can ap-propriately apply the way of use of SCT and assist organi-zational managers to connect organization process to linkfrom point-to-point personal communication systems. Soorganizations can achieve appropriately information, dis-tribute the achieved information, and transform the infor-mation with a adequate manner, and re-store in KMS or ex-ploit them for the organizational purpose. Another impor-

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tant point, the selection of SCT may be influenced by senioror junior relationship or close friendships. Social factorsimply very unique point to formulate an appropriate typeof SCT. Not only public relationship but also private rela-tionship is critically important to achieve new idea or solveproblems.

Future research might also examine the interactionamong contingency factors in more various. For example, itmay be that the types of knowledge disperse of locations. Itwill be also play a moderating role on the tasks characteris-tics and the use of SCT. If future research were to follow thistype of examination, our understanding of the tasks char-acteristics and the use of SCT would be further enhanced.For now, it would seem justified for people in organizationsto select the type of tasks analyzability, urgency, and com-plexity in social network and use the appropriate match taskcontext and SCT.

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