The impact of computer mediated communication on information overload in distributed teams

Abstract

Investigates the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in distributed teams on real or perceived information overload. Typically, these organizations rely on CMC for communication because teams working on joint projects are spatially dispersed and have to communicate across space and time zones. Many of the problems observed in virtual teams seem to be related to communication in general, and it is unclear how this is affected by the communication medium used. Two surprisingly contradicting statements from users of these systems are: "I do not have the necessary information to do my job" and "I am swamped with information". This paper extracts a cause-effect relationship based on established theories. Supporting theory and literature used to analyse the topic can be grouped into three areas: media choice theories, media consequence theories and information overload literature. There is little overlap in these research domains. Prior research on information load neglected the impact on organizational infrastructure, particularly the computer information systems environment. However, this is an area where severe degrees of overload are experienced or perceived by users. The reviewed literature and theories are summarized and expanded into a research model. A survey conducted within an IT service provider is reported to perform a preliminary test of the model. Based on the empirical data, appropriate modifications of the model were made and areas of interest for further research were identified. The paper finally discusses practical implications of the research results.

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