This proposal acknowledges that people select media in communication frequently. Sometimes the media selection may not utilize the best mode of communication available. Individuals often select communication media inconsistent with the full technical capabilities of those media and non-technical modes of communication like face to face communication. For example, they use instant messaging when face-to-face, the richest form of communication, is available. They also use text messaging when voice communication, a more technically advanced mode of communication, is possible. The study described in this proposal will apply media richness theory to explain some of the choices made by such individuals. The proposed research will add variables to better explain media selection than has been previously done. The major contribution of the research will be the development and testing of a model that explains organizational media selection.
Published in SIGMIS CPR '07 Proceedings of the 2007 ACM SIGMIS CPR conference on Computer personnel research: The global information technology workforce,
