Communication Studies Scholarly Workshttps://hdl.handle.net/1808/56352024-03-29T15:37:05Z2024-03-29T15:37:05ZBoundary Work and Transactive Memory Systems in Teams: Moderating Effects of the Visibility AffordanceYoon, KayPiercy, Cameron W.Kim, Young JiZhu, Yaguanghttps://hdl.handle.net/1808/347872023-09-13T06:06:10Z2023-07-27T00:00:00ZBoundary Work and Transactive Memory Systems in Teams: Moderating Effects of the Visibility Affordance
Yoon, Kay; Piercy, Cameron W.; Kim, Young Ji; Zhu, Yaguang
Individuals in work teams frequently cross boundaries across teams, often by using information and communication technologies (ICTs). The current study investigates the effects of members’ boundary work and the visibility affordance of teams’ ICTs on Transactive Memory Systems (TMS) in teams. Survey data from 212 full-time employees whose work hours were divided between multiple teams reveals that boundary spanning enhances the focal team’s TMS credibility and specialization and negatively influences TMS coordination. Additionally, boundary reinforcement positively affects TMS credibility and coordination. The visibility affordance has a direct positive impact on all three dimensions of TMS and a moderating effect for boundary reinforcement such that higher visibility overrides the positive direct effect of boundary reinforcement on TMS. These findings suggest that different types of boundary work contribute to different dimensions of TMS and that teams might consider prioritizing the use of ICTs with high visibility to enhance their TMS.
2023-07-27T00:00:00Z“Posts are my own”: effects of social media disclaimers on perceptions of employees and their organizations from tweets and retweetsCarr, Caleb T.Hayes, Rebecca A.Piercy, Cameron W.https://hdl.handle.net/1808/347862023-09-13T06:06:28Z2023-05-16T00:00:00Z“Posts are my own”: effects of social media disclaimers on perceptions of employees and their organizations from tweets and retweets
Carr, Caleb T.; Hayes, Rebecca A.; Piercy, Cameron W.
PURPOSE – This study empirically assesses the perceptions the public has of employees and their organization following a [re]tweet, and the additional potential ameliorating effect of a disclaimer distancing the organization from the individual employee’s social media presence.
DESIGN/METHOD/APPROACH – A fully-crossed 2 (disclaimer v. no disclaimer) × 2 (positive v. negative valence post) × 2 (post v. retweet) experiment exposed participants (N = 173) to an employee’s personal tweet. Resultant perceptions of both the poster (i.e., goodwill) and the poster’s organization (i.e., organizational reputation) were analyzed using planned contrast analyses.
FINDINGS – Findings reveal audiences form impressions of individuals based on both tweeted and retweeted content. Perceptions of both the poster’s goodwill and the poster’s organization were commensurate with the valence of the poster’s tweets, stronger when posts were original tweets rather than retweets, and there was a significant interaction effect between valence and [re]tweet. Disclaimers did not significantly affect perceptions, suggesting employers may be better-served by asking employees to omit reference to their employer on their personal social media accounts.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE – This research contributes to understanding how employee and organizational reputations are affected by employees’ personal social media content. Results suggest even when a disclaimer explicitly seeks to distance the employee from the organization, audiences still see the employee as informal brand ambassadors of their organization.
2023-05-16T00:00:00ZA Test of the Mobile Phone Appropriation Model: A Comparison between Chinese and US SamplesZhang, Xinyi (Ceciley)Piercy, Cameron W.Lee, Sun Kyonghttps://hdl.handle.net/1808/347852023-09-12T06:07:44Z2023-08-30T00:00:00ZA Test of the Mobile Phone Appropriation Model: A Comparison between Chinese and US Samples
Zhang, Xinyi (Ceciley); Piercy, Cameron W.; Lee, Sun Kyong
The mobile phone appropriation (MPA; Wirth et al., 2007, 2008) model is an integrative model that seeks to explain attitudes and behaviors related to mobile phone usage from a communication perspective, proposing a dynamic loop of metacommunication, evaluations, and usage patterns. Following a previous study (Lee & Cioena, 2023), the current research tests the MPA model with a Chinese sample collected through an online survey (N = 510) and compares it with the U.S. sample (N = 501) collected by Lee and Cionea (2023) using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup structural equation modeling. Although the core structure of MPA model was shown to be tenable cross-culturally, the results of comparative analysis reveal some noticeable cultural differences in mobile phone appropriation and call for further model revisions. Noticeably, relational and social implications of mobile communication penetrate more aspects of mobile phone appropriation with greater strength in the Chinese sample, potentially due to the collectivistic Chinese culture, and the results demonstrate a paradox between perceived affordability and usage. The more Chinese participants evaluated the cost of mobile phone usage as a restrictive factor of MPA, corroborate the more they used it for relationship maintenance and daily schedule management. In addition, the results indicate some tensions between instrumental purposes and entertainment and symbolic usage unique to the Chinese context.
The published version is being made available with the permission of the publisher.
2023-08-30T00:00:00ZInterpersonal Media Among Americans’ Sympathy Groups: Theory of the Niche and Satisfying Social NeedsHall, Jeffrey A.Miller, Anniehttps://hdl.handle.net/1808/346162023-07-15T06:06:16Z2023-11-16T00:00:00ZInterpersonal Media Among Americans’ Sympathy Groups: Theory of the Niche and Satisfying Social Needs
Hall, Jeffrey A.; Miller, Annie
This manuscript extends the theory of the niche by examining the frequency of interpersonal media use among participants’ personal network, and by reporting the degree to which individuals perceive three social needs are satisfied by nine forms of communication. From April 21 to May 3 of 2021, a quota sample of American adults (N = 1,869) completed four name generation tasks to identify up to 16 alters, leading to an average of four alters per person (n = 7,471). Participants indicated the frequency with which they communicated with each alter using eight interpersonal media as well as face-to-face communication in the past year. Participants’ relationship partner type (e.g., spouse, friend) was tied to media use, which suggests particular media are favored for distinct relationship types. Analyses of the social needs (i.e., causal conversation, meaningful talk, efficient exchange) suggested a clear hierarchy among interpersonal media and minimal niche overlap. The association between need satisfaction and frequency of use, however, demonstrated that as people perceive their social needs being met they more frequently use all interpersonal media. Taken together, the results suggest that although there are differences between interpersonal media in terms of perceived need fulfilment, increased experience with using interpersonal
media with one’s personal network is tied to increased perceptions of the modality’s ability to meet social needs. The results are discussed in light of theory of the niche and channel expansion theory. This manuscript extends the theory of the niche by examining the frequency of interpersonal media use among participants’ personal network, and by reporting the degree to which individuals perceive three social needs are satisfied by nine forms of communication. From April 21 to May 3 of 2021, a quota sample of American adults (N = 1,869) completed four name generation tasks to identify up to 16 alters, leading to an average of four alters per person (n = 7,471). Participants indicated the frequency with which they communicated with each alter using eight interpersonal media as well as face-to-face communication in the past year. Participants’ relationship partner type (e.g., spouse, friend) was tied to media use, which suggests particular media are favored for distinct relationship types. Analyses of the social needs (i.e., causal conversation, meaningful talk, efficient exchange) suggested a clear hierarchy among interpersonal media and minimal niche overlap. The association between need satisfaction and frequency of use, however, demonstrated that as people perceive their social needs being met they more frequently use all interpersonal media. Taken together, the results suggest that although there are differences between interpersonal media in terms of perceived need fulfilment, increased experience with using interpersonal media with one’s personal network is tied to increased perceptions of the modality’s ability to meet social needs. The results are discussed in light of theory of the niche and channel expansion theory.
This paper was presented at the National Communication Association conference, November 16-19, 2023 in New Orleans, LA.
2023-11-16T00:00:00Z