A Macro-Level Approach to Understanding Use of E-Collaboration Technologies

The term e-collaboration technologies (ECT) in an organization refers to the collective system of interactive computer-based tools that facilitate a variety of group tasks. It thus includes among others, electronic mailing systems, bulletin boards, intranets and extranets, messaging systems, group support systems, decision rooms, computer conferencing tools, and computer based video-conferencing systems, etc. ECTs have often been referred to in the literature, using various terms to highlight specific uses such technologies have been put to. These include group decision support systems, group support systems, computer supported collaborative work, groupware, and collaborative technologies. ECTs are among the many IT applications that have seen a rapid deployment in organizations due to greater use of task-teams and groups. There is thus an increased use of inter-departmental and cross-functional teams (Sarker, Valacich, & Sarker, 2005). Groups are hence viewed as a “basic unit of the formal organization structure” (Applegate, 1991). Second, the coming of the PCs, the advent of easy-to-use software and the developments in network technologies constitute additional impetus for the use of computers to support collaborative work in organizations. Use of technology support for collaborative work is believed to increase productivity in organizations. It is hence important to examine the use of such technologies in greater depth (Markus, 1994). Increasing access to communication technologies without adequately understanding the task requirements and the potential change in the work environment and processes may lead to information overload and may not benefit the user. This study therefore, aims at enhancing our understanding of the broad factors influencing the use of ECT in organizations. The article is organized in the following manner. The first section reviews concerned literature relevant to the use of ECT in organizations. The second section describes a framework depicting the drivers of ECT use in organizations. The framework represents a macro level perspective of the phenomenon. The subsequent section highlights the implications of such a framework and the potential for further research.