Predicting Groupware Use from the Perspectives of Workflow, Information and Coordination

Although groupware design aims to improve the organizational effectiveness in cooperative work, unintended consequences often persist and even cause the failure in the implementation. This study explores groupware implementation in computer-supported cooperative work, and finds that those unintended consequences could be explained in terms of workflow, information and coordination in prior cases. This study adopts workflow routinization, information integration and coordination fit to assess the outcome quality of groupware use in the workplace. Users are categorized into two groups based on their self-assessment of groupware use in cooperative work. Empirical findings from the survey of 200 experienced groupware users show that the group with high outcome quality of groupware use had stronger workflow routinization, information integration and coordination fit in cooperative work than the other group with low outcome quality. Limitations of this study are discussed accordingly.