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2003 | Buch

Social Processes and Support Tools Kapitel lesen Erstes Kapitel lesen

Working with Groupware

Understanding and Evaluating Collaboration Technology

verfasst von: J. H. Erik Andriessen, PhD

Verlag: Springer London

Buchreihe : Computer Supported Cooperative Work

Enthalten in: Professional Book Archive

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Über dieses Buch

This publication has grown out of two frustrations. One is the experience that so many applications in the area of information and communication technology (lCT) are built without an eye to what the users can handle or need for their work, systematic user oriented evaluation of new tools is therefore limited. The video recorder provides a good general example of this phenomenon, but more worryingly so do many software tools designed for use in organisations. The other frustration arises from the fact that the people and the theories that can be used to provide this much needed user orientation are scattered over many disciplines and communities. There is considerable knowledge available about task performance, human communication and group interaction and the way in which new ICT -tools can be used to support these processes, but scientists do not know each other, the studies, theories, journals and conferences are produced by different communities in isolation and little cross fertilisation takes place. In this book I have tried to bring together knowledge from various disciplines, as the basis for constructing a design oriented evaluation approach that hopefully contributes to providing a user orientation for new (technical) systems.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Human Interaction and Collaboration Technology

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Social Processes and Support Tools
Abstract
The world of work is changing. The type of work itself, the workers and their tools are becoming radically different. Three primary drivers can be distinguished (see Figure 1.1):
a.
Technological changes, particularly the developments in information and communication technologies,
 
b.
Market changes, particularly globalisation and liberalisation, with world wide competition,
 
c.
Social changes, such as growing educational levels and individualisation.
 
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Chapter 2. Implications of Collaboration Technology
Abstract
To what degree are new tools adopted and used in organisations and, if adopted, what effects do they have on an organisation? Is it possible to make general conclusions concerning the implications of collaboration technology for interaction and for work? Findings of empirical research concerning the adoption, use and effects of collaboration technology are presented in this chapter, based on overviews and meta-analyses such as those of Kraemer & Pinsonneault (1990), Andriessen (1991) and McGrath and Hollingshead (1994), Recent dissertations give reviews concerning specific applications such as e-mail (Hooff, 1997) or Lotus Notes (Hinssen, 1998).
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Chapter 3. The Role of Technology in Society
Abstract
In this chapter I will elaborate further the general issue of technology’s impact on society and organisation, before presenting theories and models concerning individual motivation, group processes and implementation. Having discussed the impact of collaboration technology in work situations, the conclusion was reached that very few general conclusions can be drawn. This leads us to the question: Why is it that the results of impact-studies are so limited in generalisability Is the research of low quality, or are the questions about the impacts of technology perhaps wrongly phrased? The questions appear to be based on the assumption that technology in itself does have a general impact, i.e. that the introduction of certain tools must necessarily result in certain effects. This is called the “technological imperative” perspective and it has been challenged in several ways (George and King, 1991; Orlikowski, 1996). Firstly, by assuming that the effects of technology depend on certain conditions; this is called the contingency perspective. Secondly, by taking the perspective that people act purposefully to accomplish certain intended objectives and in this framework choose the technology they need.
J. H. Erik Andriessen

Theories for Understanding and Evaluation

Frontmatter
Chapter 4. Technology Acceptance
Abstract
Why should people adopt and use certain tools? In previous chapters it has been shown that the optimistic expectations of designers concerning the faithful up-take of collaboration technology by potential users has been frustrated time and again. The seemingly obvious answer to the question why people should use a certain tool is that this tool is suited to perform a specific activity. Tools that are fit for a certain task are used and tools that do not fit the task are not used. You do not use a hammer to cut pieces of paper. This conclusion seems also to be trivial when discussing the functionality of certain IT tools: to produce text you use a word processor and not a spreadsheet; but even then, for certain texts you may prefer to use a spreadsheet program, while modern word processing programs may also perform calculations in matrices.
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Chapter 5. System Match Theories
Abstract
The idea that the characteristics of collaboration technology should match the requirements of task and context seems to be very basic and plausible. Many empirical studies and much theorising have been devoted to the question of precisely which factors determine this match. The idea of “match” or “fit” implies a relation between two sets of characteristics, i.e. those of the tools and those of the context, i.e. of the users, the tasks and the groups. Many properties of CT-tools have been identified (see Section 5.2). The concept of media richness in particular has drawn attention and stimulated many studies (see Section 5.3).
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Chapter 6. Group Processes
Abstract
The previous chapter ended with the conclusion that group norms can be a powerful determinant of acceptance and use of tools and media. This argument is developed further in this chapter. Use of Collaboration technology is part and parcel of social activities and group dynamics. It is assumed to make interaction processes easier and more effective. Its main focus is not to support individual work but to support co-operative work. This chapter is devoted to answering the following questions: What is the essence of co-operative work? What is effective co-operative work and what is the role of collaboration technology in distributed co-operative work? A major part of this chapter is therefore devoted to an analysis of group dynamics and team effectiveness.
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Chapter 7. Innovation and Implementation
Abstract
Theories concerning ongoing work processes and the use of collaboration technology in context have been presented in previous chapters. Technical tools, however, do not fall from heaven. New technologies and new tools are brought into the market after research and development and they are slowly adopted and implemented by organisations. Organisations can also design and develop their own version of a technical system. After being implemented, socio-technical systems may evolve into various directions, and new ways of working and of using the tools may emerge, partly intended, partly unintended and emerging from a multitude of interacting factors. Experiences in some organisations will be fed back to developers and contribute to new versions of the tools. The use and effects of tools are therefore also determined by the way they are designed and introduced.
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Chapter 8. Integration for Evaluation
Abstract
The various strands of the previous chapters will be brought together in this chapter. The concepts and theories presented will be integrated into a set of three models with the objective of providing a framework for evaluation. The models are developed in Sections 8.1 and 8.2, while in 8.3 and 8.4 an explanation is given of how collaboration technology tools, and the setting in which they are used, can be evaluated systematically, using the models.
J. H. Erik Andriessen
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
Working with Groupware
verfasst von
J. H. Erik Andriessen, PhD
Copyright-Jahr
2003
Verlag
Springer London
Electronic ISBN
978-1-4471-0067-6
Print ISBN
978-1-85233-603-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0067-6