Varieties of social influence: The role of utility and norms in the success of a new communication medium

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kraut, RE; Rice, RE; Cool, C; Fish, RS
• 署名单位: Carnegie Mellon University; Rutgers University System; Rutgers University New Brunswick; City University of New York (CUNY) System; Queens College NY (CUNY)
• 刊物名称: ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1047-7039
• DOI: 10.1287/orsc.9.4.437
• 发表日期: 1998
• 页码: 437-453
• 关键词: interpersonal communication; social networks; diffusion of innovations; new communication media; social influences; CRITICAL MASS; network externalities

摘要

This natural experiment investigates the introduction and use of a pair of competing video telephone systems in a company over a period of Is months. Both quantitative, time-series analyses and in-depth interviews demonstrate that employees adopted and used the video systems for both utility and normative reasons. Consistent with utility explanations, people in the most communication-intensive jobs were the most likely to use video telephony. Consistent with social influence explanations, people used a particular system more when more people in general were using it and when more people in their work group were using it. There were two conceptually distinct, but empirically entangled, types of social influence. First, use by other people changed the objective benefits and costs associated with using the systems, and thus their utility. Second, use by others changed the normative environment surrounding the new technology. Both utility and normative influences were stronger in one's primary work group. Implementers, users, and researchers should consider both utility and normative factors influencing both the success and failure of new organizational communication systems.