Communication modes, persuasiveness, and decision-making quality: A comparison of audio conferencing, video conferencing, and a virtual environment

Geographically dispersed teams rely on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to communicate and collaborate. Three ICTs that have received attention are audio conferencing (AC), video conferencing (VC), and, recently, 3D virtual environments (3D VEs). These ICTs offer modes of communication that differ primarily in the number and type of cues available. In this study, I argue that communication mode will influence how perceptions of persuasiveness are formed, which will ultimately influence decision making. While media determinant theories can serve as a foundation for comparing many communication media, this may not always be the case. Specifically, VC and 3D VEs contain most of the same cues, but the nature of those cues differs between the media. I utilize uncertainty reduction theory as an additional lens for describing the effect of communication mode on persuasion and decision making. Data were collected through an experimental task, and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and analysis of covariance. The results suggest that communication mode has a direct effect on communicator perceptions, persuasiveness, and decision-making quality. Specifically, perceptions and persuasiveness are higher and decision quality is lower with VC compared to AC, while 3D VEs fall in between the other two. In addition, these effects may develop over time.