Internet-based collaboration software: A study of impacts on distributed collaborative work

Recent advances in telecommunications technology have made the support of collaborative knowledge work using Internet based software possible. This is an important opportunity for organizations where geographically dispersed organizational units are required to do collaborative knowledge work. This study assessed the use of a specific telecommunications technology, Internet Based Collaboration Software (IBCS), which can be used over the Internet or on an intranet, to perform distributed collaborative knowledge work. Microsoft TM NetMeetingTM was chosen as the study's IBCS for its support of. chat, whiteboard, applications sharing, and conferencing. A research model that can be used to study the use of IBCS by distributed teams was developed. The methodology was quasi-experimental in nature with geographically distributed participants carrying out collaborative teamwork using Internet based collaborative work software. This study examined the: influence of the characteristics of the users, perceived characteristics of the innovation, perceived media characteristics on the groups' acceptance of an IBCS and impact of the use of an IBCS on group work processes and outcomes. The findings show that the perceived medium richness had a favorable influence on the use of the IBCS and that the use of the IBCS had a favorable influence on the process of group work. These findings are useful for academic research and practice in information systems and other disciplines concerned with the design and use of telecommunications systems.