Prior information systems research has found that numerous contextual factors, including individual differences, can influence which communication technologies are chosen for various situations. Because the adaptability of information and communication technologies to individual preferences and different environments is continuously improving, it has become increasingly feasible and important to investigate the relationships between individual characteristics (such as personality) and features of technology. In this study, the communication environment (face to face vs. synchronous computer mediated) and partners’ personality types (extraversion-introversion) in two-person groups were contrasted in a laboratory experiment. Dyads addressed a cognitive conflict task—allocation of limited funds to controversial social causes. Contrary to the hypotheses, introverts exerted influence over extraverts. As expected, extraverts were more satisfied with the process than introverts, and face-to-face dyads required less time, were more satisfied, and perceived less conflict than computer-mediated dyads. Given the ease with which some modern technologies can be melded to each individual’s preferences and that prior research has shown that individual differences influence the selection of technologies, these results have important implications for future information systems researchers and technology designers.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adrianson, L. , & Hjelmquist, E. (1991). Group processes in face-to-face and computer-mediated communication. Behaviour & Information Technology, 10, 281-296.
2.
Allinson, C. W. , Armstrong, S. J., & Hayes, J. (2001). The effects of cognitive style on leader-member exchange: A study of manager-subordinate dyads. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74, 201-220.
3.
Antonioni, D. , & Park, H. (2001). The effects of personality similarity on peer ratings of contextual work behaviors. Personnel Psychology, 54, 331-360.
4.
Baltes, B. B. , Dickson, M. W., Sherman, M. P., Bauer, C. C., & LaGanke, J. S. (2002). Computer-mediated communication and group decision making: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 87, 156-179.
5.
Barrick, M. R. , & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44, 1-26.
6.
Blumberg, H. H. (1997). On taking too much: A point accumulation procedure for comparing mutual agreements with controlled individual initiatives. Small Group Research, 28, 171-193.
7.
Boles, T. L. , Croson, R. T. A., & Murnighan, J. K. (2000). Deception and retribution in repeated ultimatum bargaining. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 83, 235-259.
8.
Cattell, R. B. , Eber, H. W., & Tatsuoka, M. M. (1970). The handbook for the sixteen personality factor questionnaire. Champaign, IL: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing.
9.
Chapanis, A. , Oschman, R., Parrish, R., & Weeks, G. (1972). Studies in interactive communication: The effects of four communication modes on the behavior of teams during cooperative problem solving. Human Factors, 14, 487-509.
10.
Chapanis, A. , & Overbey, C. (1974). Studies in interactive communication: Effects of similar and dissimilar communication channels and two interchange options on team problem solving. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 38, 343-374.
11.
Christie, R. , & Geis, F. L. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press.
12.
Cropanzano, R. , James, K., & Citera, M. (1992). A goal hierarchy model of personality, motivation, and leadership. Research in Organizational Behavior, 15, 267-322.
13.
Daft, R. L. , & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness, and structural design. Management Science, 32, 554-571.
14.
Daft, R. L. , Lengel, R. H., & Trevino, L. K. (1987). Message equivocality, media selection, and manager performance: Implications for information systems. MIS Quarterly, 11, 355-366.
15.
Davis-Blake, A. , & Pfeffer, J. (1989). Just a mirage: The search for dispositional effects in organizational research. Academy of Management Journal, 14, 385-400.
16.
Dennis, A. R. , & Kinney, S. T. (1998). Testing media richness theory in the new media: The effects of cues, feedback, and task equivocality. Information Systems Research, 9, 256-274.
17.
Derlega, V. J. , Winstead, B. A., & Jones, W. H. (Eds.). (1991). Personality: Contemporary theory and research. Chicago: Nelson Hall.
18.
Drake, B. H. , & Moberg, D. J. (1986). Communicating influence attempts in dyads: Linguistic sedatives and palliatives. Academy of Management Review, 11, 567-584.
19.
Easterbrook, J. A. (1959). The effect of emotion on cue utilization and the organization of behavior. Psychological Review, 66, 183-201.
20.
El-Shinnawy, M. M. , & Markus, M. L. (1992). Media richness theory and new communication media: A study of voice mail and electronic mail. Paper presented at the 13th Annual International Conference on Information Systems, Dallas, TX.
21.
Epstein, S. , & O’Brien, E. J. (1985). The person-situation debate in historical and current perspective. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 513-537.
22.
Eysenck, H. J. (1967). The biological basis of personality. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
23.
Eysenck, H. J. (1990). Biological dimensions of personality. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 244-276). New York: Guilford.
24.
Eysenck, H. J. , & Eysenck, M. W. (1985). Personality and individual differences. New York: Plenum.
25.
Francis, L. J. , Brown, L. B., & Philipchalk, R. (1992). The development of an abbreviated form of the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQR-A): Its use among students in England, Canada, the U.S.A., and Australia. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 443-449.
26.
Fulk, J. , Steinfield, C. W., Schmitz, J., & Power, J. G. (1987). A social information processing model of media use in organizations. Communication Research, 14, 529-552.
27.
Gale, A. (1973). The psychophysiology of individual differences: Studies of extraversion and the EEG. In P. Kline (Ed.), New approaches to psychological measurement (pp. 211-256). London: Wiley.
28.
George, J. F. , Easton, G. K., Nunamaker, J. F., & Northcraft, G. B. (1990). A study of collaborative group with and without computer-based support. Information Systems Research, 1, 394-415.
29.
Grams, W. C. , & Rogers, R. W. (1990). Power and personality: Effects of Machiavellianism, need for approval, and motivation on use of influence tactics. Journal of General Psychology, 117, 71-82.
30.
Green, S. G. , & Taber, T. D. (1980). The effects of three social decision schemes on decision group process. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 25, 97-106.
31.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, and institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
32.
Huber, G. P. (1983). Cognitive style as a basis for MIS and DSS designs: Much ado about nothing?Management Science, 29, 567-579.
33.
King, R. C. , Hartman, A., & Hartzel, K. (1992). Message creation versatility, media capacity, and media choice: A forward looking perspective. Paper presented at the 13th Annual International Conference on Information Systems, Dallas, TX.
34.
Kirk, R. E. (1982). Experimental design: Procedures for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
35.
Kraiger, K. , Billings, R. S., & Isen, A. M. (1989). The influence of positive affective states on task perceptions and satisfaction. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 44, 12-25.
36.
Kurke, L. B. , & Aldrich, H. E. (1983). Mintzberg was right! A replication and extension of the nature of managerial work. Management Science, 29, 975-984.
37.
Lee, A. S. (1994). Electronic mail as a medium for rich communication: An empirical investigation using hermeneutic interpretation. MIS Quarterly, 18, 143-157.
38.
Markus, M. L. (1987). Toward a “critical mass” theory of interactive media. Communication Research, 14, 491-511.
39.
Markus, M. L. (1994). Electronic mail as medium of managerial choice. Organization Science, 5, 502-527.
40.
McCrae, R. R. , & Costa, P. T. (1985). Updating Norman’s adequate taxonomy: Intelligence and personality dimensions in natural language and in questionnaires. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 710-721.
41.
McCrae, R. R. , & Costa, P. T. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 81-90.
42.
McGrath, J. E. (1984). Groups: Interaction and performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
43.
McGrath, J. E. (1991). Time, interaction, and performance (TIP): A theory of groups. Small Group Research, 22, 147-174.
44.
McGrath, J. E. , & Hollingshead, A. B. (1993). Putting the “group” back in group support systems: Some theoretical issues about dynamic processes in groups with technological enhancements. In L. M. Jessup & J. S. Valacich (Eds.), Group support systems: New perspectives (pp. 78-96). New York: Macmillan.
45.
Mennecke, B. E. , Valacich, J. S., & Wheeler, B. C. (2000). The effects of media and task on user performance: A test of the task-media fit hypothesis. Group Decision and Negotiation, 9, 507-529.
46.
Mintzberg, H. (1973). The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper and Row.
47.
Miranda, S. M. , & Bostrom, R. P. (1993-1994). The impact of group support systems on group conflict and conflict management. Journal of Management Information Systems, 10, 63-96.
48.
Mischel, W. (1968). Personality and assessment. New York: John Wiley.
49.
Mischel, W. (1977). On the future of personality measurement. American Psychologist, 32, 246-254.
50.
Myers, I. B. , & McCaulley, M. H. (1985). A guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
51.
Ngwenyama, O. K. , & Lee, A. S. (1997). Communication richness in electronic mail: Critical social theory and contextuality of meaning. MIS Quarterly, 21, 145-167.
52.
Panko, R. (1992). Managerial communication patterns. Journal of Organizational Computing, 2, 95-122.
53.
Peck, D. , & Whitlow, D. (1975). Approaches to personality theory. London: Methuen.
54.
Podsakoff, P. M. , & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12, 531-544.
55.
Rice, R. E. (1992). Task analyzability, use of new media, and effectiveness: A multi-site exploration of media richness. Organization Science, 3, 475-500.
56.
Rice, R. E. , Grant, A., Schmitz, J., & Torobin, J. (1990). Individual and network influences on the adoption and perceived outcomes of electronic messaging. Social Networks, 12, 27-55.
57.
Rice, R. E. , & Shook, D. (1990). Relationships of job categories and organizational levels to use of communication channels, including electronic mail: A meta-analysis and extension. Journal of Management Studies, 27, 195-229.
58.
Siegel, J. , Dubrovsky, V., Kiesler, S., & McGuire, T. W. (1986). Group processes in computer-mediated communication. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 37, 157-187.
59.
Steiner, I. (1972). Group processes and productivity. New York: Academic Press.
60.
Trevino, L. K. , Lengel, R. H., Bodensteiner, W., Gerloff, E. A., & Muir, N. K. (1990). The richness imperative and cognitive style: The role of individual differences in media choice behavior. Management Communication Quarterly, 4, 176-197.
61.
Trevino, L. K. , Lengel, R. H., & Daft, R. L. (1987). Media symbolism, media richness, and media choice in organizations. Communication Research, 14, 553-574.
62.
Tupes, E. C. , & Christal, R. E. (1961). Recurrent personality factors based on trait ratings (ASD Tech. Rep. No. 61-97). Lackland Air Force Base, TX: U.S. Air Force.
63.
Valacich, J. S. , Paranka, D., George, J. F., & Nunamaker, J. F. (1993). Communication concurrency and the new media: A new dimension for media richness. Communication Research, 20, 249-276.
64.
Vitz, P. , & Kite, W. (1970). Factors affecting conflict and negotiation within an alliance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 6, 233-247.
65.
Walther, J. B. (1995). Relational aspects of computer-mediated communication: Experimental observations over time. Organization Science, 6, 186-203.
66.
Williams, K. J. , Suls, J., Alliger, G. M., Learner, S. M., & Wan, C. K. (1991). Multiple role juggling and daily mood states in working mothers: An experience sampling study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 664-674.
67.
Zmud, R. W. , Lind, M. R., & Young, F. W. (1990). An attribute space for organizational communication channels. Information Systems Research, 1, 440-457.
