Influence, information technology & group polarization: A field study of a virtual team
Journal
International Conference on Information Systems 2011, ICIS 2011
Journal Volume
2
Pages
1346-1365
ISBN
9781618394729
Date Issued
2011-12-04
Author(s)
Slaughter, Sandra A.
Abstract
This study examines influence and IT in group polarization. Group polarization is the tendency of group members to shif their initial positions to a more extreme direction following discussion. We hypothesize that informational influence is relatively more important than normative influence in causing group members to shift their positions and that IT can be used to enhance the effects of informational influence. Our investigation of group processes, influence and IT use by a virtual team responsible for forecasting ozone levels reveals several important findings. First, we find the heterogeneity of pre-discussion individual decisions and greater task uncertainty increase group polarization through a greater relative use of informational influence. Second, surprisingly, we find that the relative use of informational influence and the use of IT for persuasion are substitutive not complementary in their effects on group polarization. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for decision making in virtual teams.
Subjects
Group polarization | Influence | Information technology | Persuasion | Virtual teams
Type
conference paper