CONTENTS

Synopsis

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

• 1.1. PURPOSE OF EXPLORATORY STUDY
• 1.2. BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATIONS
  • 1.2.1. The Rising Importance of Information Technology (IT)
  • 1.2.2. Organization Information Processing
    • 1.2.2.1. Impact of IT on Information Processing
    • 1.2.2.2. Informal Communication Process
  • 1.2.3. Choice of Communication Media
    • 1.2.3.1. Inadequacy 1: Ignoring Choices Presented by Modern Media
    • 1.2.3.2. Inadequacy 2: Fragmented Approach
    • 1.2.3.3. Inadequacy 3: No Study on CFOs
  • 1.2.4. Summary of Motivations
• 1.3. AN OVERVIEW OF THE THESIS

CHAPTER 2: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

• 2.1. INTRODUCTION
• 2.2. EARLY RATIONAL THEORIES
• 2.3. MEDIA RICHNESS THEORY
  • 2.3.1. Original Formulation
    • 2.3.1.1. Information Tasks and Media Choice
  • 2.3.2. Modern Communication Technologies : Expanded Formulation
• 2.4. MEDIA RICHNESS THEORY: AN EVALUATION
  • 2.4.1. Empirical Evidence
    • 2.4.1.1. Adequacy Questioned by Modern Communication Technologies
  • 2.4.2. Reliability of Underlying Construct and Approach
  • 2.4.3. Missing Task Characteristics
  • 2.4.4. Additional Deficiencies of the Media Richness Approach
  • 2.4.5. Summary
• 2.5. ALTERNATIVE MEDIA CHOICE THEORIES
  • 2.5.1. Social Construction Theory
    • 2.5.1.1. Social Influences
    • 2.5.1.2. Experience and Skills
  • 2.5.2. Critical Mass Theory
    • 2.5.2.1. Information Technology Maturity
• 2.6. APPROPRIATENESS OF A RATIONAL FRAMEWORK RECONSIDERED
• 2.7. CHAPTER SUMMARY

CHAPTER 3: THE FRAMEWORK

• 3.1. INTRODUCTION
• 3.2. BACKGROUND CONDITIONS
  • 3.2.1. Information Technology Maturity
  • 3.2.2. Critical Mass
  • 3.2.3. Organizational Structure
  • 3.2.4. Organization Culture: Social Norms
  • 3.2.5. Demographic
• 3.3. THE MEDIA CHOICE
  • 3.3.1. Perception of Communication Media
    • 3.3.1.1. Media Characteristics
  • 3.3.2. Perception of Communication Task Requirement
    • 3.3.2.1. Communication Task Characteristics
  • 3.3.4. Standard Operating Procedures
• 3.4. TRANSACTION COST
  • 3.4.1. Bounded Rationality
  • 3.4.2. Opportunism
  • 3.4.3. Asset Specificity
• 3.5. SUMMARY

CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• 4.1. INTRODUCTION
• 4.2. A CASE STUDY APPROACH
• 4.3. SAMPLE SELECTION
  • 4.3.1. Industry Sector
    • 4.3.1.1. Reasons For Focusing on the OTC Markets
  • 4.3.2. Subjects
  • 4.3.3. Limitations
• 4.4. DATA COLLECTION
  • 4.4.1. The Questionnaire
  • 4.4.2. About the Tasks
    • 4.4.2.1. Variations Within Each Task
  • 4.4.3. Limitations
• 4.5. DATA ANALYSIS
• 4.6. SUMMARY

CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

• 5.1. INTRODUCTION
• 5.2. SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS
  • 5.2.1. Demographics
  • 5.2.2. Availability, IT Maturity and Competence
• 5.3. AN OVERVIEW OF QUESTIONNAIRE FINDINGS
• 5.4. COMMUNICATION TASK CHARACTERISTICS AND MEDIA CHOICE
  • 5.4.1. Urgency
    • 5.4.1.1. Odd Findings
  • 5.4.2. Geographic Locality/ Time Zone
  • 5.4.3. Importance, Sensitive and Controversial Matters
  • 5.4.4. Equivocality: How Much Does it Explain?
    • 5.4.4.1. Comparison With Prior Studies
    • 5.4.4.2. Choosing Multiple Communication Media
    • 5.4.4.3. The Domain of Equivocality
    • 5.4.4.4. Deficiency in Prior Studies Exposed
• 5.5. MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS, TRANSACTION COST AND MEDIA CHOICE
  • 5.5.1. Cost of Communication
  • 5.5.2. Asset Specificity of Communication Media
    • 5.5.2.1. Distinguishing Features of Communication Media
  • 5.5.3. Tacit Process- Bounded Rationality
  • 5.5.4. Opportunism
• 5.6. PROBLEMS IN RELATION TO THE GROUP TASK
  • 5.6.1. Possible Reasons for the Negative Response
• 5.6.2. Difficulties in Studying Groupware
• 5.7. CONCLUSION
  • 5.7.1. Communication Task Characteristics
  • 5.7.2. Communication Media Characteristics
  • 5.7.3. A Transaction Cost Explanation

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION

• 6.1. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION PROCESS IN ORGANIZATION
  • 6.1.1. Role of Modern Communication Technologies
  • 6.1.2. Organization Information Processing
• 6.2. LIMITATIONS
• 6.3. FUTURE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Bibliography

This thesis is undertaken as part of the requirements for the award of honours degree in Commerce (Accounting) of the University of NSW, Australia.