Abstract
Instant messaging has become increasingly prevalent in social life. However, whether to use IM at work remains controversial, due to its unquantified benefits for organizations. In this study we employ the suggestive metaphor of social network theory to examine IM's impact on organizational performance. Specifically, we propose that IM has the potential to enhance organizational agility by enabling quality communication, building interlocutors' mutual trust and establishing relationship networks in the workplace. The conceptual model is validated by 253 survey responses collected from employees of Chinese organizations. The data indicates that IM supports social networks, which contribute substantially to organizational agility. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. © 2010 IEEE.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 5th International Conference on Internet and Web Applications and Services, ICIW 2010 |
| Pages | 102-109 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Event | 5th International Conference on Internet and Web Applications and Services, ICIW 2010 - Barcelona, Spain Duration: 9 May 2010 → 15 May 2010 |
Conference
| Conference | 5th International Conference on Internet and Web Applications and Services, ICIW 2010 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Spain |
| City | Barcelona |
| Period | 9/05/10 → 15/05/10 |
Research Keywords
- Instant messaging (IM)
- Organizational agility
- Social network theory (SNT)
Publisher's Copyright Statement
- COPYRIGHT TERMS OF DEPOSITED POSTPRINT FILE: © 2010 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. Ou, C. X. J., Liang, Y., Davison, R. M., & Zhong, X. (2010). The significance of instant messaging at work. In 5th International Conference on Internet and Web Applications and Services, ICIW 2010 (pp. 102-109). Article 5476792 https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIW.2010.23.