Participation and consensus in collective action organizations: The influence of interpersonal versus mass‐mediated channels

Abstract

The study compares how the communication channels through which members participate in collective action organizations influence their consensual support for primary organizational goals. A survey of members of an environmental action organization revealed that volunteers (who participate through interpersonal and mass‐mediated channels) agreed more with dominant leaders’ goal rankings than did direct mail members (who participate primarily through mass‐mediated channels). When membership structure was held constant, attention to the organizational mass media acted as a stronger predictor of goal consensus than did interactions with other members. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the survey's results for collective action researchers and practitioners.