Business strategic conflict in computer-mediated communication

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the concept of business strategic conflict and examine its influence on communication media selection and use in inter-organisational collaborations. In doing so, we show the inherent complexities in the computer-mediated interactions between synergistic companies in the same industry. The work draws on a field study carried out for 5 months in a case of a product design collaboration between two large high-tech corporations in Taiwan and Korea. Findings show that at an early stage of the collaboration, the use of media has shifted substantially from FTF meetings to email, while it is also found that, due to the competitive nature of the inter-organisational collaboration involved, business strategic conflict significantly influences media selection and, in turn, it is influenced by the selected media. Our results contribute to media selection theories that have so far neglected the coopetitive inter-organisational environment.

Keywords:

• conflict
• computer-mediated communication
• email
• inter-organisational collaborations
• coopetition
• media selection

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joyce Y H Lee

About the authors

Joyce Yi-Hui Lee holds a Ph.D. from the School of Management, University of Bath. Her research interests are concerned with the relationship between information systems and organisational behaviour. She has wide-ranging experience in industry related to international business collaboration. Her research has been presented in several international conferences and publications.

Niki Panteli

Niki Panteli is a senior lecturer in Information Systems at the School of Management, University of Bath. Her research lies in the field of information and communication technologies and emergent organisational arrangements. She is currently involved in research on virtuality and interactivity within computer-mediated and mobile communication systems. Her research has appeared in European and international journals such as Human Relations, Communications of the ACM, Behavior and Information Technology, European Journal of Information Systems, Futures, New Technology, Work and Employment, and Journal of Business Ethics. She is the book editor of ‘Virtual Social Networks’ (Palgrave, 2009) and co-editor of ‘Exploring the Nature of Virtuality’ (Palgrave, 2008).