A study of teleworkers´ media use

An empirical study was performed to examine the role of individual-, contextual-, and social-level factors on the media choice of geographically distributed teleworkers. Relevant data were gathered from teleworkers of a company who were distributed throughout several satellite offices. Data analysis indicated that teleworkers choice of a medium resulted from the dynamics of individual-, contextual, and social-level variables. Management support as a social influence showed the strongest impact on teleworkers media use. The study confirmed that, though regarded as a lean medium, email could become an effective and rich communication tool through an active social structural process