Learning objectives:

• Explain the selection of appropriate communication technologies based on media synchronicity theory
• Describe the role of situational awareness in communication settings
• Appreciate different facets and practical consideration related to communication in teams

GitLab: work where you want, when you want

Read the case of Choudhury et al. (2020) and answer the following questions:

• What are the main challenges that need to be addressed in all-remote companies?
• What are the key organizing principles at GitLab?
• What are the boundary conditions for all-remote approaches?

Communication and media selection

Key question: which communication media are the most effective ones, or should be selected for a task at hand?

Media richness theory (Daft and Lengel, 1986):

• Communication is essential in organizational information processing to reduce uncertainty and equivocality.
• Communication media differ in richness (video calls transmit richer information, e.g., including gestures).
• Richer communication media are generally more effective for communicating equivocal issues.

Media synchronicity theory (Dennis et al. 2008)

• There are different communication tasks:
  • Conveyance refers to the transmission of information.
  • Convergence refers to the process of mutually agreeing on the meaning of information.
• Communication media differ in their ability to support synchronicity, depending on their transmission or processing capabilities.
• Communiation performance, essentially, depends on the fit between communication processes, media synchronicity, and appropriation factors.

Communication processes and characteristics

Communication system and media capabilities

Media synchronicity theory (MST)

MST: examples and application

1. Shared whiteboard in videoconferences: how does it change the media capabilities?
2. It was a misunderstanding, but one that escalated quickly. Why can asynchronous textual communication (such as email or chat) be problematic in such settings?
3. When sending out invitations to the weekly video-conference, your colleague emphasizes that he looks forward to seeing you in the call, and greets participants who share their video with a "nice to see you". Do you see any connections to MST?
4. Take a minute to review the features offered by the Zoom AI assistant. How do they relate to MST?
5. Consider a setting in which you would like to help your colleague with a challenging programming task. Your colleague works remotely. Which technologies would you select, and how could your choice be connected to MST?

Communication and situational awareness

Endsley's cognitive model of situational awareness provides a useful framework to think about communication.

Situational awareness involves three levels:

• Perception of data and elements of the environment (communication partners)
• Comprehension of the meaning and significance of the situation (communication goals)
• Projection of future states and events (potential communication outcomes)

Decisions and actions (related to communication) create a feedback loop, affecting communication partners, and awareness of changing situations over time.

Situational awareness: examples

Examples of situational awareness in practice:

• "At what times do you focus, at what times are you available for calls?"
• "Are you green?"
• "You have been quiet. What is your view on the issue?"

Practice: Communication at GitLab

Take a few minutes to examine the communication section in GitLab's handbook and take notes on

• The different communication settings
• Best practices (potential challenges to keep in mind)

Major items to cover:

• Effective and responsible communication guidelines
• Internal communication best practices
• Video calls and E-Mail

Additional items (select the ones you are most interested in):

• Slack, direct messages, meeting problems, or video and presentation tips

Summary

• Discussed media selection and synchronicity
• Covered the role of situational awareness in communication settings
• Considered different facets and practical consideration related to communication in teams

References

Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design. Management Science, 32(5), 554-571. doi:10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554

Dennis, A. R., Fuller, R. M., & Valacich, J. S. (2008). Media, tasks, and communication processes: A theory of media synchronicity. MIS Quarterly, 32(3), 575-600. doi:10.2307/25148857

Endsley, M. R. (1995). Toward a theory of situation awareness in dynamic systems. Human Factors, 37(1), 32-64. doi: 10.1518/001872095779049543

Moorman, C. and Hinkfuss, K. (2023). Managing the cultural pitfalls of hybrid work. MIT Sloan Management Review. link