The Interaction Effects between Synchronous CMC Technology and Task Networks : A Perspective of Media Synchronicity Theory

A "task network" is a type of social network that consists of experts who exchange professional help and advice regarding executing tasks. In this study, we investigate the task network used within the IS department of a national bank in Korea. We identify how this network moderates the influence of computer-mediated communication (CMC) technology on an individual s task performance. Size, density, and centrality were measured as the characteristics of a personal task networks. Size equates to the total number of colleagues who work with a specific member for a certain project. Density is the ratio of the number of actual relationships to the total number of available relationships. Centrality defines whether an individual s position is in the exact center of whole network, and is measured by betweenness centrality, meaning the position one member holds between others in a network. Our findings conclude that the conditions - the larger the size of the task network, the smaller its density and the higher its level of centrality - lead to more benefits of using CMC media. Further, this positive effect of CMC is more noticeable when it provides synchronicity.