Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Communication Research
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by ALLEN, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by HAUPTMAN, O.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

The Influence of Communication Technologies on Organizational Structure

A Conceptual Model for Future Research

THOMAS J. ALLEN

OSCAR HAUPTMAN

The article presents a conceptual model that hypothesizes how information technologies may assist in accomplishing two key functions of communication in research and development. The first function is to provide state-of-the-art information on the organizational technologies that are employed. This function is typically carried out via a functional organization structure, which groups together individuals with similar technical specialties. The second function is to accomplish coordination across technical specialties applied to the same task or project. This is typically accomplished by a project form of organization, which groups together individuals working on the same task. The cost of selecting one structure is the loss of the advantages of the other. Information technologies, such as electronic mail, computer conferencing, bulletin boards, and document search and retrieval systems, may be employed to augment the chosen structure and compensate to some degree for its limitations.

Communication Research, Vol. 14, No. 5, 575-587 (1987)
DOI: 10.1177/009365087014005007
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Management Communication QuarterlyHome page
J. M. Whitfield, B. T. Lamont, and V. Sambamurthy
The Effects of Organization Design on Media Richness in Multinational Enterprises
Management Communication Quarterly, November 1, 1996; 10(2): 209 - 226.
[Abstract]

Home page
 Journal of ManagementHome page
J. Fulk and B. Boyd
Emerging Theories of Communication in Organizations
Journal of Management, June 1, 1991; 17(2): 407 - 446.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Journal of Business CommunicationHome page
D. C. Compton, K. White, and S. DeWine
Techno-Sense: Making Sense of Computer-Mediated Communication Systems
Journal of Business Communication, January 1, 1991; 28(1): 23 - 43.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Journal of Business CommunicationHome page
J. Sherblom
Direction, Function, and Signature in Electronic Mail
Journal of Business Communication, September 1, 1988; 25(4): 39 - 54.
[Abstract] [PDF]