A10. Rice,
R.E. & Case, D. (1983). Electronic message systems in the
university:
A description of use and utility. Journal of Communication,
33(1), 131-152. Summarized in J. Smart (Ed.), (1984). Higher
education: Handbook of theory and research. (pp. 185-190.) NY:
Agathon
Press.
Local telecommunications networks, which can connect individuals
within communities of any size, configuration, and purpose, are being
used
increasingly for the exchange of messages. The Advanced Research
Projects
Agency network (ARPANET), for example, was established so that
government-funded
researchers could have access to host computers at other locations, but
instead was used predominantly for the exchange of messages among the
researchers.
Many organizations have adopted computer-based communication
systems
to facilitate their internal communication. The popular names for such
systems range from "electronic mail" to "computer conferencing" to
"office
automation". With the increasingly widespread implementation and use of
such technologies is associated a host of potential social and
organizational
impacts. Designers, vendors, organizational managers, and users alike
are
becoming more aware of the need to understand and, where possible,
control
these impacts. This article examines the uses and effects of
computer-based
communication systems in organizational settings, focusing on a pilot
program
at a major West Coast university.
Click
here for PDF copy of publication