Information Channel Disposition and Use*

ABSTRACT The use of information channels by individuals in organizations is substantially discretionary. Although much studied, variation in patterns of discretionary use has yet to be explained adequately in terms of an accepted integrative theory validated across varieties of channel types and organizational settings. In a step toward the development of such a theory, the present paper proposes a basic channel‐disposition model that relates an individual's attitude or disposition toward a channel to his/her actual use of the channel in the context of information and channel supply‐and‐demand structures in the organization. An exploratory study of the dispositions of 186 users of ten management information system (MIS) reports in four organizational settings provides limited evidence in support of the model proposed.