Situational Influences on the Use of Communication Technologies: A Meta-Analysis and Exploratory Study

As communication technologies such as e-mail have become indispensable for business communication, the study of the use and effects of such technologies is increasingly relevant. In this article, the authors present a model of the different factors influencing e-mail use in organizations. Building on three theoretical approaches concerning the adoption and use of communication technologies, they present a meta-analysis of recent studies about e-mail use in organizations. The results of the analysis form the basis for a model explaining e-mail use. A first validation of the model using survey methodology is presented.