Joyce Yi-Hui Lee

Business strategic conflict in computer-mediated communication

In this paper, we introduce the concept of business strategic conflict and examine its influence on communication media selection and use in inter-organisational collaborations. In doing so, we show the inherent complexities in the computer-mediated interactions between synergistic companies in the same industry. The work draws on a field study carried out for 5 months in a case of a product design collaboration between two large high-tech corporations in Taiwan and Korea. Findings show that at an early stage of the collaboration, the use of media has shifted substantially from FTF meetings to email, while it is also found that, due to the competitive nature of the inter-organisational collaboration involved, business strategic conflict significantly influences media selection and, in turn, it is influenced by the selected media. Our results contribute to media selection theories that have so far neglected the coopetitive inter-organisational environment.

You Got Email! The Cases of Inter-Organizational Collaboration for Engineering Product Design

Abstract: In todays global era, there is an assumption that high-tech organizations are adopters of advanced communication tools for their collaborative design activities. This study makes us aware that this is not always the case; more “common and simple” means of communication such as email are still preferred over advanced tools. This article explains the reasons behind this choice. In this regard, the research shows that when participants discuss complex technological matters by computer-mediated communication tools, it is easy for confusion to arise and can even lead to conflict. Drawing on the research findings, advice is given to email communicators, particularly to those involved in inter-organizational collaborations.

Email adaptation for conflict handling: A case study of cross-border inter-organisational partnership in East Asia

This paper explores the context of email‐based communication in an established but fragile, inter‐organisational partnership, which was often overlain with conflict. Drawing upon adaptation theory, this study explores how participants adapt to the use of email to handle conflict. Extensive data were obtained during a 6‐month field study of a case of cross‐border inter‐organisational collaboration in East Asia. We observed that the individuals involved in the cross‐border partnership used email as a lean form of communication to stop covert conflict from explicitly emerging. In contrast to prior research on the leanness of email in managing conflict, we found that under the described conflict situation the very leanness of email was appreciated and thus, exploited by those concerned to manage the conflict situation. Specifically, we identified 4 key conflict‐triggered adaptation strategies, namely, interaction avoidance, disempowering, blame‐protection, and image‐sheltering that drove the ways in which email was adapted to maintain organisational partnerships under conflict.

An Examination of Computer-Mediated Communication for Engineering-Related Tasks

This study aims to understand the course of communication media selection in cross-organizational engineering teams on high-tech product development. We argue that, although collaborative engineering tasks have been highly internationalized, communication media development for the pervasive global technological activities has not been sufficient, and thus when complex product design in connection with numerous technological issues is discussed on computer-mediated communication, the challenges can be more. This study conducted a multiple-case study approach, involving four case studies regarding inter-organizational collaborations on high-tech product developments. Participant observation was employed as the primary method of data collection, and extensive data was collected and analyzed. This research has found that high reliance on email communication among the participant organizations ultimately contributed to conflict occurrence, and the research findings for theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Understanding Customer Opinions From Online Discussion Forums: A Design Science Framework

Abstract Online discussion forums, which are full of user-generated content including user opinions and comments, are a potential gold mine for exploring new and useful ideas to augment competence in innovation. Companies need to systematically analyze and interpret online commentaries to enhance in-house research and design activities. To this end, a framework is proposed using a design science approach to enable automatic analysis of the content of online opinions and comments in connection with specific products, using a web lexicon established for this purpose. Furthermore, this framework is applied to an automobile as a proof-of-concept. Several nicknames for the car brand studied were created by web users, some with irony and sarcasm. A few metaphorical expressions were also used to describe product features. Engineering practitioners should recognize the importance of stylized online expressions in order to have a better understanding of customer needs and expectations through the application of this framework, which incorporates an evolutionary web lexicon.

Distant Relations The Affordances of Email in Interorganizational Conflict

This article explores the role of email in the ambiguous circumstances of an established international partnership that is developing into competition. Using the naturally occurring interaction of a longitudinal ethnographic study, we study the ensuing task and relationship conflicts through the communication medium. Results show that the conflict is facilitated by email, not as an unfortunate side-effect but as a strategic choice of distance, partly for passive protection but also for active control of the interaction. We use the results to chart the multiple situated identities of the communicators that are made salient in their virtual interaction. The double aspect of social and organizational contexts is shown to have an effect on different issues, such as organizational authority at the home organization, the buyer-supplier relationship, nonnative language use, and norms of communication style in the interaction.

Playing the 'silence' card: email affordances in international inter-firm interactions

In this paper, we argue that the international business (IB) literature has given only limited attention to the technology-mediated context of language. We find, through a case study of an international inter-organizational partnership where the use of English language was the lingua franca, that email not only had a dominant role but also created several possibilities for interaction. The findings show the relevance of email affordances to inter-cultural studies. Further, the study makes a contribution by repositioning communication technology within the language stream of IB research