Information Seeking in an Information Systems Project Team

Yunjie Xu Fudan University ; Cheng Zhang Fudan University ; Chenghong Zhang

Abstract

Why does a team member prefer some colleagues to others in information seeking? Past literature suggests that the physical accessibility of a knowledge source, the information quality of the source, and relational concerns influence such a choice. This study extends past literature by suggesting that formal structural factors are also important. Particularly, job interdependence, competition, and supervisory relationships are hypothesized to affect information-sourcing frequency. Our social-network analysis of an information systems project team indicates that formal structural factors are important to the development of informal networks and the perception of the information quality of a source. They have direct and indirect impacts on sourcing behavior. Implications for information systems project management are discussed.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2010-12-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2010.2044620
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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