A Sociotechnical Approach to the Study of Semiautonomous Work group Communication in Technical Organizations
type: CreativeWork
description: The sociotechnical aspects of group communication in semiautonomous technical work teams were investigated to understand how team members define "effective" group communication and what impact technical tools have on the group communication process. A team of workers with various technical backgrounds was selected for study. The study involved videotaped group sessions, a group training educational briefing and individual group member questionnaires. The results indicate that group members believed sharing information among group members was critical to successful communication and that certain technical tools could be effective during group meetings. The findings are congruent with the general theory that group communication is multi-dimensional with social characteristics that must be considered as well as technical aspects.
abstract: The sociotechnical aspects of group communication in semiautonomous technical work teams were investigated to understand how team members define "effective" group communication and what impact technical tools have on the group communication process. A team of workers with various technical backgrounds was selected for study. The study involved videotaped group sessions, a group training educational briefing and individual group member questionnaires. The results indicate that group members believed sharing information among group members was critical to successful communication and that certain technical tools could be effective during group meetings. The findings are congruent with the general theory that group communication is multi-dimensional with social characteristics that must be considered as well as technical aspects.
author: Varnes, Elizabeth B.
keywords: Sociotechnical, Group communication, Work teams, Industrial Engineering, Operational Research, Organizational Communication
date published: 1993-04-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:35:00Z
provider: Old Dominion University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Old Dominion University