Abstract

This thesis explores the contextual factors that can affect the use of Web-based communication platforms for work purposes. Although several position papers have described potential benefits that Web-based communication platforms might have within organisations, the success of any digital product or service will depend, in part, on whether the product satisfies its context of use (Cockton, 2004; Maguire, 2001). Therefore, this thesis specifically examines the context of use through (a) understanding users and non-users and their daily activities and (b) understanding the way that Web-based communication platforms are implemented within the users’ daily work activities.
Three empirical studies were conducted. Study one identified and characterised the contextual factors associated with the use of Web-based communication platforms based on the PACT (People, Activity, Context, and Technology) framework proposed by Benyon et al. (2005). The results show that the use of Web-based communication platforms varies for participants in managerial and non-managerial roles. Additionally, the level of use depends on the nature of the Web-based communication platform (social network or proprietary software), team structure (centralised or distributed), time of use and type of activities performed using the software. Moreover, from the results of open-ended questions, the researcher found that the variables of the technology acceptance model (TAM) introduced by Davis (1986) also impact the use of Web-based communication platforms for work purposes.
The second study explored how project teams use Web-based communication platforms and identified actual benefits, challenges, and barriers to use of these platforms when implemented and used within a project context. This study considered non-users, in addition to users, to understand their current communication methods and reasons for not using Web-based communication platforms for work purposes. Interview results were separated into four specific high-level codes for non-users, seven specific high-level codes for users and four common high-level codes for users and non-users. As the results of this study contributed to the outline of a Persona skeleton, the researcher found that the original Pruitt and Grudin (2003) Persona skeleton could be expanded to include (a) problems in use, (b) management style/implementation problems, (c) technology benefits, and (d) motivation to learn. In total, six Personas were created, of which, three followed the original Persona foundation document and were called “Actual Personas” and three stemmed from the findings of this research and were called “Enhanced Personas”.
The third study validated the Personas using eleven criteria of reality, validity, believability, personified, empathy, credibility, engaging, completeness, willingness to use, usefulness, and memorability. These criteria were extracted from studies of Nieters et al. (2007), Wikberg Nilsson et al. (2010), Matthews et al. (2012) and Salminen et al. (2018).