Coordinated Implicitly? An Empirical Study on the Role of Social Media in Collaborative Learning

Authors

  • Xi Zhang College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University
  • Hui Chen College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University
  • Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos Department of Business Administration, University of Oviedo
  • Miltiadis D. Lytras Deree College, The American College of Greece
  • Yongqiang Sun

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i6.2622

Keywords:

social media, implicit coordination, transactive memory systems, communication, teamwork outcomes

Abstract

As social media is widely adopted in collaborative learning, which places teams in a virtual environment, it is critical for teams to identify and leverage the knowledge of their members. Yet little is known about how social media influences teams to coordinate their knowledge and collaborate effectively. In this research, we explore the roles of two kinds of social media activity – information processing and social connection in teamwork – by applying communication and transactive memory systems (TMSs) as the mechanisms of explicit and implicit coordination respectively. We test this model using partial least squares (PLS) method by treating team as the unit of analysis. Drawing on the data from a study that involves 40 teams of graduate students performing a complex research report over eight weeks, we find that both TMSs and communication can significantly improve teamwork outcomes, and communication can help teams to better coordinate implicitly. With regard to social media activities, the results reveal that both information processing and social connection can enhance the level of TMSs; however, only social connection is positively related to communication. Unfortunately, information processing cannot significantly strengthen communication quality. The possible reasons are discussed and some theoretical and practical implications are also put forward.

Author Biographies

Xi Zhang, College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University

Xi Zhang is a Professor in the College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, China. He holds a Bachelor degree in Management from University of Science and Technology of China, and Ph.D. degree in Information Systems from City University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on quantitative modeling, knowledge management, IT-based innovation diffusion and adoption, and social media, with almost 50 publications in top-tier academic journals and conferences, such as Journal of Management Information Systems, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Computers in Human Behavior, Behavior & IT, Journal of Social Psychology, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, ICIS, HICSS, ECIS, PACIS, etc. He severed as associate editor in Decision Analytics, and editorial board in Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Decision Analytics, International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management, Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, etc. He was also the committee member in international conference on knowledge management (ICKM). Currently, he is the senior member in international association on computer science and information technology (IACSIT), and member of AIS.

Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos, Department of Business Administration, University of Oviedo

Patricia Ordóñez de Pablos is a Professor in the Department of Business Administration in the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Oviedo, Spain. Her teaching and research interests focus on the areas of strategic management, knowledge management, intellectual capital, human resources management and IT. She is Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management, and Associate Editor of Behaviour and Information Technology. Additionally she serves as Executive Editor of the International Journal of Learning and Intellectual. She is author of many papers published in top academic journals like Computers in Human Behavior, International Journal of Technology Management, Journal of Universal Computer Science, Journal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Intellectual Capital, Journal of Knowledge and Learning and more. She is also co-editor of some books recently published by Springer and IGI-Global.

Miltiadis D. Lytras, Deree College, The American College of Greece

Dr. Miltiadis D. Lytras is a Research Faculty member, in the ACG. His research focuses on knowledge management, e-learning semantic Web, and social networks,with more than 150 publications in these areas. He has co-edited/co-edits, 40 special issues in international journals (e.g., IEEE Transaction on Knowledge and Data Engineering, IEEE Internet Computing, IEEE Transactions on Education, Computers in Human Behavior, Interactive Learning Environments, Journal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, etc., Journal of Universal Computer Science, British Journal on Educational Technologies e.t.c.) and has authored/[co-]edited 45 books (e.g., Open Source for Knowledge and Learning Management, Ubiquitous and Pervasive Knowledge Management, Intelligent Learning Infrastructures for Knowledge Intensive Organizations, Semantic Web Based Information Systems, China Information Technology Handbook, Real World Applications of Semantic Web and Ontologies, Web 2.0: The Business Model,etc.,). He serves(ed) as the (Co) Editor-in-Chief of 12 international journals (e.g., International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, International Journal on Social and Humanistic Computing, International Journal on Semantic Web and Information Systems, International Journal on Digital Culture and Electronic etc). He is the editor of four book series in the IGI-Global on topics rellted to Knowledge Society, E-learning, and Knowledge Management.

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Published

2016-12-06

How to Cite

Zhang, X., Chen, H., Ordóñez de Pablos, P., Lytras, M. D., & Sun, Y. (2016). Coordinated Implicitly? An Empirical Study on the Role of Social Media in Collaborative Learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 17(6). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i6.2622

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 6 (2016)

Section

Research Articles

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