Socialization in Virtual Groups
研究了虚拟群体中成员任期对沟通模式的影响，发现新成员以信息寻求为主，老成员以信息提供为主，但新成员在认知讨论上较活跃，而规范性信息寻求不足。
Virtual groups, that communicate and coordinate their activities using information technology, continue to become prevalent as an organizational form (Ahuja & Carley, 199 9). Research in this area, however, is still in its infancy. Specifically, extant research provides little insight into how new members are socialized into virtual groups using electronic communication. This paper examines the influence of member tenure on individual communication patterns in virtual groups. A content analysis of e-mail communication among members of the group during a 3-month period showed that in virtual groups, newcomers primarily exhibit an information seeking mode in their communication and established members exhibit an information providing mode. Interestingly, and contrary to expectations, newcomers did actively engage in discussions regarding cognitive information, perhaps helped by the comfort provided by a lean and faceless electronic communication medium. However, the limited anonymity provided by the electronic media did not translate into newcomers seeking normative and regulative information in explicit ways, implying a need for organizational mechanisms aimed at virtual member socialization.