Shaping Electronic Communication: The Metastructuring of Technology in the Context of Use
研究日本研发项目组中计算机会议系统的使用，发现少数个体通过技术使用中介活动（如修改功能、改变使用情境）显著影响系统使用效果，提出元结构化理论框架帮助组织持续适应电子通信技术。
We argue that the use of electronic communication technologies in changing organizational forms can be facilitated by the explicit and ongoing adaptation of those technologies to changing contexts of use. This paper reports on an exploratory study of the use of a computer conferencing system in a Japanese R&D project group. We found that the system’s use was significantly influenced by the activities of a few individuals who shaped users’ interaction with the conferencing technology, modified features of the technology, and altered the context of use. These activities—which we call technology-use mediation—promoted effective electronic communication both initially at the point of adoption, as well as over time as needs, preferences, experiences, and conditions changed. Drawing on these insights, we develop a theoretical framing of the mediation process which suggests that it can be a powerful organizational mechanism for helping organizations provide the ongoing attention and resources needed to adapt electronic communication technologies to changing conditions, contexts, and organizational forms.