ComputerMediated Communication as Employee Voice: A Case Study

1
Computer-Mediated Communication as Employee
Voice A Case Study

• Bishop and Levine (1999)
• Industrial and Labor Relations Review

2
Computer-Mediated Communication

• Case study of large high-tech company
• Focus is on how employees use computer-mediated
  communication (CMC) to change policies
• Forms of voice included The Café
• Anonymous (if desired), moderated company
  bulletin board, with monthly report going to top
  executives

3
Evidence on CMCs effectiveness

• Response through café (indirectly?) changed
  policy on profit-sharing
• Employee groups formed from café contributors
  (averse to unions)
• Group given privileges of other TekCo groups
• One TekCo group proposed employee council

4
Results of Efforts

• CMC promoted voice, both directly and indirectly
  through special interest groups
• Employee-Executive Forum created
• Was this real voice?
• Other special-interest employee groups
  effectively used CMC for own purposes

5
Case Study Conclusions

• CMC ? organizational efficiency
• CMC facilitates an ? in bargaining power
• CMC facilitates special interest group creation
  (indirect communication effect)
• CMC can often create phantom voice
• Workers become disillusioned