Text-based collaborative work and innovation: Effects of communication media affordances on divergent and convergent thinking in group-based problem-solving

Abstract

This experimental study explores the relationship between text-based computer-mediated com-munication and innovative thinking in problem-solving groups. The research objective is to in-vestigate how various levels of synchronicity, parallelism, and identification influence the diver-gent and convergent focus of the group members. An experiment involving group-based problem-solving by use of text-based communication tools was conducted. Manipulation of the communi-cation tools ensured variation in the participants' perceptions of synchronicity, parallelism, and identification. The results of the experiment revealed few overall differences between the com-munication affordances on their effects on innovative thinking processes, implying that neither the divergent nor the convergent focus of the participants was influenced by different levels of synchronicity, parallelism, and identification. However, a significant effect between synchronic-ity and convergent focus opposite to the hypothesized direction was found. This suggests that low synchronous interaction may enhance convergent thinking for individuals with low preferences for evaluation.