Understanding the relationship between communication/collaboration technologies and human behavior is critical for ensuring a higher level of user participation and the effective use of online collaboration systems.

The authors of this research paper argue that understanding the relationship of collaborative information technologies and changes in work and organization is as critical or more than the technology itself in ensuring an optimal use of collaboration tools for supporting co-operation.

It is therefore essential that the adoption of online collaboration systems is to fully supported by a well-planned set of social processes.

More specifically, many organizations fall into the trap of taking collaboration an conferencing technologies potential for granted and believing that its introduction can immediately increase communication and thus productivity.

Nothing could be further from truth.

Here are the essential conditions that need to be met in order to ensure effective adoption and use of online collaboration technologies within large organizations:

Four essential conditions therefore must be met in order to ensure optimal use of ICT (information and communication technologies) for supporting online collaboration.

"The conditions are:

(1) understanding the need to collaborate;

(2) user understanding of the use and utility of ICT for supporting collaboration;

(3) appropriate support for the adoption, implementation, and post-implementation phase; and,

(4) an organizational culture for supporting collaboration.

These conditions may be referred to as the social factors which guide the successful implementation of technological systems. Studies further suggest that the nature of work process and technology utilization is influenced by these social factors.

Second, it is suggested here that designing ICT-enabled virtual collaboration for groups in a geographically dispersed location has to be guided by the social process. Traditionally, face-to-face meetings and geographic proximity to other workgroup members have supported the ICT-enabled collaboration. Studies on CMC tools suggest that audio and video technologies have the potential to be as effective as face-to-face communication, provided that the social process guides collaborative system design.

The emphasis on social process in designing technological systems helps in understanding messy, complex and problem-solving components, which are both socially constructed and society-shaping.

Therefore, each component of the system has to be designed to interact with the characteristics of the others. That is, understanding social structures, systems and their structuration is critical to the development and sustainability of collaborative relationships.

Several empirical studies on the trust development process suggest that video and audio conferencing groups are nearly as good as face-to-face contact provided that participants engage in various getting-acquainted activities (e.g., text chat) over a network."

Read the full research essay:
ICT Enabled Virtual Collaboration through Trust