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Small Group Research
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The Impact of Group Size and Social Presence on Small-Group Communication

Does Computer-Mediated Communication Make a Difference?

Paul Benjamin Lowry

Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

Tom L. Roberts

Louisiana Tech University, Ruston

Nicholas C. Romano, Jr.

Oklahoma State University

Paul D. Cheney

Ross T. Hightower

University of Central Florida, Orlando

This study evaluates the impact of varying group size and social presence on small-group communication. It compares key communication factors—faceto-face (FtF) without computer-mediated communication (CMC) support, FtF with CMC support, and virtual with CMC support—on two different small group sizes (3 and 6). Results indicate that smaller groups establish and maintain higher levels of communication quality, and FtF with CMC support groups have higher levels of communication quality than virtual with CMC support groups; however, no significant difference between traditional FtF groups and virtual groups with CMC support was found. Also, CMC minimized the impact of increased group size. Process losses that a larger FtF group might ordinarily experience can be reduced through the use of CMC. These results should help project managers plan for and deal with the difficulty of communication between project group members in virtual environments.

Key Words: computer-mediated communication (CMC) • small-group communication • virtual teams • social presence • social presence theory (SPT) • heuristic evaluation (HE)

Small Group Research, Vol. 37, No. 6, 631-661 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1046496406294322
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 Small Group ResearchHome page
S. K. Johnson, K. Bettenhausen, and E. Gibbons
Realities of Working in Virtual Teams: Affective and Attitudinal Outcomes of Using Computer-Mediated Communication
Small Group Research, December 1, 2009; 40(6): 623 - 649.
[Abstract] [PDF]

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 Small Group ResearchHome page
N. C. Romano Jr., P. B. Lowry, and T. L. Roberts
Technology-Supported Small Group Interaction: Extending a Tradition of Leading Research for Virtual Teams and Global Organizations
Small Group Research, February 1, 2007; 38(1): 3 - 11.
[PDF]