An organizational communications perspective on knowledge-based mail systems

This review of 14 existing KMSs provides a framework for classifying these systems in terms of the mechanistic, psychological, systems interaction, and interpretive- symbolic perspectives in OC theory, and provides a basis for resolving e-mail usage problems.

Abstract

Knowledge-based mail systems (KMS) have been developed to surmount the communication barriers of traditional electronic mail systems. However, little attempt has been made to ground these systems in organizational communication (OC) theory. We have reviewed 14 existing KMSs; they provide a framework for classifying these systems in terms of the mechanistic, psychological, systems interaction, and interpretive- symbolic perspectives in OC theory. This framework provides a basis for resolving e-mail usage problems.