Paper Number
ECIS2026-2328
Paper Type
SP
Abstract
This paper proposes a framework to explain how information technology (IT) properties influence the emergence of heterogeneous collective constructs in IT-enabled groups. While prior research has examined collective phenomena, such as team cohesion and trust, it has largely overlooked how IT properties shape their formation and variation in IT-enabled environments. Building on Adaptive Structuration Theory and media repertoire frameworks, we identify six salient IT properties that influence how individuals and collectives assimilate technology: configurability, decentralizability, collaborativeness, temporality, interactivity, and verifiability. The framework theorizes that heterogeneous assimilation of these properties gives rise to differing forms of collective constructs within teams, affecting interaction dynamics and outcomes. By decomposing IT effects at the feature level, this work advances understanding of the multilevel interplay between technology and collective behavior, offering a foundation for identifying, measuring, and interpreting heterogeneous collective constructs in IT-enabled environments.
Recommended Citation
Martins, Patricia; Belanger, France; and Picoto, Winnie, "IT-Driven Emergence Of Heterogeneous Collective Constructs" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 19.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/is_adopt/is_adopt/19
IT-Driven Emergence Of Heterogeneous Collective Constructs
This paper proposes a framework to explain how information technology (IT) properties influence the emergence of heterogeneous collective constructs in IT-enabled groups. While prior research has examined collective phenomena, such as team cohesion and trust, it has largely overlooked how IT properties shape their formation and variation in IT-enabled environments. Building on Adaptive Structuration Theory and media repertoire frameworks, we identify six salient IT properties that influence how individuals and collectives assimilate technology: configurability, decentralizability, collaborativeness, temporality, interactivity, and verifiability. The framework theorizes that heterogeneous assimilation of these properties gives rise to differing forms of collective constructs within teams, affecting interaction dynamics and outcomes. By decomposing IT effects at the feature level, this work advances understanding of the multilevel interplay between technology and collective behavior, offering a foundation for identifying, measuring, and interpreting heterogeneous collective constructs in IT-enabled environments.
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