Media Richness Theory and New Electronic Communication Media: A Study of Voice Mail and Electronic Mail

In situations requiring the exchange of information to resolve equivocality or reduce uncertainty, can Media Richness Theory account for differences in individuals' preferences for electronic mail and voice mail relative to one another? The results of this study indicate that, as predicted, electronic mail was preferred over voice mail for the exchange of information to reduce uncertainty. However, contrary to the predictions of Media Richness Theory, voice mail was not preferred over electronic mail for the resolution of equivocality. These results suggest that Media Richness Theory in its current formulation may not be applicable to the study of the new media. Future research should redefine and extend the concept of richness and its elements to account for the nature and functionality of the new media and investigate alternative social dimensions to individuals' preferences for and usage of the new media