The Impact of Gender and Experience on User Confidence in Electronic Mail

Abstract

While electronic communication is advancing rapidly in the organizational context, there remain a considerable number of participants who, for one reason or another, lack the skills and/or confidence to make the medium a pervasive and ubiquitous tool. This paper examines a network of factors that influence attitudes about computer utilization and user confidence in electronic mail (e-mail). A conceptual model of user confidence in e-mail was developed based on the results of a previous study, refined after a review of existing literature, and tested using LISREL. An experiment was conducted which simulated a communication transaction between subordinate and superior using two student groups (Computer Information Systems and other business disciplines) as surrogates. Data was collected from the participants through a survey and interviews. Results indicated that overall confidence in the medium was lacking and that there were gender differences in confidence in the nontechnical group. These differences appear to diminish through technical education and experience. Experience with computing was a significant determinant of attitude. Attitudes regarding computer use were also found to be positively linked to confidence in electronic communication.