Cognitive style may mitigate the impact of communication mode

With the proliferation of Internet-based applications for collaborative work such as group decision support system (GDSS), traditional face-to-face (FTF) interactions are being augmented or replaced by screen-to-face (STF) technology. Extant research results find that some individuals prefer FTF mode for interaction and would feel frustrated under an STF mode, but others may feel very comfortable using electronic STF applications. This paper evaluates the influence of cognitive style on the perception of individuals negotiating over FTF or STF communication modes. Cognitive style explains how individuals prefer to receive information and what methods they use to process that information. The results suggest that when individuals are faced with a mixed-motive negotiation task, some cognitive styles mitigate the effects of communication modes while other cognitive styles are not sensitive to it. Hence, cognitive style and communication modes have interaction effects.