The Impact of Enterprise Social Media on Task Performance in Dispersed Teams

This study examines the impact of enterprise social media on the workplace. Drawing on the theory of virtuality and the structure-content framework of social networks, we develop a multi-level research model focused on the extent to which individuals´ network structures and the content enabled by enterprise social media influence individuals´ task performance in dispersed teams. The results of this study reveal that the use of enterprise social media significantly influences the content (expressive or instrumental networks) and structure (intra-team centrality or extra-team structural holes) of individuals´ social networks, which leads to improved task performance. Moreover, the results indicate that the relationship between the use of enterprise social media, network structure and content, and task performance varies depending on the degree of the team´s geographical and temporal dispersion. Based on these findings, this study proposes optimal network strategies to increase individuals´ task performance using enterprise social media within the different contexts of dispersed teams.