Relationship of computer-mediated communication usage and collegial behaviors of faculty at research universities: Constructing virtual collegiality

The research objective was to determine if computer-mediated communication usage is related to the practice of collegial behaviors by faculty in research universities. The study involved 500 randomly selected faculty from 50 Research I and Research II universities. Contact with study participants was established and maintained via electronic mail; a web-based survey form was used to collect data. The study synthesized, documented, and explained a collegial behaviors list that was used as a collegiality construct defined on the survey instrument. The study examined and recorded faculty perceptions about collegial roles and relationships, perceptions of collegial role complexity, and perceptions of departmental, institutional, and disciplinary affiliation as related to use of computer-mediated communication. Data relating to faculty use of computer-mediated communication was also compiled.;The research findings support a positive relationship between computer-mediated communication usage and the practice of collegial behaviors. Computer-mediated communication usage is prevalent among the Research I and Research II faculty represented in the study. Computer-mediated communication is perceived as having generally positive effects on collegiality, especially as related to collaborative interchanges among faculty affiliated by disciplinary interests. The findings suggest that computer-mediated communication is perceived as having a greater effect on inter-institutional collegiality than on intra-institutional collegiality. The study confirms the extension of collegial behaviors through computer-mediated communication and other technological means, and provides empirical evidence for the concept of virtual collegiality. Implications for higher education practice are discussed.