Abstract

This qualitative case study describes the group decision making processes of adult leaders of a Boy Scouts of America Cub Scout committee that sought adaptability in time and space by expanding its face-to-face meetings to include Slack, a computer mediated communication tool. The study focused on one research question: How does Slack facilitate traditional group communication roles? Data collected from Slack transcripts, direct observation, physical artifacts, documents, as well as Likert scale and open-ended question surveys revealed that group roles of gatekeeper, scribe, generator, critic, and unifier were present in Slack interaction but were not fully functional without united participation in the Slack platform. Slack reduced the number of steps in tasks and allowed group members universal and permanent access to discussion and documents. The overall finding of the study is that Slack has the potential to facilitate group roles but cannot do so without engagement of all group members. The study has implications for face-to-face groups moving toward online forums.

Key Words: Case Study, Computer Mediated Communication, Small Group Decision Making, Slack App, Virtual Teams.

About the Author

*Mary Holloway Thayer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from the University of Utah, Utah, United States of America and a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Southern Utah University, Utah. She is a debate coach and math educator at Lava Heights Academy, Toquerville, Utah, United States of America. Her research interests are in the areas of small group roles, curriculum development, and utilizing modern technology in care giving.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 2023, pp. 30-41.

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Thayer, M. H. (2023). Adaptation of traditional group communication roles in online slack app: Experiences of a Boy Scouts of America committee. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 15 (2): 30-41.

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