Access, utility, imperfection: The impact of videoconferencing on perceptions of social presence Robert J. Lowden a,⇑ , Carol Hostetter b,1 a Indiana University, 2709 E 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47408, United States b Indiana University, 1127 E Atwater Ave., Bloomington, IN 47405, United States article info Article history: Available online 1 November 2011 Keywords: Social presence Videoconferencing Video Meetings abstract The intent of the research study was to identify relationships between the use of videoconferencing in meetings and what perceptions of social presence may exist related to age, gender, and usage compared to face-to-face meetings. Employees from a large Midwestern University Information Technology division who utilize videoconferencing to facilitate meetings as an alternative to face-to-face meetings were sur- veyed to assess experiences, perceptions, and satisfaction. Female and male employees (N = 157), ranging in age from 18 to over 50 years of age, provided the frequency of usage, and responded to questions related to perceptions of social presence. Quantitative analysis of the resulting data supported the hypothesis that one of the independent variables, gender, had a positive impact on perceptions of social presence. Brief interviews further elucidated the quantitative findings. While videoconferencing seems to have drawbacks, accessibility, flexibility, and utility are important aspects that are clear from partici- pants’ perceptions of videoconferencing. Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Changing workplace communication Globally, organizations are exploring operational efficiency opportunities in an attempt to reduce operating costs and remain competitive during economically challenging times. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER, 2010) determined on December 1st, 2007, that the United States of America was offi- cially in a period of recession. On September 20th, 2010, the NBER officially established the end of the recession as occurring in June, 2009 (NBER, 2010). This marked the single, longest US recession since World War II and led many to believe that the recovery process from such a substantial financial impact would be slow. The world economic situation continues to demonstrate a dismally slow recovery from this substantial economic impact. In an attempt to reduce operational costs, many companies have sub- stantially reduced or completely restricted work-related travel and are therefore attempting to utilize less expensive communication methods, such as videoconferencing, as a strategy to complement or replace traditional face-to-face meetings. 1.1. Efficient and effective workplace communications Videoconferencing technology includes a variety of telecom- munication systems and devices used interactively to transmit voice, pictures, and data over networks enabling face-to-face-like communications. Videoconferencing represents an alternative to in-person meetings and has been demonstrated as a cost saving alternative to in-person meetings (Lantz, 2001). The need for organizations to continue to efficiently engage in effective com- munication activities and meetings remains constant and has in many ways increased. As a result of decreased face-to-face communication and increased distance communication, Indiana University (IU) University Information Technology Services (UITSs) employees have anecdotally reported concerns about a lack of social presence, or feeling connected, when using video- conferencing. This phenomenon should be investigated so it can be better understood and so that solutions to problems can be developed. The purpose of videoconferencing is to connect people, making videoconferencing useful to examine through the lens of social presence, a theory about human connection. In early conceptual work, Short, Williams, and Christie (1976) originally presented the notion of social presence in describing immediacy behaviors, and defined social presence as the degree of salience (i.e., quality or state of being there) between communicators using a communi- cation medium. Building on this foundation, social presence has since been defined as ‘‘the degree to which a person is perceived 0747-5632/$ - see front matter Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2011.10.007 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 317 278 7533. E-mail addresses: rlowden@iu.edu (R.J. Lowden), chostett@indiana.edu (C. Hostetter). 1 Tel.: +1 812 855 4427; fax: +1 812 855 6110. Computers in Human Behavior 28 (2012) 377–383 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh