ABSTRACT
Human beings have always used different means to communicate. The new information communication technology (ICT) challenges us to develop new working conditions and new organisational solutions. Spinks (Chapter 7) and van der Linden (Chapter 5), respectively, discuss virtual ways of working. In this context, communicating techniques become an important issue. Furthermore, Spinks and Limburg (Chapter 6) discuss teleworking. They, as well as Björkegren and Rapp (1999) and Rapp and Rapp (1999), stress the need for successful teleworkers to have good tools at their disposal in order to be able to communicate with others. In such circumstances the opportunity for videoconferencing becomes a possibility. This, then, will be the starting point for our discussion on issues relating to the design of collaborative environments. However, according to media richness theory (MRT), videoconferencing should by now be used widely. Is this in fact the case? In this chapter we will look at the use of videoconferencing more closely. Our investigation will focus on the use of videoconferencing in Sweden today and we will also try to find explanations for why the diffusion of this 40-year-old innovation has been slow in coming about. Our results will throw new light upon videoconferencing as a solution to some of the issues raised in this chapter, as well as in other chapters in this volume.
