This dissertation studies computer-mediated communication (CMC), in which interpersonal communication content between library users and reference librarians who engaged in service encounters is evaluated. The computer-mediated form of reference services, called virtual reference (VR), was the context for this research. In the CMC research, the analysis of naturally occurring interactions, analysis of face-work, face threat and friction, and impacts of identity on and in face threatening situations are not well represented. This study applied face-work (Goffman, 1967), Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1978; 1987) and social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE) (Lea & Spears, 1992) to virtual interactions to analyze transcripts that contained friction. The term friction was used to frame interactions that contain real or inferred elements of discord, incivility, impoliteness, or other factors that may detract from a positive working relationship between VR users and VR librarians. / Findings indicate that in transcripts that contained friction, users and librarians did not exhibit concern for either party's negative or positive face wants. Friction between participants included reprimands, abrupt endings without closing rituals by librarians and users, as well as refusals to attend to face threats issued. When librarians issued refusals to users' initial requests, the frequency of users enacting a second face threat dropped dramatically. Findings also indicate that librarians were more likely to instigate friction in the service encounters than users. Moreover, when instances of friction were present, one instance of friction was likely to spark additional instances of friction. / CMC service encounters, such as VR, in the public and private sectors are proliferating. At one point in time, customer service interactions were a face-to-face modality, then they moved to telephone interactions, but increasingly organizations are providing customer service via CMC, such as online banking and shopping. This dissertation research is significant to any organizations or individuals that utilize CMC as a means of customer interface, such as VR, or any other mediated transaction that bridges communication between organizations and the individuals that are served.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:CHENGCHI/U0003418755 |
| Creators | DeAngelis, Jocelyn A. |
| Publisher | Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick. |
| Source Sets | National Chengchi University Libraries |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Rights | Copyright © nccu library on behalf of the copyright holders |
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