The explosion of new communication technologies has generated widespread controversy
over their potential effects on the workplace. Accurate claims of effects must be rooted in
valid assumptions about just how the technologies are used. Consequently, media-use
behavior has resurfaced as a vibrant area of inquiry. In this chapter, we take a close look at
current media-use theories. We argue that they rest on some very unrealistic assumptions
about human behavior in organizations. In particular, we take issue with the rationalist bias …