Incorporating Electronic Mail into the Business Communication Course

Abstract

is the primary communication vehicle for the information superhighway. Unfortunately, e-mail education is focusing on the hardware and software issues without regard for the requisite communication skills. To be effective electronic communicators, students need training in understanding the electronic organizational hierarchy and electronic communication volume and costs; selecting the appropriate media; and evaluating message permanence, security, ownership, and privacy. Including targeted exercises in the business communication class can enhance students' understanding of e-mail.A students prepare for employment in a changing technological environment, they must be prepared to communicate effectively with the appropriate technology. Not only do they need to understand the hardware and software associated with using electronic communication but they also need to understand how the technology changes the communication process. Electronic communication allows instantaneous written communication from offices, homes, schools, and even most forms of transportation. Computers with faxes and modems make it possible to communicate globally and instantly with anyone who has similar technology.Electronic mail (e-mail) has achieved the most widespread acceptance in all types of organizations because it is the primary method for communicating electronically. Organizations can use electronic mail for product development, training, giving and receiving work assignments, testing, personnel administration, problem solving, posting notices, marketing, and sending personal communication. Many organizations believe e-mail gives them a competitive advantage because it is fast, inexpensive, readily available, and not dependent on receiver availability.As with other emerging and fast-growing technologies, organizations are struggling to get internal email hardware and software installed and working properly and to connect internal systems with worldwide networks such as Internet. Although e-mail use is widespread, organizations have not yet dealt with all the other issues that e-mail brings into an organizational communication environment. Most employees are not taught how to be effective electronic communicators.Business communication professors need to include electronic methods of business and office communication in university courses, along with the more traditional approaches. This article focuses on relevant e-mail topics and provides exercises that make students more aware of the organizational impact of e-mail.Electronic communication can cause a major change in the organizational communication process because senders can circumvent traditional communication hierarchies. With traditional communication, an intermediary screens both phone and written messages. The receiver may get electronic messages ' directly since each employee is assigned an individual e-mail account. The lack of screening allows employees to communicate directly with someone several levels higher on the organizational chart. For example, a clerk in the ma...

Email training significantly reduces email defects

“…However, the majority of employees are not taught how to become effective users of email (Nantz and Drexel, 1995), which maybe because such skills are taken for granted. Email education within organisations tends to focus on the hardware and software issues without regard for the requisite communication skills (Nantz and Drexel, 1995).…”

“…Email education within organisations tends to focus on the hardware and software issues without regard for the requisite communication skills (Nantz and Drexel, 1995). Even the most educated of employees can lack the basic skills for expressing themselves effectively (Davenport, 1997).…”

Student-Teacher Email Requests: Comparative Analysis of Politeness Strategies Used by Malaysian and Filipino University Students

“…Frazee (1996) noted communication skill deficiencies, disruption of workflow, a drag on productivity, and email overload; Davenport and Prusak (1997), on the other hand, discussed information ineptitude. On the other hand, Nantz and Drexel (1995) discovered that the majority of employees were not given instruction on how to communicate effectively online. However, the information richness theory's criticism of the efficacy, appropriateness, and use of CMC and email in the workplace is the most divisive (Daft and Lengel, 1986).…”

Curricular Implications of Virtual World Technology

“…Businesses no longer rely exclusively on memos and reports to distribute internal messages. Videotaped management messages and video conferencing were the innovative technology at the end of the 20th century, requiring theoretical and pedagogical attention (Lombard & Ditton, 1997;Penrose, 1985;Rosetti & Surynt, 1985;Smeltzer, 1992), closely followed by email (Hinds & Kiesler, 1995;Ku, 1996;Nantz & Drexel, 1995;Sullivan, 1995) and employee intranets (Burgess, 2005;Detlor, 1998;Flanagin & Waldeck, 2004). Now, an employer can choose among a range of social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn, podcasts, Twitter, wikis, as well as various methods of virtual interaction.…”