“Email has eliminated the need for face-to-face contact between managers and staff”
Due to the advancement of technology, the use of email as a method of communication has increased significantly within the workplace. A survey of 150 executives in the Community Banker (2003) has found that 92% of respondents often choose to communicate with employees via email as opposed to meeting face-to-face and 67% of managers said they frequently use email as a substitute for face-to-face communication. Another study by Ernst & Young (1998) ranked email as the most frequently used medium in the workplace, followed by telephone and face-to-face. Email has revolutionized business communication as it allows employees to have more complete information to make faster decisions and provides them with more opportunities to collaborate and share information. However, it is arguable whether email can wholly replace face-to-face contact between managers and staff as there are many negative aspects involved in electronic communication.
There is valid reason behind the increasing use of email in the workplace. Email is inexpensive and efficient as it allows the manager to send a message to a large number of recipients simultaneously, without the cost of postal rates or phone call charges. This is especially useful in ensuring all employees receive a uniform message within the same time frame. Emails contain recorded details of correspondence and allow senders and recipients to continually access stored information about interactions. Managers also do not need to allocate time and effort into organizing suitable times for face-to-face meetings if using email. As emails are asynchronous, they allow the manager to send messages to staff at any time without interrupting their work ...