Email Has Eliminated the Need for Face-To-Face Contact Between Managers and Staff

“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. Email has replaced many communication functions within the workplace such as memos, notices and news updates.

Communication is an essential element in the workplace, as everything a manager does involves communicating; therefore it is imperative that a manager communicates effectively as well as efficiently. Grout (2007) describes communication as being about involving, enthusing and inspiring others and states that good communication is a two-way process. Bottom-up communication from employees to managers provides information about employee needs, values, perceptions and opinions, which help organizations to select and tailor their policies to meet the specific needs of their employees. Top-down communication from management serves the four main functions control, motivation, emotional expression and information.

Communication acts to control employee behavior through authority hierarchies and guidelines. Tassabehji & Vakola (2005) believe that email has flattened organizational hierarchical structure as CEOs regularly solicit communication with all levels of employees and workers are easily able to contact anybody at any level. The establishment of a company’s informal policies and culture relies very heavily on the example set by its managers. If managers eliminate face-to-face communication and do not make the effort to interact, Read (2007) argues that most employees are likely to do the same. This is likely to create an impersonal and sterile environment that does not encourage interpersonal interaction between staff.

Effective communication is especially important where structural changes are to be implemented. It would be difficult for managers to explain the reasons behind the change and motivate employees to accept the change solely through email communication. Because structural change is a complex issue that affects all employees differently, all employees are likely to have questions, suggestions and disagreements regarding the announcement. The communication of such issues would be better suited to face-to-face interaction as there is instant feedback and clarification. The article �Bad news bearers’ (2006) describes face-to-face communication from leaders as being critical during crises and during structural change, a the organization who emails bad news will get a reputation as cold, callous and unfeeling, leaving employees unmotivated. Open and honest communication from top management is the most important element in maintaining employee engagement during a difficult situation, as open communication allows leaders to demonstrate that they understand the problem and are prepared to lead the company through it.

Managers are able to encourage employee motivation through the communication of tasks that need to be done, feedback on their performance and areas for improvement. Read (2007) argues that there is no motivating factor within email as messages are delivered without any awareness of tone of voice, gestures, or interpretation of body language. Often the delegation of complex tasks requires explanation by managers and feedback