Should Email Replace Face-to-Face Communications in Business?

Considering how fast and easy it is, should e-mail replace meetings and other face-to-face communication in a company? Why or why not?

Ultimately and intuitively not. While email is great for speed and convenience, saves a lot of money in travel, has easy access for all and helps us touch base with many people, e-mail is not the better alternative to face-to-face communication within businesses. You must utilize face-to-face communication. Without it you cannot effectively use email without conflict and miscommunication. (NY Times 2007) Face-to-face contact has a more lasting effect, gives you a personal connection and a richer quality of information. Where an email might end up unread in a full inbox, somehow vanished or just disregarded face-to-face communication gives everyone the benefit of body language and context. Especially in today’s diverse workforce, emails in lieu of face-to-face encounters can actually amplify problems instead of minimizing them. This is true particularly in communicating bad news. (Careerbuilder.com 2007)

Even though email is here to stay and it’s a great form of communication, you always have to consider your audience as you select the right medium. (Thill, 20007)

References:

Goldman, Daniel. (October 7, 2007) E-mail is Easy to Write (and to Misread). New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/jobs/07pre.html

Patterson, Kerry. ( 2007) What’s Better: Send an E-mail or Talk Face-to-Face? Retrieved September 27, 2008, from Careerbuilder.com Web site: http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobseeker/careerbytes/CBArticle.aspx?articleid=404&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=4676d3d31d4f45088f979b39d97411e7-275840935-JJ-5&ns_siteid=ns_us_g_is_email_better_than__

Thill, J & Bovee, C (2007) Excellence in Business Communication, (p. 107 – 113) seventh edition – Understanding the Foundations, Prentice Hall, copyright 2007 by Pearson Education Inc.

References: Goldman, Daniel. (October 7, 2007) E-mail is Easy to Write (and to Misread). New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/jobs/07pre.html Patterson, Kerry. ( 2007) What’s Better: Send an E-mail or Talk Face-to-Face? Retrieved September 27, 2008, from Careerbuilder.com Web site: http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobseeker/careerbytes/CBArticle.aspx?articleid=404&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=4676d3d31d4f45088f979b39d97411e7-275840935-JJ-5&ns_siteid=ns_us_g_is_email_better_than__ Thill, J & Bovee, C (2007) Excellence in Business Communication, (p. 107 – 113) seventh edition – Understanding the Foundations, Prentice Hall, copyright 2007 by Pearson Education Inc.