Connor Little

12/08/17
Methods and Benefits of Communication in the Workplace
As the business industry continues to expand, it is vital to stay ahead of the competition to be at
the forefront of this competitive business market. Often swept under the rug for companies is the
importance of communication in the workplace. When employees are properly informed, they
prove to have a positive impact on the efficiency of the company as a whole. This can only be
achieved by open lines of communication. However, according to a recent survey by Dynamic
Signal, the leading company communications platform, it was reported that there’s a large dis-
connect between employer and employees when conveying company news and information. Dy-
namic Signal’s survey found that although the main goal of communications departments was
keeping employees informed and connected, one-fifth of the respondents struggled to show to
the organization’s leadership the importance of internal communications, which leads to a lack of
funding getting put towards this important sector of a business. This report will analyze different
modes of communication in the workplace to see which is the most efficient, as well as discuss
the importance of solid communication at work. Based on my findings, email is seen as the king
of communication in the workplace. However, mobile based technologies are on the rise. The
benefits of incorporating proper communication in an organization are undeniable and only rein-
force the necessity of easy communication.

One of the greatest goals that can be achieved from proper communication in the workplace is an
increase in employee efficiency. Employees that aren’t engaged have a direct effect on the econ-
omy in the United States, combining to lose over $500 billion in lost productivity each year. A
key to eliminate these losses is focusing more on communication at work because an employee’s
attitude directly impacts the way they approach their jobs and customers. Employees are the am-
bassadors of the company’s brand and display this in all their day to day interactions. By increas-
ing engagement, attitudes will be more positive and have been proven to result in higher profita-
bility for the company. As employee engagement increases by 1 percent, employers can see an
additional 0.6 percent growth in sales (Hannah 2017). These increases are important to compete
through service with other organizations and can be a competitive advantage to stay on top of the
competition. V. Kumar and Anita Pansari came up with an “Employee Engagement Scorecard”
which was implemented in 75 companies and allowed employers to discover which areas have
room to grow and which engagement strategies are successful and the impact they have on em-
ployees. The scorecard also allowed employees a channel to share dissatisfactions with the com-
pany, as well as gave managers an opportunity to solve those problems through open communi-
cation. If the employers take advantage of this opportunity, it can help promote better employee
identification with the company, which results in all the benefits that stem from greater employee
engagement. The enthusiasm about the company and products gets passed onto the customers as
well and only helps the company’s bottom line.

Currently atop the ranks of communication methods at work is corporate emailing. According to
a survey cited by Herzlich (2017), 94 percent of respondents recommended that people contact
them through their email. However, the landscape of communication is evolving with cell phone
use skyrocketing. Cell phones have yet to surpass email as the primary method, in part due to fa-
miliarity with email. Texting apps, some of which can be used on computers or tablets, allow
live communication between parties, something email can’t compete with. The acceleration of
communication has increased efficiency for Morey Publishing, which implemented Slack, an in-
stant messaging app, into their methods of communication last year. However, John Reed, the
senior executive director for Robert Half Technology urges employers and employees to use the
method that best matches the professionality of their message. Quick discussions and responses
are best conveyed through instant messaging, however, larger messages, such as discussing strat-
egy or brainstorming for projects would be better suited to take place in a discussion through
email since it allows more depth of discussion. IT teams can also help employees learn the bene-
fits of the different kinds of communication so they could take better advantage of the services
that an organization offers. Even though mobile based communication is booming, Nancy Flynn,
Executive Director of the ePolicy Institute, says that companies ought to have different policies
for different methods of communication, as well as informing employees on the risk associated
with each method. “When it comes to electronic business communication, it’s the content that
will trigger a lawsuit, not the technology tools you’re using” (Herzlich 2017) Flynn says.

While the benefits of improved communication are evident, there are negatives associated with
computer-mediated communication. In a study done by Jean-François Stich, Monideepa
Tarafdar, Cary L. Cooper, and Patrick Stacey, it was found that CMC increases employee stress
by increasing work demands which leads to work overload, work-life conflict, and burnout.
Email generates a tremendous amount of volume, with respondents to Dynamic Signal’s survey
sending and receiving an average of 122 business emails per day. Despite CMC influencing em-
ployee stress, not all employees are affected the same way. The amount of stress on each indi-
vidual is directly related to how their actual and desired use of CMC differ. For example, those
who use smartphones and IM apps in their day-to-day life see those as part of their lifestyle,
which in turn affects them to a lesser extent than those who don’t use these technologies outside
of work. The study on CMC found three scenarios that influenced employee stress from commu-
nication. The first was when they needed to use communication methods that didn’t match their
task. This related to John Reed’s comments on using the best method for what kind of message
they needed to convey. Secondly, unwanted interruptions about the kinds of communication that
employees were averse to using caused stress. The third scenario involved engaging with other
employees with conflicting preferences for media use. In the future, we can work towards elimi-
nating the negatives from CMC so that the positives can be enhanced.

Keeping employees engaged helps more strongly identify with the organization, as well as pre-
sent an opportunity for an increase to sales and profits. While computer-mediated technologies
can influence workplace stress, this is on an individual level and doesn’t affect all employees in
the same way. CMC, like email and instant messaging, provides the best method of conveying
information within the organization. Properly utilizing these methods helps promote the corpo-
rate identity to employees and increases the productivity of the firm when employees can be ex-
cited about the products and services they are selling to customers.
 References

Hannah, R. (2017). Dynamic signal report: the state of workplace communication is disconnected. Busi-
ness Wire. Retrieved from https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/600397/viewCon-
tent/5302243/View
Herzlich, J., (2017). Email still kind for workplace communication but IM’s booming. Newsday. Re-
trieved from http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/docview/1915239084?accountid=8360

Kumar V., & Pansari A. (2015). Measuring the benefits of employee engagement. MIT Sloan Manage-
ment Review, Summer 2015. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy4.library.ari-
zona.edu/docview/1694713041/fulltextPDF/952AA791DE3B46CAPQ/1?accountid=8360

Robert Half Technology. (2017). You've got mail: email still top choice for workplace communication.
Retrieved https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/youve-got-mail-email-still-top-choice-
for-workplace-communication-300495109.html

Stich, J. F., Tarafdar, M., Cooper, C. L., & Stacey, P. (2017). Workplace stress from actual and desired
computer-mediated communication use: a multi-method study. New Technology, Work, and
Employment, 32. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12079