Communication Strategies

Communication is the sending and receiving messages through a medium. Communication between two or more people can be aroused by either business interactions or personal conversations. Communication is not considered complete until the message is received by the intended recipient in the form it was intended by the sender. There are different forms of communication which can be categorized according to the media used. These include interpersonal also known as face to face communication and the use of electronic mediums which entail the use of electronic equipment like telephones and computers to place calls, send e-mails and chat. Business and personal relationships are established on the basis of communication without which their existence would at times become disastrous.

An email is an electronic message that contains text, numbers, photographs, video or audio clips. An email can be sent or received through a computer or a cell-phone, which is either connected to the internet or an intranet. With this background, this report will analyze the effectiveness of email as a means of communication citing the advantages and disadvantages of the same.

Demonstration of trust and respect are built upon proper communication methods and processes that make an organization earn the support of investors money and the time spent investing in that organization (Guffey  Almonte, 2009). Further, in their book titled, Essentials of Business Communication, Guffey and Almonte argue that e-mail is an essential service to effective communication and development in an organization. Good communication is seen to bring about additional benefits such as attracting and retaining customers who in turn ensure regular cash flow to the business.

Effects of technological innovations on communication

Embracing of new technology in different sectors of trade and industry has brought about the explosion of e-mail use for communication. However, the advantages of using email as a form of communication can be realized only when efficiency is emphasized. This can be through adequate technical skills and etiquette from both senders and receivers (Iowa State University, 2010).

The IT department of Iowa State University notes that the high volumes of e-mails have led to the popularity of this means of communication between individuals and companies. The effectiveness of e-mail communication is fostered by initiatives to observe practices that ensure accuracy and discipline in both its personal and technical aspects. These initiatives include training users on effective means of using the service, underscoring the need for acceptable and intolerable conduct while using the medium to achieve proper communication (Iowa State University, 2010).

Advantages of e-mail communication
E-mail communication is a more preferred form of communication especially in situations where the intended recipients are many and cannot be gathered at one place at the same time. The fact that the sender and the receiver only need a computer or a cell phone connected to the internet or an intranet to send or receive the message makes this form of communication convenient. Subsequently, the time which would otherwise be spent on traditional modes of communication such as posting letters would be saved (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003). In addition, the elimination of the need to travel physically by both the sender and receiver to convey the message makes e-mail a cheaper means of communication. Needless to say, communication between or among people in different countries would otherwise prove tiresome and expensive if they were to travel every time they needed to talk. Individuals who are less versed with interpersonal communication skills are also able to take advantage of this form of communication since they can pass information without necessarily facing the audience (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003).

As mentioned above, face to face interactions require more time, which at times necessitates the physical movement of individuals from one place to another making email a cheaper option. Otherwise, users would spend a lot of money to send huge documents or audio visual material from one place to another or make a lengthy phone calls to explain the details making the entire communication very expensive (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003). This has made it easier for individuals and organizations to send and receive information that they may need at lower costs. The cost effectiveness of the medium has been tried and tested and found to be applicable as only an internet enabled computer is needed.

Another advantage is that e-mail can enable users to send and receive bulky messages at one given time, whether text, photos, videos or links through attaching them to the e-mail. The bulky nature of sending paper documents through post or hand delivery is eliminated. Apart from this having an effect of reduced cost, information storage is much easier and takes up no physical space as it is contained within the e-mail (Iowa State University, 2000). Users are entitled to a large data capacity in which messages received, sent and those still in storage can be viewed at their convenience. Finally, electronic mails ensure that only authorized users access their mailboxes hence making it safe and reliable. To access an email, there is a mandatory access procedure where one enters a user ID followed by the password for authentication.

The features and functions offered by email have made this service a more popular form of communication. E-mail service providers offer their clients big storage capacity for their electronic communication which includes customizable folders to organize their electronic messages. These folders include the inbox folder for incoming messages, drafts for unsent or incomplete messages, sent folder for sent messages and trash for temporarily deleted items which can be restored (Khosrowpour, 2004). The user has an additional advantage of storing all e-mail addresses and other contact information in an easily accessible address book. The customizable folders allow sorting of messages in order of date and their message status i.e. read or unread.

In his book titled Innovation through Information Technology,  Khosrowpour reveals that the automation facilitated by e-mail programs allow users to edit their texts while composing their messages, and at the same time utilize tools such as spell check and other formatting tools. After sending e-mails, a copy is left in the users sent folder where sent messages can be retrieved in future.  The user may also request a read receipt in which the sender is notified when the recipient has opened and read the message.  It is also possible for individuals to confirm that the message has been sent since a delivery report is issued to the sender in form of a short message which the sender receives to actually clarify that the message has been delivered (Flynn  Flynn, 2003).

Disadvantages of email communication
As a non-verbal mode of communication, emails encourage some senders to convey messages in a more spontaneous nature without taking much time to think about the content and adequate language.
Khosrospour claims that users fingers tend to be faster than their brains as they often type faster than they can think about the content and choice of language used in the message (2004). Spontaneity in communication may result in substandard communication on the side of the sender. Poor message quality has the ability of changing the meaning of the message or completely distorting it. This may prove to be difficult as the effects realized once the receiver gets the message would be irreversible. In some cases, the consequences of miscommunication may sometimes have effects which are legally binding. Additionally, some consequences may be both psychologically and financially costly to the users (Khosrospour, 2004).

In some instances, some people are not zealous users of e-mail service. Users who take a long to read their messages make the information lose its timeliness hence rendering communication inefficient. Speedy reaction to the message conveyed may not be guaranteed sometimes making the use of the service irrelevant. This is because the sender has to wait for a while before getting a reply from the receiver of the message and unless there is an alternative means of contacting the recipient, a timely feedback may not be certain.

Computers are susceptible to virus attacks that either crush the system or slow it down causing delays in sending the messages or at times the loss of stored data. This would be a major setback in the timeliness of the message depending on the importance. In some cases where the data is completely lost, the effect may be irreversible. Other means of sending and receiving messages such as telephone calls may not be subject to such setbacks (Khosrospour, 2004). In addition, technical problems like power shortages and network unreliability may affect the timeliness and relevance of the message.

What are the requirements for an effective communication
To ensure successful communication, professionalism, clarity of the message, accuracy and timeliness must be ensured. The change in technology has seen professionals and computer users constantly need extra skills in using software that are introduced into the market. At any given point, there may be users with limited computer skills which create a major hindrance to adequate communication. Such users may send inaccurate or late information due to the need to use more time to process information. In worse case scenarios, the untrained sender may completely fail to deliver the job. That aside, e-mail service requires professional skills that enhance the quality of communication. Grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors made while drafting messages may result in distortion of meaning which in turn may adversely affect communication (Seeley  Hargreaves, 2003).

Senders are supposed to demonstrate a good ability to apply professional conduct while sending e-mail messages. It is worthwhile to note that the character and personality of the recipients may vary. This necessitates professionalism in message composition in order to avoid claims of misconduct. Besides, this calls for the need to have good social communication skills in conveying the message (Flynn  Flynn, 2003).

According to Nancy and Tom Flynn (2003), accurate writing skills are important to make the reader of the e-mail to be interested in reading the message (Flynn  Flynn, 2003). Sending and receiving messages is not a sure way for communication as communication is achieved when the message is received in the same context it was sent. As described by Seeley and Hargreaves in their book titled Managing in the Email Office, e-mail competence is important in sending and receiving information. In fact they categorically state that lack of competence is claimed to affect the quality, timeliness and relevance of the information (2003).

The mission of the e-mail judges the efficiency in conveyance of the message. Personal messages are better off sent through telephone calls or text messages as opposed to e-mails owing to their formal nature. Thus, e-mails are favorable to tasks or events such as sending memos, online registrations, donations to organizations, alerts calling for a certain action within a company and other collaboration purposes in an organization.

What are the benchmarks for an effective email communication
One cannot send an email without a purpose, according to Guffey  Almonte (2009). After identifying the audience for the e-mail based on the course of action expected, the conveyor of the message evaluates whether the message was effectively received and interpreted. The inclusion of links in the sent e-mails enables the organization trace the number of recipients who click on the diverse pages of the companys website.

The activities generated by the emails sent out to employees can be tracked and results drawn based on the effects of the feelings and views of the recipients. The feelings and views include rates of donations, registrations to events and renewals of members. This enumeration enables individuals to report on the outcome of the e-mails such that appropriate action can be taken.

It is also essential to coordinate between the e-mail records and the events management system considering the primary function of an email is to communicate. The sender identification-id is required to label constituent verification of an appeal sent as a pledge to individuals to participate in the course of action. Preserving all records in one place, like observing bulk e-mails, where all parties involved can see the resulting course will ensure visibility of the bigger picture concerning the issue in subject. This is most likely to influence lasting relationships among the members of the organization.

Conclusion
The advancement in information and communication technology has seen e-mails become a preferred mode of sending and receiving messages particularly those of a formal nature. Adoption of this mode of communication has created the need for most companies and individuals seeking information to conform to this method of sending and receiving information. The technical nature of the means of communication under which large volumes of data can be sent and received remains a favorable reason for individuals as well as businesses to rely on.

The disadvantages that arise from e-mail use are rendered avoidable as only a few precautionary measures can be taken to ensure that unfavorable conduct while using the internet is avoided. To enhance proper communication, it is imperative to train individuals and employees in organizations on effective use of email as a means of communication. This will consequently help to realize individual and organizational goals achieved through proper communication. It is no doubt that presently, email is the preferred means of communication.