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ASSESSMENT OF EMAIL COMMUNICATION
A Thesis
Presented for the
Master of Science Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Wimolrat Ratchukool
May 2001
Acknowledgments
The completion of this thesis was due in large part to the guidance, and encouragement of Dr. Jacquelyn DeJonge, my thesis committee chairperson. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Randal Pierce and Dr. Doo H. Lim for their constructive comments and participation in this process. I truly appreciated my statistical analysis consultant, Mike O’Neil, who has been invaluable throughout this project.
I thank the UTK division of Outreach and Continuing Education which was the focus of my research, the Training and Development Department and the Employment Department of the Human Resource Management Office of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for providing me with input for testing the instrument and collecting data. Additionally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to tutors at the University Writing Center and Todd Tabberer, an ESL graduate, for their services and advices on the language during my pursuit of a graduate degree.
There are a number of others whose assistance I wish to recognize. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Clifton P. Campbell, my first advisor, for his support and advice during my first year before he retired from the University. Additionally, I would like to thank F. Dianne Lux Wigand for allowing me to use the instrument for the study. I also would like to thank my friends in Knoxville especially Frank Laszlo, Kay Hill, and Prathan Panyavachirokul for their support on my thesis. I thank my Thai friends, and my beloved family, and who aided me in my endeavors for their continued encouragement and support throughout my study.
Abstract
Corporate investment in computers, software, and communication technologies is massive. The primary reasons for investing in communication technologies are to increase productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, and greater communication. But communication systems are useless and expensive if no one utilizes them. An assessment of email communication in organizations therefore is considered critical and necessary for organizations to obtain in-depth information, to be able to determine employees’ skills, and to develop a plan to improve these skills.
The purpose of this study is to assess email communication in a public organization to determine the training needs for achieving the full potential of email usage. The study surveyed 65 employees by using an existing instrument in the study of “Information Technology in Organizations: Impact on Structure, People, and Tasks.” The instrument was modified and tested with a pilot group to assess the reliability of the test items.
A population yielded 46 responses. Descriptive statistical methods were used to elicit information about the frequency of the use of email for the characteristics of the daily tasks, the types of these tasks and also the users’ skill levels.
Results showed that employees performed routine, complex, simple, non-routine, coordination, and uncertain tasks more often than ambiguous and broadcasting tasks. Most tasks that the respondents performed more than “often” were also categorized in the uncertain, simple, and routine tasks categories. Tasks such as discussing confidential or sensitive information and resolving conflicts were ranked lowest in both performance frequencies and skill levels. There were positive relationships between tasks and users’ skill levels at using email in most tasks. More than fifty percent of tasks performed by respondents were above the level of “good skills.” Even the lowest skilled respondents performed above the level of “fair skills.”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………….. 1
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………... 3
Purpose of Study…………………………………………………………… 4
Definition of Terms…………..……………………………………………. 4
Research Questions………………………………………………………… 5
Hypotheses…………………………………………………………………. 5
Assumptions………………………………………………………………… 6
Limitation…………………………………………………………………... 6
Organization of the Study…………………………………………………... 6
Chapter 2: Review of Literature ...……………………………………………… 8
Growth of Communication Technology…………………………………… 8
Communication Theory ……………………………………………………11
Use of Communication Technology..………………………………………17
Effects of Communication Technology…………………………………….19
Summary of Review of Related Literature………………………………… 23
Chapter 3: Methodology…………………………………………………………. 24
Subjects ……………………………………………………………………. 24
Instrumentation…………………………………………………………….. 24
Pilot Study…………………………………………………………………. 29
Survey Implementation…………………………………………………….. 30
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………. 31
Chapter 4: Analysis of Data……………………………………………………… 32
Profile of the Population…………………………………………………… 32
Research Questions….…..…………………………………………………. 33
Testing Hypotheses…………………………..…………………………….. 43
Chapter 5: Discussion and Implications..……………………………………….. 52
Research Results…..……………………………………………………….. 52
Discussion………………………………………………………………….. 54
Limitations of the Study……………………………………………………. 56
Recommendations for Further Research.……….………………………….. 57
Summary…………………………………………………………………… 58
References………………………………………………………………………….59
Appendixes………………………………………………………………………... 65
Appendix A: A Letter of Request to Employees……….…...……………... 66
Appendix B: A Permission Letter from the Dean………………………….. 67
Appendix C: Questionnaire. ……………………………………………….. 68
Vita………………………………………………………………………………… 73
List of Tables
Table 1: Correlation Analysis as Measured by Cronbach Coefficient Alpha...30
Table 2: Length of Services of Employees…………………...……...….…... 34
Table 3: Age Group….…..…………………..……………………….……… 34
Table 4: Gender……………………………………………………………… 35
Table 5: Keyboard Skills……………………………………………...……... 35
Table 6: Frequency of Task Characteristics that Employees Perform
by Using Email…………………………………………….…….… 37
Table 7: Frequency of Skill Levels at Using Email in Accomplishing
Daily Task Characteristics…………………………………………..37
Table 8: Frequency of Types of Tasks that Employees Perform by
Using Email………………………………………………………... 39
Table 9: Skill Levels at Using Email in Accomplishing Each Type
of Tasks………………......………………………………………… 44
Table 10: Correlations Between Skills and Eight Task Characteristics………. 49
Table 11: Correlations Between Skills and Forty-One Types of Tasks……… 50
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Over the past 30 years, organizations have experienced rapid growth in both the number and variety of technologies that aid their communication processes. The increase of global telecommunication networks has placed emphasis on the potential of email as an organizational communication medium (Barker & Camarata, 1998). According to industry advisors of market research company BIS Strategic Decisions Inc in Norwell, Massachusetts; the number of electronic mailboxes in the world grew to 67 million by 1998, up from a reported 43.8 million in 1993. From a Gallup poll of U.S. businesses, 90 percent of Fortune 1,000 companies and 50 percent of smaller businesses run email applications on networks. About a third of the nation’s businesses report that email replaces hard copy most of the time (Lyons, 1994 cited in Zienert, 1996).
Organizations use email for effectiveness, efficiency, improving productivity, and enhancing greater communication. Email use can decrease the use of paper, eliminate time delays, and allow the sender to transmit messages to a list of specific individuals. Using email can help overcome physical and situational constraints associated with face-to-face communication, scheduled meetings, and scattered work environments. Email can help prevent task fragmentation. Individuals can send, receive messages, and respond when it is more convenient and they are more prepared. Overall, email saves time and money, enhances communications, and facilitates rapid collaboration.
Email is becoming so pervasive that many major software companies offer popular email software packages. Many applications such as fax routing, database access, scheduling, document sharing, information routing, task automation, and decision support systems are built into the email networks (Wigand, 1995).
However, due to the lack of a common delivery platform and consistent technical standards, some email systems cannot interact with each other. These obstacles make it difficult to assess task performances. In addition to problems in the various systems, there are also problems resulting from user’s skills and lack of training. The assessment of email communication consequently becomes necessary in order to help organizations better understand both the characteristics of email usage and also the users’ performance, which are related to the organization’s productivity, potentiality, efficiency, and effectiveness.
There are many research studies on email communication either by descriptive analysis or theoretical approach. The descriptive studies helped to document the use of email whereas theoretical approach helped to predict the relationship between tasks and technology (Wigand, 1995). In media richness theory, email was considered less rich in cue variety, immediate feedback, and message personalization compared to other media in equivocal situations (Lee, 1994; Trevino, Daft, & Lengel, 1990;). In social presence theory, social use such as sociability, warmth, and sensitivity affected the degree of use (Short, Williams, & Christie, 1976). Other studies on email included the perceived ease of use and its usefulness, accessibility, the relationship between age, training, past experience, education, gender, job type, position, and email use (Wigand, 1995; Zienert, 1996).
From all studies, email use can be categorized into three major purposes: for tasks, for socializing, and for broadcasting (Hiltz & Johnson, 1990; Steinfield, 1986). Wigand (1995) reported that the context of the task is important to the selection of a form of information technology. Some tasks were very routine, technical, formal, and well defined and could be conveyed via a less rich communication channel such as written memos or letters. Other tasks were more ambiguous, more social, and conveyed more emotion. These tasks usually required more personal involvement, in which case a face-to-face meeting or a telephone conversation was preferred more to convey the multiple nuances of the message. Thus, the selection of a communication channel was influenced not only by the characteristics of the task, but also by the interaction of the characteristics with the attributes of the information technology.
Statement of the Problem
Corporate investment in computers, software and communication technologies is massive. The primary reasons for investing in communication technology are to increase productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, and greater communication. Companies want the information to be focused, not random data that will tempt employees to surf the Internet all day instead of working. But communication systems which can be entirely Internet or internal Internet-like in which users can actually utilize part of the Internet behind a password-restricted "fire wall" are useless and expensive if no one utilize the system.
According to the Gartner Group research from Wall Street Journal, McNealy (1999) provided the figure of the average annual cost of doing email in house was about $400 per user.
Another problem is that the organization in which the employees work may not offer much training, if any, in how to use email. An assessment of email communication in organizations therefore is considered critical and necessary for organizations to obtain the in-depth information, to be able to determine employees’ skills, and to develop a plan to improve them. The findings of this assessment will have applications for human resources specialists who are concerned with improving the effectiveness of professional work and productivity. Making the most of email systems can save organizations time, money and communication problems. Importantly, the findings will assist managers and executives to come up with necessary planning and policy.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to assess email communication in a public organization.
Definition of Terms
Email – a computer system used by human beings to exchange messages with one another. An email message is composed by typing on a computer keyboard. After composition, the message is relayed across a network or other computer systems until it reaches the computer system used by the recipient. Once the message is delivered to a recipient’s electronic mailbox, the recipient can read it by displaying it on his/her personal computer/terminal (Moore, 1995)
Using Email - composing, writing, reading, sending, and receiving email
Socioemotional Content - contents focusing on social or non- job related activities such as keeping in touch
Task characteristics – different types of tasks or activities to perform in daily job which are described as routine, non-routine, ambiguous, complex, uncertain, simple, broadcasting, and coordination tasks (Wigand, 1995)
Tasks – a piece of work that must be done, a specific activity to perform in daily job such as gathering information, managing people, coordinating activities, preparing document, etc (Wigand, 1995)
Research Questions
1. What are major task characteristics that employees perform by using email?
2. What skill levels do most employees have in accomplishing daily task characteristics by email?
3. What are major types of tasks that employees perform by using email?
4. What skill levels do most employees have in accomplishing types of tasks by email?
5. Are there any specific relationships between task characteristics, types of tasks, and the employees’ skill levels at using email?
Hypotheses
1. There is no significant relationship between daily task characteristics and the
employees’ skill levels.
2. There is no significant relationship between the frequency use of email for
types of tasks and the employees’ skill levels.
Assumptions
1. The employees were motivated to participate in the survey.
2. Survey respondents provided honest, accurate, and complete information.
3. The survey instrument adequately measured possible email usage at the University Outreach and Continuing Education Division.
4. The survey questions were comprehensible to the respondents.
Limitation
1. The findings from the study were specific to the population surveyed and were not generalizable beyond the University Outreach and Continuing Education Division.
2. The survey was limited to perceptual measures since the data was collected via a written questionnaire. The survey did not include observation or interview methods in collecting data.
3. The email usage listed in the survey might not contain exhaustive lists of all possible email usage at the University Outreach and Continuing Education Division.
Organization of the Study
This thesis is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 consists of the introduction, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, definitions, research questions, hypotheses, assumptions, and limitation of the study. Chapter 2 provides a review of literature related to this study. Chapter 3 describes the methodology used in the study, the testing of the instrument, and the implementation of data collections procedures. Chapter 4 presents the data, and contains a discussion on the findings. Chapter 5 includes a summary of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations from this study.
Chapter 2
Review of Literature
This chapter presents a review of the literature and research in support of this study. The research is grouped into four categories: (a) growth of communication technology, (b) communication theory, (c) use of communication technology, and (d) effects of communication technology. The growth of communication technology provides information on the emergence of this kind of technology, its vital role and its increasing use in the society. In the communication theory section, two major theories, media richness theory and social presence theory, are discussed. These two theories try to explain why and in what situation email is use. Additionally, there are also other reasons why people choose particular communication media. In the use of communication section, other choices of email based on perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, information quality and feedback, accessibility, and ability to overcome distance and time barriers are reviewed. Lastly, studies about effects of email are presented. The effects include the alteration of work dynamic, the change of tasks, and productivity.