Preventing E Mail Conflict

Jason WrayBachelor of Individualized Studies

Business Communication

What is e-mail conflict and how does preventing e-mail conflict relate to business communication?

Importance of effective communication in the workplace

E-mail vs. other traditional forms of communication

The Problem The Research Question The Research Study The Findings Limitations Recommendations Further Research Challenges and Lessons Learned Conclusion

Effective communication is important in nearly every business and organization

Popular forms of communication in the workplace include:

◦ Face-to-Face◦ Telephone ◦ Formal Letters and Memos◦ Fax◦ Electronic Mail (E-mail)

1. Communication skills2. Honesty/integrity3. Interpersonal skills (relate well to others)4. Strong work ethic5. Teamwork skills (work well with others)6. Analytical skills7. Motivation/initiative8. Flexibility/adaptability 9. Computer skills10. Detail orientedSource: Job Outlook 2005 (Bethlehem, PA: National Association of Colleges and Employers), accessed

from www.jobweb.com/joboutlook/2005outlook/3a.htm with permission of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Effective communication can add value to a business or an organization by:

◦ Increasing productivity and efficiency◦ Creating and maintaining personal, social, and

business relationships◦ Motivating and encouraging employees◦ Preventing and resolving interpersonal conflict

◦ An average business executive spends approximately 75 to 80 percent of their time communicating

◦ Workers send and receive an average of 178 messages each day

◦ 71 percent of managers use e-mail as their

primary form of communication

◦ Employees spend an average of 2.5 hours per day sending and receiving e-mails

◦ E-mail lacks certain properties that other traditional forms of communication posses which are critical to resolving conflict

E-mails today are not typically written like the formal letters of yesterday

◦ Written quickly◦ Written carelessly◦ Written in the heat of the moment◦ Sent immediately without taking time to review

and revise the message

This may contribute to: ◦ Message misinterpretations◦ Message misunderstandings◦ Unintended recipients ◦ Inadvertent insults or offenses ◦ Conflict in the workplace

According to Ting-Toomey and Chung, “Many people complain that they spend much time putting out the flame of a potential conflict because a sentence was misrepresented.”

How can we inform those who communicate by e-mail that there

may be ways in which e-mail is written that can trigger conflict?

Collected two separate sets of e-mails◦ One set of five e-mails resulting in conflict◦ One set of five e-mails not resulting in conflict

Evaluating the e-mails◦ looking for common factors such as words,

phrases, tones, and trends which may contribute to the outcome of the e-mail exchange

Charting the e-mails◦ Recorded common factors into charts

Charting and Comparing the Totals

◦ Added up the totals from each chart◦ Created an additional chart to compare the

totals◦ Common patterns were revealed

Tone of the e-mail has a major impact on the outcome of the communication exchange

◦ Use of friendly or informal tone never resulted in conflict

◦ Use of business or formal tone were less likely to result in conflict

◦ Use of sarcastic tone always resulted in conflict◦ Use of angry, negative, defensive, or accusatory

tone were more likely to result in conflict

Who all is included in the e-mail also has an impact on the outcome of the communication exchange

◦ Conflict is less likely to occur if at least one coworker or faculty member is CC’d in the e-mail

◦ Conflict is less likely to occur if a supervisor or administrator is CC’d in the e-mail

Unable to examine factors related to the individuals themselves

Unable to verify the writers intent and meaning behind the message

Unable to determine receivers actual interpretations of the e-mails

Unable to determine if there were any pre-existing conflicts

Context in which the e-mail was written is also unknown

Increased education and awareness about proper e-mail etiquette

Training programs and workshops to encourage positive communication exchanges

General e-mail protocol or universal procedures for employees

A best practices program Include coworkers, administrators, and

supervisors in the e-mail exchange

Does the number, or “rank,” of the CC’s make a difference?

Are there elements in an e-mail that can ensure that no conflict will occur?

What elements of writing and receiving e-mails should be included in a training module?

Are there specific situations when e-mail should not be used at all?

Getting access to workplace e-mails resulting in conflict

Evaluating the e-mails without knowing the situation or history

Strategizing and developing a way to conduct a controlled comparison between the non-conflict and conflict e-mails

Be open-minded and patient!

Importance of Effective Communication in the Workplace

E-mail vs. Other Traditional Forms of Communication

The Problem and the Research Study The Findings Limitations Recommendations Suggestions for Further Research Remember “Petey the Python”

Adler, Ronald B., Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst. Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for Business and the Professions. New York, New York: McGraw Hill Press, 2008.

Friedman, Raymond A., Steven C. Currall. “Conflict escalation: dispute exacerbating elements of e-mail communication.” Human Relations. Nove 2003 v56 i11 p1325(23)., InfoTrac. George Mason University Libraries. 28 September 2007.

Ting-Toomey, Stella, Leeva C. Chung. Understanding Intercultural Communication. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.