CHOOSING YOUR

By Dayo Adewoye

Communication is the sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding.

It requires the employment of an appropriate medium or channel for each message.

Diverse media

?

Information richness - this is the amount of information that a medium can carry and the extent to which it enables both parties to reach a common understanding.

Timeliness

Need for paper or electronic trail or history

Media Features Media Features

• Highest information richness.• Can take advantage of verbal and

nonverbal signals.• Provides for instant feedback.

• Management by wandering around takes advantage of this with informal talks to workers.

• Examples:MeetingsInformal chatsVideo Conferencing:

Face-to-Face Communication

• Next highest richness.• No visual nonverbal cues

• Has tone of voice, sender’s emphasis and quick feedback.

• Examples:

Phone communication

Verbal Communication electronically transmitted

• Lower richness than the verbal forms, but still is directed at a given person.

• Personal addressing helps ensure receiver reads it.• Cannot provide instant feedback to sender but can get

feedback later.• Excellent for complex messages needing follow-up.

• Examples:LettersE-mail

Personally Addressed Written Communication

• Lowest richness.• Good for messages to many receivers.

Little feedback is expected.

• Examples:NewslettersReports

Impersonal Written Communication

Scale of RichnessScale of Richness

Face-to-facecommunication

Face-to-facecommunication

Verbal communicationelectronicallytransmitted

Verbal communicationelectronicallytransmitted

Personal written communication

Personal written communication

Impersonal written communication

High Richness

Low Richness