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Electronic Mail and Organizational Communication: Does Saying “Hi” Really Matter?

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  • Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson

    (Wayne State University, Department of Political Science, Detroit, Michigan 48202)

  • Martha S. Feldman

    (Institute of Public Policy Studies, University of Michigan, 454 Lorsch Hall, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109)

Abstract

When people use electronic mail, they can communicate even when they are not physically or temporally proximate. Thus, it is not surprising that most studies report that the use of electronic mail increases organizational communication. In the study presented here, overall organizational communication declined as use of electronic mail increased. As we probed the nature of this decline, we discovered that much of the lost communication was greetings. This raises questions about the role that greetings, and other forms of casual conversation, play in an organization. To organize our insights about this topic we formulate a two-by-two communication matrix based on presence versus absence and availability versus unavailability. Prior research focuses on the ways being present and available and being absent but available through electronic mail affect the performance of specific communication tasks. Using our typology, we direct attention to the role of casual conversation in presence availability and to the parts that presence unavailability and absence unavailability can play in organizational communication.

Suggested Citation

  • Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson & Martha S. Feldman, 1998. "Electronic Mail and Organizational Communication: Does Saying “Hi” Really Matter?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(6), pages 685-698, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:9:y:1998:i:6:p:685-698
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.9.6.685
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gerardine DeSanctis & Marshall Scott Poole, 1994. "Capturing the Complexity in Advanced Technology Use: Adaptive Structuration Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(2), pages 121-147, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathon N. Cummings & J. Alberto Espinosa & Cynthia K. Pickering, 2009. "Crossing Spatial and Temporal Boundaries in Globally Distributed Projects: A Relational Model of Coordination Delay," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 420-439, September.
    2. XiaoJuan Zhang & Xiang Jinpeng & Farhan Khan, 2020. "The Influence of Social Media on Employee’s Knowledge Sharing Motivation: A Two-Factor Theory Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(3), pages 21582440209, July.
    3. Alain Pinsonneault & Kenneth L. Kraemer, 2002. "Exploring the Role of Information Technology in Organizational Downsizing: A Tale of Two American Cities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(2), pages 191-208, April.
    4. Majdi Anwar Quttainah & Dina Sabry Said, 2021. "The Directional Nature of Organizational Relationships and Their Effect on Individual Performance and Turnover," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 10(1), pages 5-15, March.
    5. A. Georges L. Romme, 2003. "Making a Difference: Organization as Design," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(5), pages 558-573, October.
    6. Yuan Tsai & Chieh-Peng Lin & Chou-Kang Chiu & Sheng-Wuu Joe, 2010. "Learning cyber trust using a triadic functioning analysis: a qualitative approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1165-1174, October.
    7. Gerardine DeSanctis & Peter Monge, 1999. "Introduction to the Special Issue: Communication Processes for Virtual Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(6), pages 693-703, December.
    8. G Grabher, 2002. "Fragile Sector, Robust Practice: Project Ecologies in New Media," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 34(11), pages 1911-1926, November.
    9. Fabio Blanco-Mesa & Omar Vinchira & Yesica Cuy, 2023. "Forgotten Factors in Knowledge Conversion and Routines: A Fuzzy Analysis of Employee Knowledge Management in Exporting Companies in Boyacá," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-35, January.
    10. Wee-Kek Tan & Chuan-Hoo Tan & Hock-Hai Teo, 2012. "Conveying information effectively in a virtual world: Insights from synthesized task closure and media richness," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(6), pages 1198-1212, June.
    11. Sanjiv D. Vaidya & Priya Seetharaman, 2011. "Explaining Sophistication in Collaborative Technology Use: A Context—Technology Fit Perspective," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 185-213, March.
    12. Tangirala, Subrahmaniam & Alge, Bradley J., 2006. "Reactions to unfair events in computer-mediated groups: A test of uncertainty management theory," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 1-20, May.
    13. Pamela J. Hinds & Mark Mortensen, 2005. "Understanding Conflict in Geographically Distributed Teams: The Moderating Effects of Shared Identity, Shared Context, and Spontaneous Communication," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 290-307, June.
    14. Bartl, Ramon, 2017. "Impact of Netiquette on Email communication," Journal of Applied Leadership and Management, Hochschule Kempten - University of Applied Sciences, Professional School of Business & Technology, vol. 5, pages 35-61.
    15. Ravi Patnayakuni & Cynthia P. Ruppel, 2010. "A socio-technical approach to improving the systems development process," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 219-234, April.

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