The Impact of Electronic Communication on Faculty Staff Members at a University of Technology in South Africa

Abstract

Technological advances have changed the manner in which employees communicate in the workplace.  This study investigated the impact of relying on email as the main medium of communication on faculty staffs’ interpersonal communication, interaction and cohesion. The study applied an interpretive research approach to the case of an university of technology, using purposive sampling to collect quantitative data.  The findings indicated that the majority of staff rely on electronic communication to communicate important information to other staff members. The results further show that overreliance on email communication impacted negatively on relationships amongst faculty staff, and that poor interpersonal communication was a major cause of conflict and misunderstandings. It is recommended that staff should be encouraged to interact with their colleagues face-to-face more often, as staff relations are strengthened by sharing experiences, interacting both formally and informally, engaging in interpersonal dialogue to resolve disagreements, and embracing diversity.