Managerial information processing and media selection behavior

Typescript (photocopy).This research addresses one phase of managerial communication--the role which communication media play in conveying information among managers. Managers spend eighty percent of their time communicating, often working under intense time pressures. As a result, many errors or problems within an organization are caused by poor or inaccurate communication. The purpose of this study has been to explore techniques which managers can use to communicate effectively. A pilot study revealed that an important key to effective communication involves the selection of communication media (phone calls, face-to-face discussions, memos, notes, formal reports, computer printouts, and so on). Managers who communicate well do so because they select the right medium: some topics are handled best by a simple note; others require face-to-face discussion. When a topic is communicated through an ineffective medium, confusion and misunderstanding result. The primary research was conducted in a field setting with practicing managers employed by a major petrochemical company in Houston, Texas. A combination of questionnaires and interviews was used to gather data about media preferences for a series of managerial communication incidents from the perspective of both senders (initiators) and receivers. The basic idea behind this research was that something more fundamental than personality is involved in explaining communication media selection behavior. It was hypothesized that effective media selection behavior could be explained by a need to match the richness of a medium to the richness of information being conveyed in a given situation. The study produced definitions and initial measures of the relative richness of media and of information being conveyed. In general, the richness match concept was supported. A deeper, more subtle understanding emerged concerning the content and purpose of managerial communications and concerning the managers' sensitivity to the effect of media selection on their communications. Suggestions have been made for future research that could solidify the findings of this exploratory study and eventually lead to its application