Texting in the Workplace: Effective or Not - Term Paper Example

Texting in the Workplace: Effective or Not? Outline I. Abstract II. Report Paragraph 1: Mobile Phone and Text Messaging Paragraph 2: Suitable for Task-Based Communication Paragraph 3: On Galushkin’s Study Paragraph 4: The Impact of Mobile Phone in the WorkPlace Paragraph 5: Texting Decreases Productivity Paragraph 6: Text Messaging as a Form of Distraction III. Reflection I. Abstract Mobile phone has been a device that is widely used around the world. Its function like text messaging has turned out to be a popular, most frequently used form of mass communication. This is because it is an easy, fast means of communication even when a person is communicating with the other whom is located at a distant location. Its impact to the society is vast but is still in an on-going debate whether it is advantageous or not. For some, the use of text messaging is useful at work because of the fact that a person can still be reached even when he or she is not around the office, in terms of communication with client, and others. However, text messaging is also seen as a hindrance for a productive work because of the time people spend on it, the distraction it gives, and others. This paper has examined and evaluated a few among the literatures that can help the author assess the impact of text messaging in the workplace to give some indications that can help in the future career. II. Report Mobile phone has been a device that is widely distributed in the world. For some, it has been a necessity just like parts of their everyday lives. However, its impact to the society is still being explored through various researches. Some claim the advantages that mobile phone has contributed to them while the others states its disadvantages to the society. However, one certain impact of mobile phone has been noted. Through mobile phone, text messaging has turned out to be a form of mass communication in the society (Rheingold, 2002). Its impact has continuously progressed to a most often used computer-mediated communication (CMC) (Thurlow, 2003) and has happened to be a popular means of communication worldwide (Battlestini, Setlur and Sohn 2010). On the one hand, this report will assess the impact of text messaging in the workplace in particular. This paper will present an overview of the literatures related to the topic under study. This review aims at providing a cursory outlook on texting in the workplace and may not be a representative of the complete array of information concerning text messaging. Indeed, text messaging is proven to be advantageous in some points but text messaging that is situated in the workplace is still an on-going discussion. According to Langer (2008), researches concerning text messaging in the workplace are only limited. For Daft and Lengel, text messaging is much more suitable for task-based communication (as cited in Hu, Wood, Smith & Westbrook, 2004). On the one hand, on an account on text messaging, Galushkin’s (2003) claims that text messaging has the ability to be a rich medium in distributed organizations. In such a way, text messaging is asserted to be a more important means of communication and also that it has the more advantage of its ability to facilitate a communication which is fast even if the users are distant to each other. However, the disadvantage of text messaging is the less rich quality of communication because it lacks the audio and visual aspect, facial expression, body language, tone of voice as well as the other non-verbal forms of communication. In terms of work related communication, Galushkin (2003) expresses that the advantage of text messaging is when the employee does not feel inferior when addressing his or her superior. Because of this feeling of inferiority, productivity at work is at stake for the uneasiness and apprehension to talk or ask his or her boss. Productivity can be ensured as well given that the time spent on communication is usually shorter than face to face interaction. Text messaging is really much more efficient because of the advantage of having quick responses. In Australia, a research council has conducted a study on the impact of mobile phone on work/ life balance in 2007. In order to assess the impact of mobile phone use in the workplace, the Wajcman, Bittman, Jones, Johnston and Brown have used the 877 employed respondents among the representative sample of 1358. According to the report by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, having no mobile phone at work poses a difficulty in doing job related works among 43 percent of the employed respondents. The lack of phone is difficult in the workplace among mostly managers, professional workers and tradespersons. It is also the case that the advantage of having mobile phone is when you can be texted or called during the holidays and vacation leaves regarding work related concerns because it functions independently of location. Through text messaging, employees can be reached and attend to business concerns. Moreover, the study conducted by Wajcman, Bittman, Jones, Johnston and Brown (2007) states that the use of mobile phone, text messaging and call, also have an impact in their workload and productivity. About half of the employees see the use of mobile phone to increase their workload, about 42 percent considers the impact to be just neutral while the very few 9 percent claims that the impact of mobile phone on them is reducing their workload. In such a manner, it can be said that the use of mobile phone in work place like texting during work hours greatly affects the productivity. This is for the reason that instead of focusing more on work tasks, time that must be spend on work is consumed by the time provided for text messaging and call. The necessity of mobile phone at work is already expressed. However, its functions of text messaging and call, contributes to the disruptive behaviors of the workers. When doing a particular job of the employee inside the office, especially, when the employees is attending meetings, answering phone calls and text messages could not be resisted. According to the 2006 Pew Survey, about one-fourth of the adults who uses mobile phone consider that they have to answer their phones even it means interrupting a meeting. III. Reflection The advantages and the disadvantages of using mobile phones with a particular focus on its text messaging function has been laid down. Indeed, the benefits that text messaging provides the society can never be denied as a form of communication because it is easy and fast even if the person we would want to communicate is at a distant location. However, when in the workplace, it also has its pros and cons depending on what nature of work a person is into. It is also the case that the advantages and disadvantages of text messaging in the office are dependent on the content of the message as well as to whom employee addresses the message. If it is a message that is work related, indeed it is beneficial for the workers can save time because of the use of mobile phone. Text messaging can also lower the hierarchical status at work because the inferior employee does not feel that much inferior when communicating with his or her superior. But for me, what this research means is the significance of the impact of productivity at work due to text messaging. For me to be more productive in my career, I should not let text messaging interfere with my job. If the use of text messaging is no longer work related and it is used for something personal, then I must avoid it. Text messaging should not interfere with my productivity at work because when it’s work, it is work and not any other else. Since I want to be a professional in the near future, I definitely know that texting will also serve as a way of reaching me when I am not around the office. For me, is just a matter of how you use your mobile phone as means of communication Text messaging can be used effectively in the workplace and it can also be used the other way around depending on how you want to see yourself as an efficient professional or not. References: Battestini, A., Setlur, V. & Sohn, T. (2010). “A large scale study of text messaging use.” Mobile HCI’ 10. Portugal: Nokia Research Center. Hu, Y., Wood, J., Smith, V., Westbrook, N. (2004). Friendships through IM: examining the r between instant Messaging and intimacy. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(1), article 6. Galushkin, I. (2003). Text messages: a potentially rich medium in distributed organizations. PRism 1 Instant Messaging and Text Messaging 12 (1). Langer, J. (2008). Instant messaging and text messaging: an overview. Jenna Langer , 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.jennalanger.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/LangerJenna-IM_SMS.pdf Ranie, L. & Keeter (2006). Cell phone use [press release]. Washington, DC: Pew internet and American life project. Retrieved from http://pewinternetorg/Press-Releases/2006/Americans-and -their-cell-phones.aspx Rheingold, H. (2002) Smart mobs: the next revolution. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing. Thurlow, C. (2003). Generation txt? the sociolinguistics of young people’s text-messaging. Discourse Analysis Online, 1(1). Wacjman, J., Bittman, M., Jones, P., Johnstone, L. & Brown, J. (2007). The impact of mobile phone on work/ life balance. Australian Research Council. Retrieved from http://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/staff/wajcman/pubs/Report_on_Mobiles_and_Work_Life_Balance_June_07.pdf Read More