Question

Managers can communicate through a variety of media. Explain why choosing the appropriate medium is important to a manager. Identify at least four forms of media and give pros and cons for each.

Answer 1

Managers can communicate through a variety of media. Explain why choosing the appropriate medium is important to a manager. Identify at least four forms of media and give pros and cons for each.

Managers can communicate through a variety of media. Potential media include face-to-face conversations and meetings, telephone calls, charts and graphs, and the many digital forms (e.g., email, texting, voice mail, videoconferencing, Twitter, Facebook, Blackboard, etc.). Choosing the appropriate media depends on many factors, including the nature of the message, its intended purpose, the type of audience, proximity to the audience, time horizon for disseminating the message, and personal preference. All media have advantages and disadvantages. Face-to-face conversations, for example, are useful for communicating about sensitive or important issues that require feedback and intensive interaction. In contrast, telephones are convenient, fast, and private, but lack nonverbal information. Although writing memos or letters is time consuming, it is a good medium when it is difficult to meet with the other person, when formality and a written record are important, and when face-to-face interaction is not necessary to enhance understanding.