Misinterpretation of Intent and Tone in Email Communications
Dr. Darren Denenberg
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Dr. Anthony F. Norcio
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Angkap Ngamkiatsap
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Abstract: Sending messages via email has become an accepted method of communication among all facets of business and society. However, it is also a method that lacks prosodic content and does not allow for the conveyance of such speech characteristics as tone, volume, inflection, and emphasis without additional markup such as ‘smilies’ or boldface. Because of this, individuals and businesses are beginning to exhibit a slow-going yet definite reluctance to using email extensively due to the difficulty in communicating true intent and the unintentional misinterpretation of a written message that can arise. This paper will ask subjects to compose email messages based on a topic provided and in a specific tone, then present those messages to recipients. There will be an examination as to whether subjects are more or less likely to discern the intent of a message base solely on its content.
1. Introduction
It is no secret that email has become a primary communication method for many people in both personal and professional situations. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project (2003), email is the number one activity of those who use the Internet, and between March of 2000 and December of 2002 the number of email users rose 31% from 78 million to 102 million, while the number of people who use email on a daily basis rose 20% from 45 million to 54 million. In a separate report which examined the effect the internet has on women’s social contacts and networks, they found that most internet users felt there were many positive consequences of using email, including improved and more frequent communication with significant friends and family, increased communication with friends and family with whom they previously had little contact, and a higher frequency of communication by email than phone (Pew Internet Life Report, 2000).
These effects are seen in people’s attitudes regarding email at work as well. In an examination of attitudes about the use of email in organizations, it was found that people felt most work email contained primarily relevant business-related content, that it is the most effective way for communicating with customers and co-workers, and even enhances teamwork (2002).