Abstract:
BACKGROUND : Project success used to be measured solely in terms of efficiency metrics such
as scope, cost and time; however, there are proposals that more attention should be paid
to process-related performance factors such as communication. The advent of email has
significantly impacted the way the world communicates.
OBJECTIVES : This study investigates the preference of email communication relative to other
communication mediums in project environments and the effect of email communication on
feelings of stress and overload in the workplace.
METHOD : A survey with 430 responses was conducted to determine the communication
preferences of project practitioners in a typical project. The average rank and frequency
response methods were used to analyse the data.
RESULTS : The findings indicate that the communication preferences of project practitioners
still support the media richness theory and that face-to-face communication is the preferred
communication medium in most situations. Despite email being disruptive and a cause of
stress, the respondents did not indicate being overloaded because of email.
CONCLUSION : Even though there has been a dramatic shift towards email and electronic
communication in projects, face-to-face communication is still the most preferred
communication type for most situations. Furthermore, email is perceived as an effective tool to
delegate, can be used to build and develop relationships and trust, and is an efficient and
effective tool that contributes to project communication success.
