Real Communication An Introduction

322 Part 3  Group and Organizational Communication

making personal phone calls on the job. So consider how much more distracting

it can be to have the ability to bank online, text your romantic partner, and read

your brother’s blog during the day. Sixty-nine percent of workers admit that they

access the Internet at work for non-work-related purposes, and many of them are

quite busy on social networking sites like Facebook (Schweitzer, 2007). Richard

Cullen of the Internet filtering company SurfControl, for example, states that

Facebook alone may be costing Australian businesses $5 billion a year due to

decreased worker productivity (West, 2007). What’s more is that organizations

aren’t just concerned about when you’re updating your status, but also about what

you’re posting—particularly whether or not you’re posting comments about the

organization or individuals associated with it. Consider, for example, the 2011 case

of Natalie Munroe, a high school English teacher who was suspended and faced

termination over unflattering comments she made about her students on her per-

sonal blog. The blog was relatively anonymous—Munroe never used her full name

or identified individual students—and was only followed by nine friends and fam-

ily members. In addition, the vast majority of posts had nothing to do with the

school, the students, or the teaching profession (Werner, 2011). But as with many

other high-profile social networking suspensions and terminations, organizations

have a keen interest in the way employees represent them in the virtual world.

IF YOU HAVE something
sensitive to discuss with a
colleague, it’s better to do so
in a face-to-face conversa-
tion rather than with a text
message. (left) Image Source/Punch-
stock/Getty Images; (right) GoGo Images/
Punchstock/Getty Images

Task By E-Mail By Phone In Person

Edit or review documents 67% 4% 26%

Arrange meetings or

appointments

63% 23% 12%

Ask questions about work

issues

36% 17% 44%

Bring up a problem with

one’s supervisor

6% 6% 85%

Deal with sensitive issues 4% 9% 85%

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Email at Work Survey,

April–May 2002; N = 1003; margin of error = ± 3%.

TABLE 11.2

EMPLOYEE SURVEY
OF APPROPRIATE
COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS FOR
ORGANIZATIONAL
TASKS