Introduction
Normally, every organization have different channels of communication. As a result, most organizations have installed different extensions that each staff can use to communicate to other colleagues. In addition, some organization have specific emails like outlooks created for communication. However, not all staff are active when it comes to email usage. In fact, there are several drawbacks that are in one way or the other considered to be affecting the use of emails at the workplace. On this note, the report identifies some of these drawbacks as well as ways of improving email use at the education department.
Materials and Methods
In order to present the results, the study was drawn from a population of 1010 participants including males and females. In addition, the data used was from education department on the use of emails. In addition, SPSS version 24 was used for the analysis. Again, charts including pie-charts, bar graphs and histograms were used to visualize the results. Descriptive statistics including frequency distribution and percentages were used to present, summarize and describe the results.
Results
Main drawbacks are identified below
Figure 1: Main drawbacks
Based on the results in figure 1, the management need to enhance human interactions within the departments. In addition, there is need to develop policies addressing and prohibiting staff from sending messages that in one way or the other damages people’s reputations. Moreover, the management need to develop training materials addressing ways of reducing excessive loads. Finally, there is need for the management to develop training materials including fliers that show how to manage time adequately without any wastage.
In addition, the figure 2 below shows the benefits of using emails. From the analysis, majority of the email users; 77% likes the speed and reliability part of using the emails. Hence, the management should continue to ensure that there is high internet connectivity within the workplaces to ensure that email usage is at par and that the staff can access and response within the shortest time possible when it comes to using emails. However, immediate response is not that good thus there is need to encourage people to be checking mails daily and give responses on the same since only 3% confirmed availability of immediate responses.
Figure 2: Benefits of email using
Moreover, only about 67% of the participants send 0-21 emails daily which is still low while only 1% send about 70 emails per day. Based on the analysis, mails being sent in a day is too low and therefore, the management should make it habit to adopt a policy on daily using of mails. This can be achieved by increasing essential communication channels to be done via emails, (see the figure 3 below).
Figure 3: Number of emails being sent per day
The findings on the attitude towards changing the way the participants use their emails are shown in figure 4 below;
Figure 4: Attitudes towards email usage
From the analysis in figure 4, only 36% are ready to change their attitudes towards using emails unlike to 64% who are not prepared to change their attitudes towards email usage. Based on the results, the management should develop training materials that are able to encourage the staff to change and even like the new way of communicating to the management based on the email usage.
Furthermore, the results shown in the bar graph below indicate whether the participants do consider the impacts to the recipients before sending the emails.
Figure 5: Considering impacts before sending emails to the recipients
From the findings in figure 5, majority of the senders; 361 takes into consideration on the issues relating to the email appearances and interpretation of the message being sent while 158 senders are keen on the issues pertaining to the time management before sending the email. According to the findings, about 22 participants see no issue at all while sending mails indicating that the use of emails among the population is still not viewed as an important aspect of communication hence the management needs to develop training materials that in one way or the other will form an important aspect when it comes to attitude change towards email usage and reasons of using email.
Moreover, the findings in the figure 6 below indicate that about 13% of the email users have not been trained for the past 12 months. Hence, as the management team plans for a new training, all the 13% should form part of the staff to be trained in order to enhance their attitude towards email using.
Figure 6: Received trainings for the past 12 months
Figure 7: Specific trainings received
According to the findings in figure 7, majority of the participants who received trainings in the past 12 months indicate that they had received a training related to software and hardware while 7 and 8 participants received trainings on the accredited courses and content management respectively.
In addition, the findings in figure 8 indicate that on average, the physical distance between the participants and the recipient which is the widest is almost 10 which have an approximate number of 258 individuals. On the other hand, the results show that the number of populations using email is too few.
Figure 8: Distance between the respondent and the recipient
Furthermore, the findings established that on average there is 189 individuals who in one way or the other are have indicated that they communicate with a group or individual with 10 in one way or the other. Moreover, at least 8 respondents with 1 have hinted that they do communicate with a group or individual in one way or the other.
Figure 10: Communication with a group or individual
The results in figure 11 indicates the findings on the time pressure that the participants may be under while sending mails. According to the findings, many of the participants; 203 had the highest score of 9.8 followed by only the 3 participants with a score of 1 with the least level of pressure experienced while sending mails.
Figure 11: Time pressure that participants may be under while sending mails
Again, the findings show that on any given workday, about 270 participants believed that at least 10 emails are manageable to send in a day. This was closely followed by 170 participants who also believed that at least 20 emails in a typical day can be sent. On the other hand, about 30 participants believe that even one email is okay for an average day to be sent.
Figure 12: On an average workday, average emails participants believe that are manageable to send
Figure 13: On an average workday, average emails participants believe that are manageable to send
Moreover, the results of figure 13 indicate that about 276 are leading with the number of score when it comes to whether the content of what they wish to communicate is suitable for email or not. Unfortunately, the proportions are equally low when compared to the total number of participants which is 1010. On the other hand, at least 9 participants had a score of 1 when it comes to whether the content of what they wish to communicate is suitable for email.
Figure 14: Whether the content of what participants wish to communicate is suitable for email
Finally, 126 participants seem to be comfortable with a score of 10 when rating the how comfortable the recipient is with the use of email to communicate followed by 27 participants who appeared not to be comfortable with the use of email to communicate, (see figure 15 below).
Figure 15: How comfortable the recipient is with the use of email to communicate
