Relying on emails to conduct business communications may be a fast way of operating but it’s not an effective one, claims a new study from the University of Illinois.

According to a study by Gregory Northcraft, a professor of executive leadership who specialises in workplace collaboration, speaking face-to-face is a vital part of building an effective relationship. Time magazine reports that Northcraft’s report indicates that reliance on “lean communication” such as email, where only one form of information is sent between correspondents, strips away the personal interaction that builds trust.

In a business setting, trust is a vital component of an effective team effort, particularly where colleagues are working independently towards a shared goal.

The researchers, Northcraft and Kevin Rockmann of George Mason University, studied the productivity and interaction of 200 students divided into different teams and given set tasks. The study revealed that those using email were the least able to get together and complete their task, whilst those who had spoken face-to-face via video conferencing were more productive and more likely to meet their responsibilities.

Northcraft thinks this is because e-mail doesn’t let participants see how engaged their colleagues are, encouraging mutual negligence. “If I don’t think you are taking a task seriously, then I won’t either. And email doesn’t allow us to verify that you are taking it seriously”, he says.

Seeing the other participant generally led to more honesty, say the researchers. “We found that in both video conferencing and in face to face interactions, people were not willing to lie”, said Professor Rockmann.

Tags: Video conferencing