Modern Business and the Online World

As a result of recent business experience, I have started to ponder whether people think email is a formal method of communication or not. All modern businesses rely on email as the basis for communicating with other companies, organisations and individuals. Traditional mail has significantly decreased in its usage, and in fact has been tagged as "snail mail" which conveys a sense that it is not capable of responding to the needs of the modern business or person.

If, however, it is so critical to modern business, then perhaps we need to be clear about what is "appropriate" behaviour in the use of email. For example, should emails be subject to a moral obligation of response (excluding spam of course)? I have encountered a number of individuals with whom I have worked over the last three years for whom ignoring an email is the standard response, particularly if replying will require some level of thinking or some action on their part. Maybe this is appropriate behaviour. If the same individual received a hard copy "snail mail" letter, would they feel more obligated to respond? Or perhaps it is just a sign of our times that ignorant behaviour is normal.

About slade

Slade is an Enterprise Architect, Business Analyst and Project Manager with extensive experience in the Defence, National Security, Emergency Services and secure systems environment. Slade has been in the IT industry since 1988, and is experienced in systems engineering, systems architecture, systems integration, security assessment and development of sustainment frameworks for new systems. He is also a thought leader in human factors for the design of critical decision support systems and environments and the development of enterprise and solution level architecture for high information workload environments. Slade is the Director of EcoThought Pty Ltd