Text Messaging in the Workplace-ABC

Integrating Text Messaging

Instruction Into Your Business

Communication Course

Andrew Quagliata, Ph.D.

School of Hotel Administration

Cornell University

March 2014

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Association for Business Communication

Technology Trends in Teaching & Communication Conference

Text messaging in the workplace

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Ontario California Police Department

Arch Wireless (cell service provider)

Sergeant Jeff Quon

Quon v. Arch Wireless, U.S. Court of Appeals

City of Ontario v. Quon, U.S. Supreme Court

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How are businesses using SMS?

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Inform • Communicate important information to

someone in a meeting

• Let clients know when a job is complete or if

further information is needed

Interest • Advertising: promotional offers

• Marketing: interact with customers (games

and polls)

Text messaging can be an efficient way to inform,

interest, collaborate, plan, prioritize, decide, clarify,

ask, question, locate, and share.

How are businesses using SMS?

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Alerts passengers of flight delays,

cancellations, and gate changes.

Sends deals on show tickets and

meals in hotel restaurants.

Promotes tourism in Pennsylvania

– 15,000 people signed up to get a

text message about Punxsutawney

Phil on February 2.

How are young people using SMS?

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97% of young adults use their cell

phone for text messaging.

American teenagers send and receive an

average of 50-100 text messages per day.

Half of college students spend over

1 hour every day text messaging.

We need to help our students make the

transition from

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Texting with friends Texting at workto

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What are the principles for appropriate

text messaging at work?

How we can help our students think

critically about the text messages they

send and receive?

What are the managerial implications

for texting in the workplace?

Couch discussion using communication model

10Source: Newman, A. (2013). Business communication: In person, in print, online. Cengage Learning.

Engage students in a discussion about

channel choice

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Face-to-Face

Skype

Telephone

Memo/Letter/Email

Text Message

Bulk Mail/Posters

Richer

Mediums

Leaner

Mediums

Emphasize principles that transcend

specific technologies

Write concisely

Give consideration to the tone of your writing

Assume that nothing is anonymous

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling matter

Pay attention to the people you are with

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Touch on text-specific communication principles

Do not text while you are driving

Be conscientious of others’ schedules

Turn off autocorrect

Set your device to vibrate

Consider your follow-up approach

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What are the principles for appropriate

text messaging at work?

How we can help our students think

critically about the text messages they

send and receive?

What are the managerial implications

for texting in the workplace?

Company text messaging polices tend

to fall into one of three categories

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Privacy Legal Security

Texting Policy

Outright ban Anything goesMiddle of the road

Our students need to understand how to design practices that

safeguard assets and manage resources.

Privacy: Design policies that balance

management and employee needs

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Considerations Company size, culture, industry

Author Management (not IT)

Update At least annually

Content “no reasonable expectation of privacy”

Training Needed for managers and staff

Legal: Understand constitutional,

statutory, and common laws

Stored Communications Act

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Investment Advisors Act

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

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Security: Consider business risks and

ways to safeguard your organization

Business Risks

Lost mobile devices

Stolen mobile device

Download virus or

malware

Shared mobile device

Unsecured Wi-Fi

networks

Safeguards

Enforce strong passwords

Use encryption

Set up automatic log off

Lock the device

Refrain from sharing

Use secure Wi-Fi connection

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Managerial Best Practices

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Write a policy specific to your organization

Inform employees how & what info is stored

Monitor transactional information regularly

Enforce the policy consistently

Update the policy as technology evolves

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What are the principles for appropriate

text messaging at work?

How we can help our students think

critically about the text messages they

send and receive?

What are the managerial implications

for texting in the workplace?

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Employee

Perspective

Managerial

Perspective

Interview Assignment Case Study

Game Show Activity

Modeling Appropriate Behavior

Andrew Quagliata, Ph.D.

School of Hotel Administration

Cornell University

www.linkedin.com/in/quagliata

@aquagliata

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Association for Business Communication

Technology Trends in Teaching & Communication Conference