A qualitative study and model of the use of e-mail in organisations

A huge upsurge in the growth of e‐mail is expected but there has been relatively little published advice on how to take a corporate view of electronic mail, despite demonstration of its operational benefits and of the consequences of its misuse in economic, human and lately in legal terms. This article contributes to formation of such advice. Employing a mix of questionnaire and interview methods, a set of disparate organisations was studied – a global financial services company, an upmarket hotel group, a well‐established mobile‐telecommunications company, and three universities. The results were used to devise a multi‐dimensional “positioning” model, for practical use by managers to understand their organisations’ present use of e‐mail on four dimensions: information management, people influences, corporate culture, and knowledge management. Shows how an organisation can find/change its present position on the model.

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