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Emojis- Exploring their Suitability in an Evolving Work Environment.

Although there is a non-negotiable standard of professionalism required in written

communication with clients and managers, the nature of the modern workplace is
conducive to the use of emojis in electronically written communication. As
businesses contend with the use of computer based communication and the
entrance of technologically savvy millennials into the workforce, innovative
communication methods, the most recognisable of which are emojis, are considered
the future of electronic written communication. However, messages containing emojis
are widely considered unprofessional and improper when dealing with task oriented
business activities. Using emojis frequently can have a detrimental effect for the user
and their firm. This paper however, aims to demonstrate that emojis can be used to
more effectively convey the tone of the sender, resulting in a more genuine
experience for both parties. Emoji use is also considered to relieve social tension,
assisting users to form good working relationships with team members. What can be
concluded then is established norms and conventions of formal business
communication must not change, but employees should be given leeway in how they
communicate in a constantly evolving workplace.

Emoji use is widely considered unprofessional because of the perception that a

receiver may form of the sender beyond the content of an electronic message.
Compared with well-crafted, formal electronic messages, the perceived colloquial
nature and possible irreverence of messages containing emojis may cause a
receiver to develop negative perceptions towards the sender (Brown, Fuller,
Thatcher. 2016 pp. 617). This is a result of individuals associating messages
containing redundant social or emotional content during a task communication
inappropriate and unneeded (Walther, Addario. 2011 pp.325). It has been found by a
study conducted on managerial responses to written digital communication by the
National Taiwan University that frequent emoji use by workers in causes managers to
associate them with lower task competence (Luor et al., 2010 p. 892-893).
Furthermore, for the millennial generation, emoji use in a business context justifies
the perception that workers in this age group have an inferior communicative ability
and cannot articulate their thoughts clearly and effectively, hindering their chances of
promotion and career development (Brown, Fuller, Thatcher. 2016 pp. 623). Hence,

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for an individual in the workplace, it is not advisable to ignore the established

conventions of written digital communication.

An individual deviating from formal conventions of electronic communication may

cause a loss of reputation for their company. This is because a professional
relationship is built on trust and an expectation that the rigid conventions of
communication are followed. A significant shift away from these may create an
impression of firm sloppiness and below par work quality (Brown, Fuller, Thatcher.
2016 pp. 615). Excessive emoji use may cause an erosion of the client- firm
relationship, or the business- stakeholder relationship as it may cause the receiver to
view sent content as ambiguous as individuals decode messages in a unique
manner (Krohn. 2010 pp. 325). For example, a client or stakeholder might regard a
smiley emoji in an email regarding business matters as a sign of light-heartedness,
whereas another might consider it unsuitable for their business situation or for the
forum and context of the communication. Thus, excessive emoji use may cause
clients or stakeholders develop negative impressions of the firm, potentially
contributing to the damaged reputation of a company (Luor et al., pp.894). Once
again, it is evident that using emojis and bypassing existing conventions for
communication is detrimental, not only to the individual, but at a firm wide level.

Although professional expectations regarding electronic communication exist, emoji

use has become more prevalent in written communication. Therefore, it is suggested
that organisations no longer demand adherence to what some may consider archaic
and unrealistic standards of the past, but move towards a more flexible approach
(Krohn. 2010, pp. 326). Computer mediated communication such as email eliminates
visual cues found in face to face interaction. Consequently, users report a difficulty
communicating their true feelings; they seem to be trapped within the confines of
formality (Walther, Addario. 2011, pp. 331). Further, communication that occurs
electronically fails to exhibit the traditional physiognomies associated with human
interaction including expressions and hand gestures, varied positioning of the body,
personal distance and eye contact. Thus, incorporation of emojis occurs to provide
visible stimuli to convey more specifically the meaning and tone of textual electronic
messages, to remove tonal ambiguity and avoid receiver confusion (Walther,
Addario. 2011, pp. 333). Therefore, emojis become the only way for a user to
express themselves in an environment that has been described as numbing, sterile

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and not conducive to creativity (Luor et al., pp. 892). Accordingly, sporadic emoji use
can be seen to more clearly convey the desired tone of a message and achieve a
connection between the sender and the receiver that plain text alone cannot.

Emoji use may be particularly effective in a group task or when working in a team as
it enables members to be at ease in an unfamiliar environment. it has been found
that the performance of employees typically improves when they can exchange
enough emotionally and socially oriented information early on, to facilitate task
oriented interactions later (Brown, Fuller, Thatcher. 2016 pp. 636). This is because
enforcing a strictly formal communication style within and between teams and their
members does little to ease the burden of unfamiliarity, effectively creating an
emotional barrier, where no member feels comfortable enough to share their opinions
and contribute to work- related discourse (Walther, Addario. 2011, pp. 327). Once
emotional tension has been broken, it is easy for members of a team to share and
deliberate over various ideas. This feeling of restraint can only be alleviated through
emotional discharge, which emojis happen to provide. For this reason, emoji use
should be encouraged in a team environment.

In conclusion, there most definitely is a time and place for emoji use in written
business communication. This is because emojis can provide a means of emotional
release that is not usually associated with computer mediated communication.
Emojis also provide a way for senders and receivers to genuinely interact in a dreary
virtual environment. However, this is not to say that established communication
standards and etiquette can be disregarded as they still form a strong part of
professional culture. Failure on the part of a sender to take all these elements into
consideration could detrimentally impact them personally and their company more
broadly.

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References

- Brown S.A.; Fuller R.; Thatcher S.M.B. 2016, Impression Formation and
Durability in Mediated Communication. Journal of the Association of
Information Systems, v17 n9: pp. 614-647. [Accessed 21 March 2017] from
ProQuest Central, ISSN; 1536-9323.

- Krohn, Franklin. 2010, A Generational Approach to Using Emoticons as

Nonverbal Communication. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication,
v34 n4: pp. 321-328. [Accessed 17 March 2017] from ProQuest Central,
ISSN; 0047-2816.

- Luor T.; Wu L.-L.; Lu H.-P.; Tao Y.-H. 2010, The effect of emoticons in simplex
and complex task-oriented communication: An empirical study of instant
messaging. Computers in Human Behavior, v26 n5 pp. 889-895. [Accessed
18 March 2017] from ProQuest Central, ISSN; 0747-5632.

- Walther, J.B.; Addario, K.P.D. 2011, The Impacts of Emoticons on Message

Interpretation in Computer-Mediated Communication. SOCIAL SCIENCE
COMPUTER REVIEW, v19, Part 3: pp. 324-347. [Accessed 20 March 2017]
from ProQuest Central, ISSN; 0894-4393.

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