Digital Communication in the Absence of Institutional Email: A Case Study of Academic Staff at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study investigates adaptive communication practices developed by academic staff at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, in response to the absence of institutional email infrastructure. We used a mixed-methods case study approach to examine 189 academic staff members through surveys and interviews. Results reveal that 100% of staff use personal email for official communication, with 93.1% utilising WhatsApp as a supplementary platform. Despite significant challenges in information security (87.3%) and professional boundary blurring (76.2%), overall communication satisfaction remained moderately high (3.6/5). Factor analysis revealed three primary dimensions of adaptive strategies: Digital Innovation, Social Networking, and Formal Documentation, explaining 68% of the variance in communication practices. Personal email proficiency emerged as the strongest predictor of communication effectiveness (β = 0.35, p < 0.001). The findings suggest institutions can maintain effective operations through strategic adaptation despite infrastructure limitations.
Source: Path of Science
DOI: 10.22178/pos.111-1
Author: Mmaduabuchi Felix Okoye
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems and Management
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $20
OpenAlex ID: W4405740461