An Analysis of Communication Efficiency Between High-Impact and Bureaucratic Written Communication
- 1 May 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Management Communication Quarterly
- Vol. 2 (4) , 454-484
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318989002004002
Abstract
Efficient written communications have become increasingly important to public and private sector managers faced with reading an ever-increasing number of documents. This study asseses the communication efficiency associated with two writing styles: a high-impact style and the traditional bureaucratic style still favored by many managers. A total of 262 naval officers stationed at the Pentagon and abroad ships in the San Diego area participated in this study. The results show that the high-impact style takes 17%-23% less time to read than the bureaucratic style, produces better message comprehension, and is less likely to need rereading.Keywords
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