Author: Jonah Rapert Major: Marketing
Jonah Rapert
As part of my responsibility as an Honors student, I am conducting research for my thesis. As a senior in the process of graduating with a Marketing major, an Economics minor, and a Legal Studies minor I was exposed to many potential thesis topics. With the help of my thesis advisor Dr. Rapert, my faculty mentor Dean Waller, and my thesis collaborator Ryan Meador, I have chosen to research how information overload theory relates to the current communication strategy being implemented by the University of Arkansas.
As a student, employee, and community member I have experienced information overload and have seen the negative effects it can have on people. Faculty, administration, RSOs, clubs, and so on are trying to push their information all at once via email. Competition for students and resources is increasing and it is important that universities connect with students in compelling and effective ways. However, this pressure to share everything may be resulting in less information being actually absorbed. Communication theories, such as the availability expectations-pressure model, highlight the importance of finding a balanced approach to communication to avoid overload. This feeling of information overload is often shared among peers and fellow students of mine and I believe it is necessary that we address this issue.
In a time where “big data” rules over almost all aspects of business, it is important to consider how to effectively share this data. Employers, faculty, and students are constantly faced with this challenge. The implications of this research have grown due to the COVID-19 pandemic as we now rely on technology to communicate in every avenue of life. While this Covid-impact wasn’t a factor when we first began our research, it has since solidified my decision to learn about the importance of communication. It is also important to consider the purpose of attending a University. The overarching goal of higher education is to better prepare students for success in their careers after graduation. Like almost every university, the University of Arkansas is divided into different colleges and the ability to communicate is essential in all future career paths. Most colleges have an objective to prepare students to be effective communicators in the future and they must lead by example.
In this process, I have worked closely with my thesis advisor, Dr. Molly Rapert. Her interest in the topic and her willingness to serve as a guide through the process has allowed our research strategy to flourish. With the help of fellow Honors student, Ryan Meador, we created a survey to identify pain points with the current communication process and crafted an email audit to provide insight into how students have utilized their school emails over the past year. We intend to use the data from the survey and audit to better understand the current situation.
Like in everything else, COVID-19 has posed new challenges in conducting this research. Social
distancing and quarantine policies have made us adjust how we would traditionally go about our
research methodology. Ironically this challenged us to improve our own communication skills by
using online networking, communication platforms, and digital resources to conduct our surveys
and audits. This challenge also altered how people were communicating with one another, so the
survey and audit had to be changed to comply with a social norm. Gathering research results is
not easy in a time like this, but it also serves as a reminder of how important it is be aware of
how we communicate with our peers.
Our hope is that our research will alter the way we think about communication. With the help of
faculty from the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the resources we have received from
the Honors College through our research grant, we intend to identify ways to encourage better
communication in the university setting.