Is It Really Just Like a Fancy Answering Machine? Comparing Semantic Networks of Different Types of Voice Mail Users
Ronald E. Rice, James A. Danowski · Journal of Business Communication · 1993
We propose a conceptual as well as practical distinction, possible in voice mail systems, betweenthe traditional telephone genre of voice answering and a new genre of telephone communicationof voice messaging. This distinction should be reflected in comments provided by respondentswho report that they use voice mail more for messaging than for answering, and by those whosend more voice messages than do others. Semantic network analysis identified differentclusters of concepts found in responses to open-ended questions on a survey completed by thesekinds of users. For example, all users had common word clusters concerning the ability toovercome temporal constraints and leave messages through voice mail. However, responses of"senders" and "messagers" included word clusters such as "group distribution" and greaterconcern with issues such as critical mass and problems of traditional telephone usage (suchas busy signals), while responses of low senders and answerers included clusters indicatingconcern about the impersonal nature of voice mail. We discuss implications both for thismethod of analysis as well as for implementation and management of voice mail systems.