Abstract:
Instant messaging platforms have become one of the most popular channels of
communication globally. Communication of social and task messages on these
platforms has attracted the interest of scholars but recent literature provides
conflicting and inconclusive results about the interaction of those messages on online
groups. This study aims at understanding the communication of task and social
messages in farmers’ WhatsApp groups in Kenya, with a view to providing
recommendations for policy and practice on messaging practices that can enhance
effective communication in task-oriented instant messaging groups. It specifically
aims at finding answers to three research questions: How do members of farmers’
WhatsApp groups in Kenya communicate social and task messages in their forums?
What are the farmers’ responses to the communication of social and task-oriented
messages on their WhatsApp groups? What are the farmers’ perceptions of
communication of social and task-oriented messages posted on their WhatsApp
groups? Informed by an interpretivist philosophical worldview, the study employed a
qualitative approach to seek answers to the research questions. A netnographic
research method was adopted and purposive sampling procedure used to pick study
participants. Participant observation of five farmers’ WhatsApp groups was the main
data generation technique of the study. Semi-structured interviews were also
conducted with twenty-five individual group members. Thematic analysis was used to
make sense of the data. The results of the study show that communication of task and
social messages takes place under a set of communication rules, stipulating that group
conversation should be centred on task-oriented messages only. However, in spite of
the clearly stated rules and regulations in favour of task-oriented messages, group
members still posted social messages arguing that the social messages gave them a
sense of belonging, unity of purpose and companionship, thereby motivating them to
remain engaged in their tasks. Another finding shows that group members stated that
some social messages played a key role in motivating them to remain engaged in their
communication on task accomplishment. The conclusion is that there is an
inextricable connection between task and social messages. While it is important for
communicators in work environment to focus on task-oriented communication, it is
equally important to give space for social communication as the bonhomie created by
such communication acts as a cog in the wheel towards accomplishment of task. The
study contributes to literature on social media communication in organisational
settings, specifically with regard to WhatsApp group platforms, which have become
ubiquitous in both formal and informal settings. It also contributes methodologically
to the advancement of netnography in the study of communication on WhatsApp
groups. There is need for communication managers of WhatsApp groups to abandon
the single-minded, task-oriented rule they root for, since there are other competing
relational needs to be met through the communication of social messages.