Final answer:
When choosing a communication medium, managers must consider information richness, the intended audience, and the purpose of the message. They must also evaluate the medium's compatibility with the message content and context, ensuring it aligns with cultural, accessibility, and language requirements.
Step-by-step explanation:
In choosing a communication medium for any message, managers need to consider three factors: information richness and various characteristics of the medium that will best serve the purpose of the message. Information richness refers to the amount of information that can be transmitted via a particular channel, including the ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously, facilitate rapid feedback, and establish a personal focus. However, another key factor to consider is the medium's capacity to reach the intended audience effectively, and the purpose of the communication which might be to inform, persuade, or entertain.
The final factor that managers should consider when choosing a communication medium, alongside information richness and the purpose and audience of the message, is the medium's suitability for the content and context of the message. This includes considerations such as the cultural appropriateness, technological accessibility, and language diversity when choosing between mediums like print or radio, as pointed out by media scholar Marshall McLuhan's concept that "the medium is the message." The modes of communication used and how they combine - textual, audio, visual, etc., their organization and layout, and the level of cosmopolitanism they convey are also critical in the decision-making process.
For instance, a community radio may be chosen over print media because it allows for real-time discussion in multiple languages, which can be essential in reaching a diverse, multilingual audience. It's important to not experience information overload in the process of selecting the medium but rather focus on the most effective channels that align with the message's goals.