The phenomenological tradition of communication is one where self and others are
experienced through dialogue (Griffin, 2006). Edmund Husserl was the founder of
phenomenology and central to this philosophy was intentionality (Husserl, 1931). The “lived
experience” is an intentional accomplishment (Husserl, 1931). Psychologist Carl Rogers and
philosopher Martin Buber were both phenomenologists and indicated each person comes to new
understandings of self and others through their everyday experiences. Rogers (1961) stated
“Neither the bible nor the prophets—neither Freud nor research—neither the revelations of God
nor man—can take precedence over my own direct experience” (p. 24). It is the perspective
from the person who is experiencing it, which lends itself well to the conversation of the values
and differences of CMC versus FtF interpersonal communication within the context of
tradeshows.
Nardi (2005) wrote a paper comparing two different studies she and others had conducted
previously, comparing CMC and FtF interactions, and she used media richness as one of a few
communication theories to inform her study. Nardi (2005) set out to study the “dimensions of
connection in interpersonal communication” (p. 91). The prior studies she was involved with in
regards to CMC and FtF each looked at communication from a different perspective—one study
covered instant messaging (IM) and the other FtF communication. Interviews and observations
were used as the foundational methods, and some segments from those results were shared
within the paper (2005). There are specific references to both tradeshows and conferences,
which support the need for the study encompassed within this thesis.