Jargon in the Workplace Reduces Processing Fluency, Self-Efficacy, and Information Seeking and Sharing

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the use of jargon in workplace communication affects employees’ processing fluency, self-efficacy, and their intentions to seek and share information. This study employed an experimental design involving 1,826 participants randomly assigned to either a jargon or no-jargon condition. Participants were asked to imagine starting a new job and received an email containing either jargon-laden or jargon-free language. The results suggest that the use of jargon not only impairs processing fluency but also undermines employees’ confidence in their self-efficacy to complete work tasks, which ultimately reduces effective communication through information seeking and sharing intentions. This underscores the need for organizations to be mindful of language complexity to promote better information flow and team dynamics.