Whereas the old way of thinking was that in-person communication is always better, newer research has now demonstrated that isn’t always the case. There are often trade-offs to communicating in person, and in many situations, video calls, phone calls, email, and even text messages have been shown to be the superior mode of communication.

Companies are often faced with a predicament about whether to play it safe and maximize their resources (known as exploitation) or look to new products, areas, or partnerships for growth (known as exploration).