Impact of Technology on Business Communication - Coursework Example

Title: Impact of technology on business communication Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name and Code: University: Date of Submission: Impact of technology on business communication Increased globalization and technology advancement has led to the development of highly innovative information technology trends which have played an imperative role in enhancing business communication. Information technology has improved the efficiency of communication in contemporary businesses and it can be established that traditional communication strategies such as face to face communication are not particularly necessary for communication within the business occur. Effective communication requires that there is a direct link between the conveyer and the recipient of the information in order for it to be effective (Dwyer 2009, p. 109; Fontenot, 1994, p. 68). Increased commitment among individuals has however led to the development of gadgets that enhance communication even in the absence of contact between the communicating parties. Technology has led to the development of communication gadgets such as telephone, fax and mobile phones which can be used to pass information from one person to the other (Satterwhite 2007, p 6). This has not only increased convenience but it also saves costs associated with business travelling for business communication (Hengst & Sol 2001, p. 129). In order for communication to be effective, the need for immediate delivery of the message is important because it ensures that a response can be obtained immediately (Satterwhite 2007, p 104 – 105; Fontenot, 1994, p. 69). This is an advantage associated with face to face communication. Currently however, business schedules limit time availability and technology has therefore helped in enhancing instant delivery and response to communicated messages through mobile phones, chatting, video conferencing and conference calling. The internet remains one of the most innovative technological trend and which has impacted on business communication to a significant level (Rampur, 2011). Communication among individuals within an organization is not only enhanced through the use of instant communication methods such as email and instant messaging but decisions are also more informed, based on the availability of valuable information on the internet (Guffey & Almonte 2009, p. 2-5). This is in accordance to what Summers and Brett (2009, p. 3-8) notes that research is highly important in ensuring that informed communication is ensured. Improvement in technology has ensured that individuals can communicate more easily without the need to meet or use cumbersome communication methods such as letters. The use of emails, instant messaging, video conferencing and conference calling and online chatting has made distance irrelevant as far as business communication is concerned (Guffey & Almonte 2009, p. 84; Lubbe 2007, p. 21). The use of video conferencing is especially an amazing development because it helps executives to conduct meetings with their business associates without having to arrange a meeting because they can see each other through a camera and computer screen (Salehi-Sangari 1997, p. 53-55). Given that the internet connects people globally, it has become even easier for companies to venture into international markets and still manage to control their businesses through communicating via the internet. Company websites are a good source of information for the company’s stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders. The use of websites which has also been enabled by the invention of the internet provides a platform in which company information that is of relevance to various stakeholders can be communicated (Cheng-Min & Chieng-Yun 2006, p. 910-911). Shareholders for example can track the performance of their investments through reading news from the company, financial statements and following the changes in the company stock prices from the company website (Lubbe 2007, p. 42). Customers are also well informed on various products and services through the website. This is an indication that communication has been enhanced through the development of technology. Business information systems are considered to be the most innovative technology advancement that has occurred in the recent past (Cuel and Ferrario, 2010, p. 4-5). Business information systems have helped businesses in consolidating information from various aspects of the business in such a way that employees and managers can retrieve important information from the systems and thus use them in making important decisions (Cheng-Min & Chieng-Yun 2006, p. 910; Lubbe 2007, p. 37). This insinuates that individuals within the business do not have to consult their managers or colleagues in obtaining the information they require because it is likely to be on the company’s database in the information system. Accordingly, efficiency has been highly enhanced in business settings due to ease of communication. The use of information technology is not without its limitations. According to Bovee et al (2008, p. 91) and Lynn (2006), the use of emails and other forms of internet communication tools could impact negatively on communication because people are likely to include content that they would not normally attempt to speak or write in a document. Such content impacts on the authenticity, formality and seriousness of the message conveyed due to the use of tactless remarks which may cause tension and misunderstanding (Cuel and Ferrario, 2010, p. 4-5). It also impacts on people’s ability to reason and form effective arguments as indicated by Cottrel (2005, p. 2-5) and Bonnet (2008). The use of information technology also tends to eliminate face to face communication which ensures that adequate information can be gathered through body language and gestures. As noted in Satterwhite (2007, p. 104 – 105), body language is an imperative part of communication as it helps in identifying additional information from the communicator. In addition, the internet is subject to traffic effects. When there is too much traffic on the internet, businesses attempting to transfer data may be affected vehemently thus limiting communication capabilities. In conclusion, it can be established that technology has influenced business communication in a significant manner and that with continued development; organizations are expected to become increasingly competent as advancements in technology continue to be witnessed. It is impressive how business information systems have made communication within the organization easy through providing an avenue for employees and managers to communicate and obtain valuable information within the company. The same applies to sophisticated communication channels that have been enhanced by technology such as video conferencing and instant messaging which have eliminated the geographical barrier. Accordingly, technology in business has had a valuable impact on communication and can therefore be considered an vital development in the contemporary business world. The research process I conducted my research in a highly systematic manner because I intended to ensure that I obtained the most viable results for the study topic I selected. To begin with, I had to familiarize myself with the topic of study in order to identify the key aspects that I was expected to address. As noted by McDaniel (1991, p, 28), it is imperative for a researcher to always recognize and define the problem. In essence, the study must start with a research question hence the reason why I had to understand the topic first. My question was “How does technology impact business communication?” I familiarized myself with the subject of communication technology through reading various books, journals and web articles. It was only when I was clear on the subject of communication technology that I embarked on my research which required the identification of how this technology impacted on the business communication. My second step after defining the research question was to determine the research design that I would apply in conducting the research. This meant the identification of the methodology to be used in obtaining the relevant information for the research in order to obtain the most accurate results. In this regard, I chose to make use of secondary data. There was plenty of secondary data on this particular subject and therefore I was guaranteed of getting adequate information for the research. Furthermore, the use of secondary data is less time consuming such that it was convenient for me. The information would be collected from books, journals and web articles. The third stage was the actual collection of information concerning the impact of technology on business communication. The first undertaking during this stage was to list down various communication technology developments that have been developed in the world; including the development of the internet technology, business information systems and various communication methods such as emails, text messages, instant messaging, conference calling and video conferencing and the use of mobile phones. I then proceeded to read about the various technologies and how they have impacted on communication within the business set-up. Through the available books, I was in a position to identify how companies were using technology in communication and how this had enhanced the quality and efficiency of communication. I then embarked on analyzing the data in order to determine the most relevant information to include in my final research paper. This involved consolidating information that consisted of similar or close view so as to ensure that I incorporated the most relevant information in my final paper. It was my intention to ensure that I communicated the desired response towards my research question and I therefore exercised a high level of caution during the data analysis process. The final stage was to present my findings in the form of a research paper presented above. This stage involved ensuring that the ideas in the paper were logically presented and that they were coherent enough for the reader to understand. Southwick (2004, p. 18) and Kuipe (2007, p. 18) note that the results of the study should be reported in a manner that is highly specific as this ensures that the readers can effectively understand the findings. Having finalized this, I was able to come up with the research paper presented for this course module. Reference List Bonnett, A 2008, How to argue; a student's guide, Pearson Education, New York, NY. Bovee, C L et al 2008, Business communication today, 8th edn, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Cheng-Min, F & Chieng-Yun, Y 2006, Impact of information and communication technologies on logistics management, International Journal of Management, 23(4), 909-924 Cottrell, S 2005, Critical thinking skills; developing effective analysis and argument, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, NY. Cuel, R & Ferrario, R 2011, The impact of technology in organizational communication processes: toward constructivism. Retrieved on March 12, 2011 from http://www.disa.unitn.it/net-economy/InConSPES/EGOS-Cuel-Ferrario.pdf Dwyer, J 2009,Communication in business; Strategies and skills,4th edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, Sydney. Fontenot, KA 1994, Effective Communication in Business. The Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication, 57(2), 67-68 Hengst, M A & Sol H G 2001, The impact of information and communication Technology on Interorganizational coordination: Guidelines from theory. Informing Science, 4(3), 129 – 138. Kuiper, S 2007, Contemporary business report writing, 3'd edn, Thomson South Western, Mason, Ohio. Lubbe, S 2007, Managing information communication technology investments in successful enterprises, Idea Group Inc., Hershey, PA. Lynn, L 2006, Technology’s impact on business communication unabated. Viewed March 11, 2011 from McDaniel, C & Gates, R 1991, Contemporary Marketing Research. West Publishers, St. Paul, MN. Rampur, S 2011, Impact of information technology on business. Retrieved on March 12, 2011 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/impact-of-information-technology-on-business.html Salehi-Sangari, E 1997, Information technology as a determinant of competitiveness, Competitive Review, 7(2), 52-57. Satterwhite , M 2007, Business communications at work, 3'd edn, Mcgraw-Hill/lrwin, Boston. Southwick, A 2OO4, Communication skills guide for commerce students, The School of Commerce, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, S. Aust. Summers, J & Smith, B 2006, Communication skills handbook, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Qld. Read More