Communication Technology in Business - Literature review Example

Communication Technology in Business Name Tutor Course Date Communication Technology in Business Communication in business organization is important for promotion of products or services, the organization, and conveying information within the organization as well as along the supply chain. It is vital for marketing, public relations, management of internal affairs, planning, advertising and branding, and reputation management among other purposes. The 21st century is largely information and communication based. The need for and sharing of information through effective means is becoming highly vital for the success of an organization. The rapid globalization that has taken place over the last decade has also made information and communication more vital. Communication in the corporate world has, as a result of the challenges and opportunities offered by globalizations, become an art where the key is to find the optimal means of generating, sharing, and utilization of ideas and information. Effective communication is necessary for the day to day operation of a business, both within the organization and with the outside world. Kushal and Ahuja (2009) note that the evolving business environment and the complexity of the 21st century business organization environment has made it necessary for the need to improve communication within the business (3). Kushal and Ahuja further point out that the autocratic management of the past is quickly being replaced by a futuristic participatory management that relies on effective communication for the success of the organizations (3). As Rogers and Allbritton (1995) pointed out, the players in the corporate world have noticed the "information revolution" that has occurred in their organizations. Supporting this point is Arvey who points out that communication technologies are more and more being used by organizations for their communication purposes both within and between groups (2009, 4). Communication in an organization can be carried out through various methods and channels. The most commonly used communication methods in organizations include face-to-face meetings, telephone, written reports, audio-visual presentations, e-mail, and online based communication. Each of these modes of communication has their own merits and limitations within the organizational set-up. According to Arvey (2009, 5), the choice of the method of communication that an organization will use will depend on the expected outcome and objectives for communicating. He quickly adds that the choice of communication medium chosen is likely to affect the outcome. This article will evaluate the benefits and limitations of technologically advanced communication methods as compared to some of the traditional methods of communication within the organization. Specifically, the article will focus on e-mail and video conferencing technologies (computer mediated communication) compared to the conventional face-to-face meeting. Face-to-Face Meeting As noted by Rogers and Allbritton (2002) point out, in face-to-face communication, the participants are within the immediate physical presence of each other as shown in the figure below. Proponents of face-to-face meetings point out that these meetings are still relevant even in the modern era of information and communication revolution. Arvey points out that face-to-face meetings are still relevant in situations where there is need for expression of emotions or where there is a need to convince members (2009, 6). He adds that face-to-face meetings are important where coordination and timing among members is required or when consensus among the members is required. In addition, the meetings are highly suitable where complex social interactions, decisions, and tasks are involved or where quick response is required (Arvey, 2009, 7). Other arguments put forward for face-to-face meetings are that it leads to the development of strong social relationships and provides a human contact aspect. Fig. 1: A face-to-face meeting in session (Daisy Consortium, 2010). In addition to the above reasons, face-to-face meetings are more problem cantered and appropriate for exploring alternatives and suggestions. However, some of the disadvantages that have been identified in face-to-face meetings include the cost of the meetings, inconvenience, time wasting, bias, and record keeping. Chidambaram and Jones (1993) point out that face-to-face meetings are expensive to schedule and may be scheduled in times that are inconvenient to some members (466). They further note that a lot of time is wasted during attendance of the meeting. They also note that the outcome of such meetings may be biased due to interpretation of body language, tone of voice, the environment, and status of the lead members. In addition to the above, applicability of face-to-face meetings is limited by distance. For the meeting to take place the members should be within a reasonable distance or it would further increase the cost of the meet. Computer Mediated Communication The computer mediated communication methods of interest in this paper are electronic mail and video conferencing. Electronic mail (e-mail) is a common way of sending digital messages over the internet. In business organizations, e-mail has replaced the regular form of communication especially inter-departmental communication. As Skovholt and Svennevig (2006) noted e-mail has developed and replaced the traditional practice of creating copies to communicate within an organization (3). They further note that e-mail has made it possible for one person to communicate with a lot of people within the organization in a short time. However, they note that for the method to be effective, the workers have to acquire a new form of background knowledge. Skovholt and Svennevig note that e-mail was the first communication revolution in business and due to its simplicity and convenience, it has become very common. Globalization has also made e-mail an important communication tool in the business world. However, there are some demerits of using e-mail. E-mail has a limit of the amount of data that can be attached and sent. It is also highly susceptible to virus attack, spamming, spoofing, and privacy issues. Video conferencing on the other hand is the newest form of communication in the business world. It is attractive to multinational corporations as it allows people in several locations to communicate simultaneously. As Egido noted, video conferencing is the new futuristic mode of communication that bridges telephone and face-to-face communication (1988, 13). Egido further notes that despite the existence of the technology for several years, video conferencing is only used by a small number of organizations. However, as noted earlier globalization is making it more relevant. Fig.2: A video conference in session (Prado, 2009). Video conferencing offers a more interactive communication without the need to travel. It therefore offers the advantage of cutting communication costs. Another way that video conferencing saves on costs is through elimination of expensive long distant calls. Through video conferencing the headquarters of multinationals are able to communicate with their branches and product distributors spread all over the world. For example, Coca Cola Company headquarters can effectively use video conferencing to communicate with the regional managers at the same time. It is also a faster way of presenting the company’s products or services to several clients. Video conferencing would however be more useful to organizations that have branches that are far apart as compared to smaller organizations with few branches. The disadvantages associated with video conferencing include the cost and maintenance of the equipment. The technology relies on the internet to convey signals and is hence susceptible to disruptions, delays, and technical delays. The time difference between the people involved may be of inconvenience to some of the parties. Conclusion Globalization has changed the way business organizations operate. It has brought with it challenges and opportunities. The information and communication technology have interacted with globalization to create the need for improved, convenient, and highly effective modes of communication and this has led to technologies that have replaced the traditional communication methods. The new technologies in business communication are e-mail and video conferencing. The methods allow business organizations to communicate with their branches and employees simultaneously eliminating the need for many and lengthy telephone calls and expensive and more often inconvenient face-to-face meetings. The methods are however more useful to multinationals with global branches. Despite the convenience offered by the technologies, traditional methods are still relevant and vital for the success of the business. References Arvey, R. (2009) Why Face-to-Face Business Meetings Matter. The Hilton Family [Online] Available at: http://www.iacconline.org/content/files/WhyFace-to-FaceBusinessMeetingsMatter.pdf [Accessed: 6 May 2010]. Chidambaram, L. and Jones, B. (1993) Impact of Communication Medium and Computer Support on Group Perceptions and Performance: A Comparison of Face-to-Face and Dispersed Meetings. MIS Quartery 17 (4): 465-491. Daisy Consortium (2010) Online Delivery Working Group Project Files. [Online] Available at: http://www.daisy.org/projects/daisy-online-delivery/daisy-online_workarea/ [Accessed: 6 May 2010]. Egido, C. (1998) Video Conferencing as a Technology to Support Group Work: A Review of its Failures. Proceedings of the 1988 ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. 13-24. Prado, T. (2009) Affordable Business Video Conferencing [Online] Available at: http://www.webconferencingreviews.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/lifesize-conference.jpg&imgrefurl [Accessed: 6 May 2010]. Rogers, E. and Allbritton, M. (1995) Interactive Communication Technologies in Business Organizations. The Journal of Business Communication 32 (2): 177-192. Skovholt, K., and Svennevig, J. (2006). Email Copies in Workplace Interaction. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(1): 3 Read More