Present Day Communication Technology Within The Workplace Cara Gilbert, Nick Yi, Steph Hau, Danielle D'Andrea
Introduction: Due to the progression of technology, life in the workplace has evolved in many ways. From PDAs to IPADS and online networking accounts, the way that information is shared in the workplace is constantly changing. Now more than ever, it is necessary to send and receive information almost instantly. With the use of modern technology workers are now able to do this. The creation of new workplace technology allows businesses to expand where their employees are located. Today workers are able to communicate cross-country on a daily basis while collaborating on a project.
The world is now closer together; allowed the world's economy to become a single interdependent system
bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries
Communication Advantages
Cheaper, quicker, and more efficient
Can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simple, quick messaging
The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing.
More Time
Businesses will be open 24 x7 all over the globe which means businesses will be open anytime anywhere
Purchases from different countries easier and more convenient
Everything is out into place effortlessly in front of you
Cost Effectiveness
Computerized businesses; extremely cost effective money making machines
Increases productivity which ultimately gives rise to profits that means better pay and less strenuous working conditions.
Bridging Cultural Gaps
Helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another
Allow for the exchange of views and ideas, thus increasing awareness and reducing prejudice.
Conferencing and collaboration tools now enable companies to respond quickly with regards to their customer demands.
Companies can now offer around the clock support for customer service
Businesses are now able to react quickly to any market opportunities that may arise
Electronic meeting tools enable cross country teams to interact easily
New technologies allow a shorter "time-to-market" time for products
Online applications now give costumers a twenty four hour market for buying
Conferencing on demand delivers immediate productivity boosts and time savings to all knowledge workers by enabling them to integrate visual communications and desktop-based collaboration tools into their normal workflow process.
Creation of New Jobs
Computer programmers, Systems analyzers, Hardware developers, Software developers and Web designers are just some of the many new employment opportunities created with the help of IT.
New computer programs are able to help create better advertisements
Better advertisement tactics
With the growing technological advances, computer software can now create more eye satisfying advertisements for business
New technology makes it easier for the creative team to play around with advertisements without actually printing them out and re-starting (more time efficient)
New 3D technology can be utilized on computer software
Negatives
Unemployment
Create job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing
Lots of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed
Privacy
From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge
Run the risk of receiving unsolicited emails or spam
Lack of Job Security
Technology keeps on changing with each day
One has to be in a constant learning mode, if he or she wishes for their job to be secure.
Dominant Culture
While information technology may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture dominating another weaker one
Influences how most young teenagers all over the world now act, dress and behave
Languages have become overshadowed
English becoming the primary mode of communication for business and everything else
Technological Failure
Occurs because technological is not as reliable as a reliable worker.
Could include; phones dying, computer systems not working.
May cause the days work to be pushed back
Information Overload
Receiving more messages that may also be harder to understand
The receiver may not find the medium suitable for the task as did the sender
Miscommunication
"Leaner" mediums lack cues and can lead to more misunderstanding within a broader range of tasks
Facebook
This present day networking system is popular among many people that helps tie bonds for a lifetime. From creating groups and joining certain networks, Facebook provides many distinct methods when dealing with communication. Posting comments, videos and pictures, instant messaging, and sending personal messages are some features Facebook provides users to keep in contact with associates, friends, employees, etc. An article presented in The New York Times announced in November of 2010 that Mr. Zuckerberg, creater of Facebook, introduced Facebook Messages, a new unified messaging system that allows people to communicate with one another on the Web and on mobile phones regardless of whether they are using e-mail, text messages or online chat services. With that said, it is expected that the employees of Facebook are to come up with new ideas that contribute to every users' convenience and best interest. Facebook is expected to unveil a revamped set of communications services that will include an e-mail system in which users will have addresses with the facebook.com suffix. New ideas likes these are used to amplify the average time a person spends on Facebook, to make Facebook a default for all kinds of mediated communication, and to cater to users' interests. New ideas offer more flexibility and options for a user which allows Facebook to dominant many aspects in a person's life. Facebook, without a doubt, gives advantages when dealing with long distance relationships and lack of time. Taken to account that it is still a social networking system, there are many flaws and disadvantages that this system has. Analysts say that if the new idea of 'Facebook Messages' proves successful, it could greatly increase the time users spend on the site, making Facebook even more dominant. The possibility of users spending more time than they already do now presents a conflict. Work efficiency is very important when it comes to organizations. Facebook may have a negative impact when it comes to time versus work due to its obsession and procrastination.
Personal Laptops
More common than ever, having your own personal laptop is some what of a necessity for the modern business man. Being able to have a backup of all documents in your own personal file can benefit the modern worker greatly. It is not uncommon for newly hired workers to be given a laptop as a welcoming gift. Laptops make it easier for files to be re-uploaded at home in order to finish long projects. Personal laptops have taken the place of storage systems. Now, workers don't simply have organizers with drawers in their own cubicle, they now also have their own computers. Taking into consideration the new technology that is being invented each day, laptops can easily adapt to new systems by downloading them. There have been recent reporting that claim having a laptop is going to become just as a necessity as owning a telephone. Personal laptops also make it possible for small business to compete with larger companies. With the use of a laptop a small business can create web pages and advertisements that bring in costumers.
Instant Messaging
A study in 2008 done by researchers at Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine found that workers who used instant messaging on the job reported less interruption than colleagues who did not. Research showed that instant messaging was often used as a substitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such as the telephone, e-mail, and face-to-face conversations. Using instant messaging led to more conversations on the computer, but the conversations were briefer. In the study, people who used instant messaging reported that they felt they were being interrupted less frequently. Instant messaging has a unique setup, which allows users to control how and when they communicate with coworkers. The technology gives people the ability to flag their availability or postpone responses to a more convenient time, and because it is socially acceptable to ignore or dismiss a message, many use the technology to put off more disruptive conversations. Features include the "away status," which the user can put up an "away" message to notify other users, or the "idle status", which shows that the user is inattentive. Instant messaging is a quick, easy alternative when delivering messages to another co-worker.
Email
Email has quickly become one of the most used forms of communication both inside and outside of the workplace. It has surpassed telephone use and has proven to be the most common for business communication. Email allows for messages, information and documents to be transpired quickly and effortlessly with little to no cost. However, with email, it is important to compose them carefully. It is easy for text to be misinterpreted due to the lack of nonverbal cues that are available through face-to-face communication. It is also important to keep business emails work appropriate, that means to avoid humor and keep it professional. Emails have proven to be very reliable as long as the messages are kept short and to the point. They continue to be a staple in business communication.
Smart-phones
The evolution of phone technology has seen arguably the most improvement in recent years. From slimming down the sizes of phones, to now creating applications that allow cell phones to do, virtually, anything. Cell phones are now less of an accessory and more of an necessity. With this evolution of cell phones the modern business man can answer calls, download documents, and send and receive data all from his personal phone. Granted that the new smart-phones connect the business world and create an environment in which ties together all aspects of the working day, they also allow the creation of a "weisure" lifestyle. This disadvantage to new smart-phones occurs when the business man weaves together his personal time with work time. A father could experience work phone calls during a son's soccer game, and may have to take the call. Although smart phones have enabled the modern business man to send and receive information with ease, there still are some disadvantages to the system.
Blackberry Messenging (BBM)
Efficiency is the main focus of every group organization because time is money and money is business. Within certain workplaces, the phone's ability to send picture messages from employees to clients allows time to be saved from traveling one place to another. The most vital factor of the blackberry phone is BBM which stands for Blackberry Messenger. This application allows a person to see if the recipient received and read a sent message
Videoconferencing
Video conferencing and collaboration tools can help a company respond quickly to customer demand, solve customer support issues, react to market opportunities, and battle competitive threats. With all the new advances in technology, workers are now able to view live streaming video of other workers that may be hundreds of miles away. Some advantages of teleconferencing include; reduced cost of moving workers cross country, greater communication and coordination between branches of the workplaces that may be based in different cities, conferences could be scheduled minutes or hours ahead of time instead days or weeks. Electronic meeting tools enable dispersed teams to collaborate easily, solving problems and speeding coordination – ultimately delivering faster time-to-consensus and hence a shorter time-to-market for new products and services. Conferencing on demand also delivers immediate productivity boosts and time savings to all knowledge workers by allowing them to integrate visual communications and desktop-based collaboration tools into their normal workflow process. Another advantage is that videoconferencing can help an organization inject higher impact into their meetings and conference calls, especially when compared to an audio-only meeting. Another hard benefit from conferencing and collaboration solutions is travel reduction, eliminating costs associated with airfare, hotels, meals, taxis and car service, etc. Hence, realizing travel cost savings has been the traditional way to justify videoconferencing.However with all of advantages that teleconferencing there are also some disadvantages. disadvantages of teleconferencing include; technical failures that could occur while trying to establish a conference or during a conference, the impersonality of conferencing over the web (vs face to face meetings).
"Weisure" Lifestyle
With the advancement of technology in the work place, comes many of the same changes in the home. Technology in the workplace can increase convenience and help efficiency, however, it can also be a distracting element, blurring the lines between what is work appropriate and what is personal. This can in turn, lead to less productivity, forcing many employees to continue working when they have left the office. The idea of bringing leisure into the workplace, and bring work into leisure time is now known as a “weisure” lifestyle. It is something that more and more people are adapting. This allows them to spend more time with family and friends, yet they are still connected and always slightly distracted with emails and with work related things. It can be said that a “weisure” lifestyle is time-saving, allowing individuals to multitask, however it can also mean that the individual is never fully invested in work, or never fully invested in leisure. While Some employers may require their employees to always be reachable, providing them with smart-phones so they can receive emails and documents all throughout the day, the “weisure” lifestyle is generally chosen by an individuals wants and needs.
Present Day Communication Technology Within The WorkplaceCara Gilbert, Nick Yi, Steph Hau, Danielle D'Andrea
Introduction: Due to the progression of technology, life in the workplace has evolved in many ways. From PDAs to IPADS and online networking accounts, the way that information is shared in the workplace is constantly changing. Now more than ever, it is necessary to send and receive information almost instantly. With the use of modern technology workers are now able to do this. The creation of new workplace technology allows businesses to expand where their employees are located. Today workers are able to communicate cross-country on a daily basis while collaborating on a project.
Table of Contents
Positives
Negatives
Facebook
This present day networking system is popular among many people that helps tie bonds for a lifetime. From creating groups and joining certain networks, Facebook provides many distinct methods when dealing with communication. Posting comments, videos and pictures, instant messaging, and sending personal messages are some features Facebook provides users to keep in contact with associates, friends, employees, etc. An article presented in The New York Times announced in November of 2010 that Mr. Zuckerberg, creater of Facebook, introduced Facebook Messages, a new unified messaging system that allows people to communicate with one another on the Web and on mobile phones regardless of whether they are using e-mail, text messages or online chat services. With that said, it is expected that the employees of Facebook are to come up with new ideas that contribute to every users' convenience and best interest. Facebook is expected to unveil a revamped set of communications services that will include an e-mail system in which users will have addresses with the facebook.com suffix. New ideas likes these are used to amplify the average time a person spends on Facebook, to make Facebook a default for all kinds of mediated communication, and to cater to users' interests. New ideas offer more flexibility and options for a user which allows Facebook to dominant many aspects in a person's life. Facebook, without a doubt, gives advantages when dealing with long distance relationships and lack of time. Taken to account that it is still a social networking system, there are many flaws and disadvantages that this system has. Analysts say that if the new idea of 'Facebook Messages' proves successful, it could greatly increase the time users spend on the site, making Facebook even more dominant. The possibility of users spending more time than they already do now presents a conflict. Work efficiency is very important when it comes to organizations. Facebook may have a negative impact when it comes to time versus work due to its obsession and procrastination.
Personal Laptops
More common than ever, having your own personal laptop is some what of a necessity for the modern business man. Being able to have a backup of all documents in your own personal file can benefit the modern worker greatly. It is not uncommon for newly hired workers to be given a laptop as a welcoming gift. Laptops make it easier for files to be re-uploaded at home in order to finish long projects. Personal laptops have taken the place of storage systems. Now, workers don't simply have organizers with drawers in their own cubicle, they now also have their own computers. Taking into consideration the new technology that is being invented each day, laptops can easily adapt to new systems by downloading them. There have been recent reporting that claim having a laptop is going to become just as a necessity as owning a telephone. Personal laptops also make it possible for small business to compete with larger companies. With the use of a laptop a small business can create web pages and advertisements that bring in costumers.
Instant Messaging
A study in 2008 done by researchers at Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine found that workers who used instant messaging on the job reported less interruption than colleagues who did not. Research showed that instant messaging was often used as a substitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such as the telephone, e-mail, and face-to-face conversations. Using instant messaging led to more conversations on the computer, but the conversations were briefer. In the study, people who used instant messaging reported that they felt they were being interrupted less frequently. Instant messaging has a unique setup, which allows users to control how and when they communicate with coworkers. The technology gives people the ability to flag their availability or postpone responses to a more convenient time, and because it is socially acceptable to ignore or dismiss a message, many use the technology to put off more disruptive conversations. Features include the "away status," which the user can put up an "away" message to notify other users, or the "idle status", which shows that the user is inattentive. Instant messaging is a quick, easy alternative when delivering messages to another co-worker.
Email
Email has quickly become one of the most used forms of communication both inside and outside of the workplace. It has surpassed telephone use and has proven to be the most common for business communication. Email allows for messages, information and documents to be transpired quickly and effortlessly with little to no cost. However, with email, it is important to compose them carefully. It is easy for text to be misinterpreted due to the lack of nonverbal cues that are available through face-to-face communication. It is also important to keep business emails work appropriate, that means to avoid humor and keep it professional. Emails have proven to be very reliable as long as the messages are kept short and to the point. They continue to be a staple in business communication.
Smart-phones
The evolution of phone technology has seen arguably the most improvement in recent years. From slimming down the sizes of phones, to now creating applications that allow cell phones to do, virtually, anything. Cell phones are now less of an accessory and more of an necessity. With this evolution of cell phones the modern business man can answer calls, download documents, and send and receive data all from his personal phone. Granted that the new smart-phones connect the business world and create an environment in which ties together all aspects of the working day, they also allow the creation of a "weisure" lifestyle. This disadvantage to new smart-phones occurs when the business man weaves together his personal time with work time. A father could experience work phone calls during a son's soccer game, and may have to take the call. Although smart phones have enabled the modern business man to send and receive information with ease, there still are some disadvantages to the system.
Blackberry Messenging (BBM)
Efficiency is the main focus of every group organization because time is money and money is business. Within certain workplaces, the phone's ability to send picture messages from employees to clients allows time to be saved from traveling one place to another. The most vital factor of the blackberry phone is BBM which stands for Blackberry Messenger. This application allows a person to see if the recipient received and read a sent message
Videoconferencing
Video conferencing and collaboration tools can help a company respond quickly to customer demand, solve customer support issues, react to market opportunities, and battle competitive threats. With all the new advances in technology, workers are now able to view live streaming video of other workers that may be hundreds of miles away. Some advantages of teleconferencing include; reduced cost of moving workers cross country, greater communication and coordination between branches of the workplaces that may be based in different cities, conferences could be scheduled minutes or hours ahead of time instead days or weeks. Electronic meeting tools enable dispersed teams to collaborate easily, solving problems and speeding coordination – ultimately delivering faster time-to-consensus and hence a shorter time-to-market for new products and services. Conferencing on demand also delivers immediate productivity boosts and time savings to all knowledge workers by allowing them to integrate visual communications and desktop-based collaboration tools into their normal workflow process. Another advantage is that videoconferencing can help an organization inject higher impact into their meetings and conference calls, especially when compared to an audio-only meeting. Another hard benefit from conferencing and collaboration solutions is travel reduction, eliminating costs associated with airfare, hotels, meals, taxis and car service, etc. Hence, realizing travel cost savings has been the traditional way to justify videoconferencing.However with all of advantages that teleconferencing there are also some disadvantages. disadvantages of teleconferencing include; technical failures that could occur while trying to establish a conference or during a conference, the impersonality of conferencing over the web (vs face to face meetings).
"Weisure" Lifestyle
With the advancement of technology in the work place, comes many of the same changes in the home. Technology in the workplace can increase convenience and help efficiency, however, it can also be a distracting element, blurring the lines between what is work appropriate and what is personal. This can in turn, lead to less productivity, forcing many employees to continue working when they have left the office. The idea of bringing leisure into the workplace, and bring work into leisure time is now known as a “weisure” lifestyle. It is something that more and more people are adapting. This allows them to spend more time with family and friends, yet they are still connected and always slightly distracted with emails and with work related things. It can be said that a “weisure” lifestyle is time-saving, allowing individuals to multitask, however it can also mean that the individual is never fully invested in work, or never fully invested in leisure. While Some employers may require their employees to always be reachable, providing them with smart-phones so they can receive emails and documents all throughout the day, the “weisure” lifestyle is generally chosen by an individuals wants and needs.
References
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