Electronic communication has become more important to workplace collaboration in the early 21st century. Expansion of globalization and more spread out distribution of work team members have made it useful in sharing information and communicating on projects. The Internet, email, social media and virtual team “rooms” are common tools used for electronic workplace collaboration.
Electronic communication can be achieved by finding the right tool for communication. Moving from paper to electronic communications can actually help your business connect easier, while saving time and money.
Email, instant messaging, websites, blogs, text messaging and voice mail are a few examples of electronic communication. Electronic communication has changed the way businesses communicate with each other. Electronic communication can be very beneficial if used effectively. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses will help businesses conduct effective electronic communication.
Knowing the proper medium to communicate your message is important to effective electronic communication. Email is a common communication method for sharing information with businesses. However, email is not always the best method of communication when sending to mass amounts of people. Many recipients of mass email will delete the email without reading it.
E-mail is a useful communication approach that instantly delivers messages between computers. Paper correspondence is no longer needed to transmit documents and other important information. Businesses have shown increased productivity and profitability by decreasing the time and money spent on correspondence. Unfortunately, they also commonly display a lack of attention to exactly who has access to certain information, and to whom such information is being transmitted. The likelihood for abuse of e-mail and the Internet in the workplace is great.
Find a method for effective electronic communication that will best fit your goals. If you have a message to communicate with many businesses, electronic newsletters are a decent alternative to mass email. Blogs are a useful electronic communication method for marketing. Many businesses use blogs to reach a new audience of potential customers.
Effective electronic communication has a clear message. For email, clarity begins with the subject line; type in a meaningful subject line which directly gets to the point of your message. The same goes for blogging. The title of your post should tell the reader exactly what your post is about. Breaking up what you have to say into small paragraphs helps to keep your message clear.
One weakness of electronic communication is the lack of communication support. In a face-to-face conversation nonverbal communication, such as tone of voice and body language, help to clarify the message you are sending. This lack of communication support can lead to messages becoming misinterpreted.
Another issue with electronic communication is security. Your computer can be hacked, and infected with a computer virus. This can have an unfavorable effect on the computer system, and the network.
One more disadvantage is email privacy. An email is sent using data packets via computer networks. These data packets pass through routers and computers, before the email reaches its destination. Therefore, there is a chance of an individual tampering with the emails before the email reaches the recipients.
In summary, electronic communication replaces the hassle of coordinating face-to-face meetings and productivity and provides a quick and easy way to communicate. However, as with most technological improvements, there are a number of ways that e-mail communication can create potential problems in the workplace, but the positives out-weigh the negatives.
Benefits
Email, virtual team rooms and other basic interactive tools provided by the Internet were among the first drivers of dispersed work teams. These tools allow companies to have employees collaborate on projects economically, even when they are located in different parts of the world. Retailers, for instance, are able to maintain greater cross-market brand consistency by enabling managers across the chain to communicate on a regular basis through email, intranets and electronic forums. Electronic communication also enables employees to maintain an ongoing dialogue to share ideas, even when they can’t meet at the same time. In a forum, for instance, employees can offer ongoing input on a new product development.
Diversity
A result of the availability of greater electronic communication tools is the increased ability of companies to develop diverse workplaces. Companies that can build diverse work teams take advantage of a broader range of ideas and better ability to serve global marketplaces with knowledgeable employees. The challenge is to instill cultural awareness, acceptance and sensitivity into the work culture. However, electronic communication tools also make it easier for companies to provide diversity training webinars, tutorials and forums online.
Limitations
Despite their benefits, electronic communication does have limitations. Face-to-face communication remains important to building strong relationships with clients and colleagues. An ad agency may use email to approach a potential major client and submit a request for proposal, for instance, but agency representatives typically travel to meet with client executives to sell the campaign idea. Electronic communication also lacks some of the efficiency required in urgent situations. If a decision is needed immediately, face-to-face or phone conversations may work better. Protecting privacy and confidentiality of information is another concern for companies that share information electronically. Some companies also abuse or misuse email and other electronic tools for non-work activities.
By: Rommel M. Magcalas
