Advantages and disadvantages of technology in business communication
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This document discusses the advantages and disadvantages of communication technology in business. The key advantages include financial savings from reduced communication costs, faster information sharing, improved organizational communication, and increased employee participation. However, the document also notes disadvantages such as poor substitution for face-to-face interaction, difficulties in training employees, security issues, and potential work-life imbalance.
Advantages and disadvantages of technology in business communication
- 1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in Business Communication
- 2. Communication and Technology • Information – Communication Technology (ICT) is a general expression for a variety of different computer, information and communication devices, applications, network and services. Communication Technology has become important in our daily lives. Both individuals and business use communication technology to get what they need. • Communication technology in an organization involves things like Voice mail, Email, Teleconferences etc. All these forms of communication will assist in the growth of an organization, but they also have their down sides.
- 3. Advantages Financial Savings Speeds the sending of information Improves organizational communication Speeds decision making in an organization Increases participation in organizational processes Influences the way people interact in organizations Provides a voice to those who normally would not speak up in groups
- 4. Financial Savings Perhaps the biggest advantage of the improvement of technology in business communication is the financial savings it affords small businesses and global corporations alike. Tasks that once took large sums of money may now be completed with a touch of a button for pennies. This has allowed small businesses to better compete with larger organizations in the global market. Before Voice of Internet Protocol, or VoIP, technology, placing a long distance telephone call was an expensive gesture. Current VoIP and cellular telephone technology, however, has made flat rates for local and long distance calls common place. The same can also be said for correspondence. Not long ago, the only way to send letters or documents from one location to another was to engage a postal or messenger service. The email, however, has eliminated the need to transport hard copies. Furthermore, many email services are free.
- 5. Speeds the Sending of Information Communication technology tools like electronic mail and text messaging systems, speed up the sending of information withinandoutsideoftheorganization. Also with the use of decentralized computing systems, sharing of information with in an organization is very first because all datais accessed from one centralunit‘’Database’’ and it is shared across different departments with in the organization.
- 6. Improves Organizational Communication Communication technology helps in the creation of a shared information environment in an organization. Organization information is organized in one central location, allowing any one access that information as they need. Also technologies like electronic mail, will enable low level employees communicate with the manager without any need of having a dedicated time for meeting. This allows information to flow easily from the bottomtothetopwithoutanybarriers.
- 7. Speeds Decision Making In An Organization Sincecommunication technologyspeedsthetransferof information,employeesinanorganizationcaneasilyconsult eachotherandanalyzeinformationinashortestperiodand makeadecision. Alsowiththeuseof(OLAP)Online analyticalprocessing,employeescanperformqueriesona databasetogetdataaboutaspecificclient ormatterand makeaquickdecisionbasingonthedataretrievedfromthe databaseaboutthatspecificclientormatter.
- 8. Increases Participation In Organizational Processes Every employee will have a specific task to complete and all this can be monitored remotely by the manager. So all parties will be active since their work is being made simple by easy communication. Employees who are shy to ask for advice and help, will use tools like electronic mail or instant text messaging services to ask for help from their workmates with in the organization, they can also use the same medias to participate in decision makingandcreativedesignchallenges.
- 9. Influences The Way People Interact In Organizations Lets look at an organization were you only see the operations manager twice a week, by the time he comes, every one will need to speak to them and they will have less time for each of you. But with electronic mail, you can simply draft an email and send it to your superior or workmate. In this case, they don’t have to stop what they’re doing to attend to your matter, but you will get an instant reply and continue with yourwork.
- 10. Provides A Voice To Those Who Normally Would Not Speak Up In Groups Face-to-facecommunications tendstobedifficulttosome people,sotheuseofcommunicationtechnologywillhelp themcommunicateeffectivelyatwork.Someemployees mighthaveafearofface-to-faceexpression,butthese employeesmighthaverelevantsuggestionsor contributionswhichcanhelptheorganizationgrow,so theycaneasilyusetechnologicaltoolslikeelectronicmail tovoiceouttheirconcerns.
- 11. Disadvantages Poor Substitute to FTF Communication Difficult to Train Employees Expensive Less Secure Work-Life Imbalance
- 12. Poor substitute for face-to-face (ftf) communication Since employees are using machines to communicate, they get less time to talk to each other and know each other better. This has resulted into increased bad relationships at work. Even though the shy ones will benefit from this technology , but they will also be denied the chancetolearnhowtointeractwithothers.
- 13. Difficulty Training Employees If an organization deploys a new communication technology system, they will have to pay an extra fee to train employees in the organization to use that technology effectively. Some times some employees will not learn as first as others which might led to joblosses.
- 14. Expensive It can be very expensive to install a new communication technology system in a very big organization. Let’s say that an organizationhasover50employeesandtheywantthemtoaccess informationfromacentralizedlocation. They will have to create a strong data base which will handle all the queries made by these employees in a minute as well they havetobuyacomputerforeachoftheseemployees.
- 15. Security Issues Since information has been centralized under one database, it is exposed to people with wrong intention with in the organization. Also information can be attacked by a hacker or a virus and all data will be lost in a minute. So the organization must pay an extra cost to keep thisinformationsafe. Sensitive information can be easily shared and distributed within a business through email. It does not matter if the email issentaccidentallyordeliberately,theharmisthesame.
- 16. Work-Life Imbalance Employees who receive work-related calls outside of normal work hours, whether on a company-provided phone or a personal cell phone, may feel an imbalance between their work and personal lives. It can be difficult for an employee to enjoy time away from work when her duties spill over into family, socialandresttime.