Business Communication Technology - Coursework Example

Business Communication Technology Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Communication is an integral part of business conduct for it allows all stakeholders to understand the activities of the business. Internally, people need to understand how they fit in and what is expected of them while externally, people need to educate on how the products or services produced by the organization may fit in their life. This therefore means that, communication in any business platform is correlated to the internal culture and external image. Good business communication practices assist the business in achieving its objectives by informing, persuading and building good will within the internal and external environments (Russ 2009). Communication therefore can be defined as the process of transmitting a message from one person to another through the right channels. The success of businesses in many instances is dependent on efficient and effective communication. There must be communication in markets and market places, buyers and sellers, service providers and customer’s organizations and the press and all these communication have substantial impact on the business (Bergen, Grimes & Potter 2005). Practiced in the right way, communication can be effective in promoting business interests. When misused, then it can portray the organization in poor light and may affect the business interest. It is worth noting that, in an organization where communication is emphasized, and then they do their work as a team and realize common goals. In the same case, when there is effective communication with the external forces like clients, suppliers, distributors and the like, then they can do business effectively and in so doing end up realizing more revenue and meet their aims and objectives (Reid 2009 ). Technology has affected almost every aspect of our lives. The same case applies to the business communication. The business world have revolutionized in the past few decades due to advances in communication and information technology which has changed the face and the pace of communication in organizations (Massey 2001). Technology has resulted to communication and information fast movement and this affects the way businesses are conducted. For example, storing files on a computer rather than in a drawer has made information access easy. At the same time, by the use of emails, messages can be sent quickly to remote locations outside the office. The dynamism of technology has resulted to improvement as well as shortfalls in the way business communication is conducted. With technology, the world has become a global village, small. Organizations are using websites to market their products and services and provide more information concerned with their business. At the same time, they are using virtue communication to provide and exchange information. This saves time and resources which could have used in travelling and arranging for meetings (Stephens, Malone & Bailey 2005). Internet helps organizations communicate with their customers effectively. This helps organizations save money and time by advertising products online and conducting business deals online. Clients are able to garner more information online and at the same time communicate with the organization. Technological advancement has made communication instantaneous. Electronic devices have brought a lot of change in the information and communication aspects of any organization (Russ 2009). The rational aspect of business communication has changed due to the dynamism of technology. Emails, text messages, social networking sites and cell phone have occupied center stage and the face to face communication has become less frequent. This has altered and decreased the emphasis on personal relationships with business contacts and clients by many organizations. Business organizations cannot do away with close interactions with their customers (Walsh et al 2000). However, people have differing frame of reference that determines how they view the world especially in this era of technological advancement. Age, gender, ethnicity and religion variation create different lifestyle of perception for a message when received through different technologies (Bergen, Grimes & Potter 2005). This has really changed the way business personnel’s handle communication at large. However, this differentiation in communication technology and the social groups’ types can result to misinterpretation of what the sender intended or create with different expectations. Additionally, information that is not face to face lacks the non verbal communications and cues that can be harnessed from facial expression and body language (Russ 2009). At the same time, time zones and other technological hitches can create challenges that will affect the success of effective communication. Advancement of technology has changed the way communication is practiced in the business (Olson & Olson 2000). Consequently, not all technologies are perfect and dependable. Server failures, computer crushes and networks overload do interrupt and hold back the communication of information. Is the information has time limits and this happens, then this can create major issues amongst the communication parties. International companies have benefited much with the changes in communication which are accelerated by technology (Bergen, Grimes & Potter 2005). The use of virtue conference between companies in different countries at any time saves time and money for these companies. Formerly, any meeting had to be held after all the involved parties travel and meet in specific areas, however due to technology; they can hold meetings at the comfort of their offices through virtual conferencing. It is a matter of fact that, much in any organization, much time is spent in communications. Improving the efficiency of this communication has substantial impact on the competitive advantage (Shao 2009). By embracing developments in technology, organizations open new doors to a new way of communicating, without the restrictions of old ideas like telephones. For example the introduction of converged communication has changed the way business communications take place. Converged communication is the use of a combination of voice, video and data technology. This cultivates many benefits from real-time collaboration irrespective of location or time zones and answers can be got immediately (Russ 2009). With the changes in communication trends in organizations today due to technology, there are some unavoidable consequences. When communicating face to face, the message is received instantaneously and the same case applies to the response. This means that sometimes when technological aspects of communication are used, there are instances when some parties may assume messages and incase there were problems that needed urgent solutions, then it will aggravate (Jameson 2009). Social media networking has been exploited by many organizations in attracting more customers (Williams & Williams 2008). Call centers are also making their way into business communication n arena and this has enabled them to handle customer enquiries instantly regardless of their time zones. Online marketing is also being incorporated in many businesses to facilitate communication and also quicken transactions. Customers can get all the information that they require concerning products at a click. When an organization uses the current technology in communication, then those employees who cannot speak in groups are given a voice. Face to face communication maybe difficult to some people, therefore, the use of communication technology is an effective solution to help such people communicate effectively and freely (Paine 2007). Some may fear face to face communication but might have substantial contribution towards the organizational growth, so they can use technological tools to air their ideas and this in the long run maybe very beneficial to the entire organization (Bergen, Grimes & Potter 2005). In the same case, technology can be used by shareholders to discuss issues and come up with solution to the benefit of the organization without necessarily having to meet in a board room. Communication technology helps organization manage their offices well. Because data is stored in databases, there is usually less paperwork in the office and this makes working easier. This gives chance to the organization to concentrate on other productive section since time spent is organizing data is saved by technology (Olson & Olson 2000). Additionally, it promotes participation in the organizational process. Since employees have specific tasks to complete, they can be monitored remotely by the manager and therefore all parties will be active because their work has been simplified by easy communication. Most importantly, communication technology speeds decision making in an organization (Russ 2009). Communication technology involves speed transfer of information and therefore employees and other stakeholders can consult each other and analyze the information in the shortest time possible and make a decision. Using technologies like online analytical process, the can perform queries in databases and get data about a specific issue and make a decision to the good of the organization. It is therefore worth noting that, technology is advancing at a very high rate and communication devices are also emerging to add to business efficiency and facilitate quick exchange of information with employees, customers, business associates regardless of their location (Olson & Olson 2000). However there are challenges which arise when businesses incorporate technology in their business communication. First is interpersonal perception. When using business communication technology, then business is impersonal. Customers are always peppered with electronic communication from business organizations have the highest probability of having this perception (Bergen, Grimes & Potter 2005). Employees at the same time may also have this perception if they only receive messages from managers or other employees through emails. Emails can also create confusion requiring the involved parties to spend more time in seeking feedback than it would be in a more personal communication method. When businesses are using technological businesses communication platforms, there are security risks that the business gets exposed to. Text messages, emails and websites are prone to hackers or other people who are not authorized to access certain information. This security issues that result to legal liabilities if a customer’s personal information such as credit cards number and other personal information are accesses through an illegal means through the business technology. Through hacking, some private information may be compromised and this may affect the performance of the company. Additionally, if competitors access information concerning the strategies of an organization, they may plan to counter the strategies and in so doing affect the performance of the entire company. As stated above, business organization do thrive when they cultivate for personal touch with all the stakeholders (Burleson & Planalp 2000). Technology advancement in communication technology streamline business process but it is said to displace personal touch of business communication. For instance, some businesses have automated service instead of a phone representative when calling them. Business which create personal atmosphere are said to thrive and be more success that those who do not (Reid 2009 ). This being the case, technology incapacitate personal atmosphere rather than increasing it and this may result to loss of business revenue. Technology removed chances of people communicating one on one and therefore issues that need urgent address may end up deteriorating due to technological trust. Moreover, technology relies on human being and therefore when employees over rely on technology they may end up not catching the errors which they would have recognized when they were not using technology (Reid 2009 ). At the same time, in case the technological platform breaks down, then the functions of that organization fail and thus no communication can take place. A company that totally relies on communication technology or has completely online facilities can be incapacitated when the business server fails (Cameron & Webster 2005). Communication technology therefore may halt production or business processes when it fails. To install a communication technology platform, there are costs that the organization incurs. First if the organization is big, with many employees the cost of implementing this project is very high. At the same time, not all employees have the skills connected to the same technology. This calls for training the employees so that they can be equipped with information that will assist them use communication technology effectively. Conclusively, organizations can never compromise their business communication between the internal and external entities. This is due to the fact that, the success of any organization depends on the performance of the workforce as well the target market segment. This therefore means that communication between the two parties must be effective and efficient. This therefore means that, there has to be accurate communication in markets and market places, buyers and sellers, service providers and customer’s organizations and the press and all these communication have substantial impact on the business. When communication is done in the right way, it can be effective in promoting business interests. When misused, then it can portray the organization in poor light and may affect the business interest and therefore organization must invest in good communication to be successful. Technology has affected almost every aspect of our lives and business communication has not been left behind. Business communication have revolutionized in the past few decades due to advances in communication and information technology which has changed the face and the pace of communication in organizations. Technology has resulted to communication and information fast movement and this affects the way businesses are conducted. At the same time, it has changed the way communication used to take place, like always having to travel and arrange for a meeting. Technology has brought about chances where by meeting can be held across the world at the same time through video conferencing and this saves time and money. There are very many advantages which have been realized due to technology, but, there are also other challenges which come with the same technology like privacy, loss of personal touch just to mention but a few. However, the improvements brought in business communication by technology can never be outweighed by the challenges which go with the same technology. 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