Business Communication in Today’s Virtual Workplace Environment
With the growth of the information highway and adoption of the virtual workplace, organizations are constantly reviewing their approach to enhance its operations and overall business functions. A key component of an organization’s operational success is the capability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels, and the emergence of technology is having a pronounced impact on the way organizations conduct business. Since employees are widely dispersed, virtual offices and use of various technologies are not uncommon; therefore, managers will have to consider that sometimes communicating with employees often mean virtual meetings or working with employees in remote …show more content…
One approach is to conduct an organizational self-assessment of its current communication practices to address areas that may be unclear or outdated - to identify areas where the organization needs improvement - to include adapting the use of new technology or communication tools. While some employees prefer communicating over the phone or by email, others prefer to receive text messages as a primary means of communicating when outside the office or are not available to answer the phone. Some individuals prefer text messaging over voice messages, because it allows them to respond to a request or contact the sender when the time is most convenient (Kiddie, 2014). The organization that clearly defines communication protocol, policies, and guidelines can mitigate potential workplace communication issues and help employees take the necessary steps to improve on current communication …show more content…
Are the appropriate tools available to communicate effectively, are organizational communication policies and procedures clearly stated, and/or are the employees merely failing to follow communication protocol? Maybe the organization has been equipped with the most advanced communication technology and employee-training was not included during the technology integration process. Prior to jumping to conclusions and changing the way information flows within the organization, there are a few things an organization can
With the growth of the information highway and adoption of the virtual workplace, organizations are constantly reviewing their approach to enhance its operations and overall business functions. A key component of an organization’s operational success is the capability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels, and the emergence of technology is having a pronounced impact on the way organizations conduct business. Since employees are widely dispersed, virtual offices and use of various technologies are not uncommon; therefore, managers will have to consider that sometimes communicating with employees often mean virtual meetings or working with employees in remote …show more content…
One approach is to conduct an organizational self-assessment of its current communication practices to address areas that may be unclear or outdated - to identify areas where the organization needs improvement - to include adapting the use of new technology or communication tools. While some employees prefer communicating over the phone or by email, others prefer to receive text messages as a primary means of communicating when outside the office or are not available to answer the phone. Some individuals prefer text messaging over voice messages, because it allows them to respond to a request or contact the sender when the time is most convenient (Kiddie, 2014). The organization that clearly defines communication protocol, policies, and guidelines can mitigate potential workplace communication issues and help employees take the necessary steps to improve on current communication …show more content…
Are the appropriate tools available to communicate effectively, are organizational communication policies and procedures clearly stated, and/or are the employees merely failing to follow communication protocol? Maybe the organization has been equipped with the most advanced communication technology and employee-training was not included during the technology integration process. Prior to jumping to conclusions and changing the way information flows within the organization, there are a few things an organization can