Communication Technology

Steve Lopez

BUS 600: Management Communications with Technology Tools

Prof. James Worsley

August 6, 2012

Communication Technology

Communication and technology have evolved over the years and at a rapid pace. With these tools together, they have shaped industries and grew businesses exponentially. Many years ago, man had to use smoke from fire to communicate over long distances. With the new inventions and new technologies for communication, the business world shrunk the globe. Baack (2012) defines communication as, “transmitting, receiving, and processing information.” The organization that does these three things the quickest gives them an advantage on their competition.

An organization needs to enhance its performance by first understanding the correct communication technology for them. The organization needs to be able to deliver communications that are timely, accurate, effective, and efficient. “These various modes of communication may be used to disseminate official information between employees and management, to exchange hearsay and rumors, or anything in between” (Reference for Business). Organizations need to understand what communication tools will best fit their organization. Defining the objectives of the organizations communication needs along with the costs is beneficial to the right communication tools needed for that specific organization. Table 1.1 shows the communication start plan an organization needs to go through to determine the factors that are best for their particular organization (Simmons, 2004).

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After an organization has defined its communication needs and established the correct communication tools, they then must periodically determine success factors. With the organizations needs changing as well as communication technologies, organizations need to determine if new tools maybe needed. In some cases, tools that are not working efficiently or effectively for the organization maybe eliminated.

One of the first communication technologies used in organizations and still used today that revolutionized not only business but also everyday life was the telephone. With the use of the telephone, organizations around the world were able to communicate and grow their businesses. Organizations were able to use the telephone to communicate to employees as well as customers without the face-to-face interaction. The telephone saved organizations time and money on sending employees to perspective customers that they would normally not be able to reach. In addition, the telephone was a huge cost savings in advertising with the advent of telemarketing. As technology has evolved so has the phone. Cellular phones are an everyday tool for many businesses. This device keeps employees in touch while in office as well as out of office. Cellular phones have advanced so far as to receive and send emails, documents, and pictures from employees to employees.

As well as telephones, another communication technology widely used in many organizations is electronic mail or emails. Emails are a written messages sent from one computer or telephone device to another over the internet. Emails can have a positive use in that it can reach massive audiences and be worked by the receivers on their own time. Emails are also great for sending documents and having a history trail for all communication. Emails are also used as documentation between employers as well as customers. There are also negative aspects to email. It can take up too much of an employee’s time, employees can hide behind the use, and some employees just do not read all the emails they receive. With emails being one of the lifelines of many organizations, this medium can and is used to overload. With email used as the main form of communication technology in some organizations, verbal communication skills are eroding in the workplace. Sender’s communications are not being sent or received correctly. Receivers of the email communication are not seeing or hearing the nonverbal cues used in interpreting messages that would be used in face-to-face interaction or by telephone use. The receiver does not get the inflection of the sender’s voice or the facial expressions that the sender may use causing problems in the communication.

Another communication technology tool used in organizations today is instant messaging or IM’s. This technology enables employees to interact quickly and exchange brief messages. The messages are sent over the interoffice server or through the internet. Instant messaging differs from e-mail in that IM communication occurs in real time, while multiple users are online and can conduct a back-and-forth conversation. IM can take place between employees anywhere in the world. Instant messages are used for quick response and are worked by the receiver shortly after receiving. Unlike emails this form of communication technology in an organizations are timely and efficient. A couple downfalls of instant messages is that they conversation cannot be used as documentation for reference later and employees use this technology for personal conversations.

Technology has not only greatly influenced organizational communication it also spurred a completely new industry. The transportation industry was affected by new communication technologies that a completely new side of its operations evolved. Third party logistics companies are a new entity to the transportation industry all in part to new communication technologies. A third-party logistics provider or 3PL is a company that provides service to its customers logistical needs or all of their supply chain management functions. Third party logistics companies specialize in the moving of their customers product based on market conditions and delivery requirements. Most 3PL’s companies offer services that go beyond logistics and include value-added services that save money for their customers. All of the 3PL’s services are based on good communication between many parties. With the advancement of communication technologies in the marketplace, this makes it possible.

Communication is the lifeblood of a third party logistic company externally and internally. A 3PL has to coordinate the pickup of a product by a carrier and have it delivered on time. This process has a minimum of three external parties involved in the communication and sometimes many more. Without modern communication technology, tools like the telephone, emails, and instant messaging this process would be impossible. These tools cut down the time needed to coordinate a pickup and move. This helps the 3PL be more efficient and save its customer money. In, “Communication Technology Enabled Knowledge,” Buchel (2000) states, “the processing of information demands the use of communication media. Since the early 1990s, companies have relied increasingly on new communication technologies to improve their performance.” Third party logistics companies that have the newest communication technologies have a leg up on their competitors. If a 3PL company can show the customer not only that they can save them money but also is using the most advanced communication tools it will win that customers business over competitors.

The specific third party logistic company that I researched how their communication technology was working for them was Menlo Worldwide Logistics. This 3PL is familiar to me as I have worked at Menlo Worldwide for 3 years. I found that Menlo Worldwide uses these three forms of communication for internal communication as well as external. With emails being the more prevalent form of communication and a lifeline for Menlo Worldwide Logistics, this medium can and is used to overload. In the article “Internal Communications,” Farrant (2003) states, “the downside in formal internal communications may be that people are less inclined to pay attention to widely disseminated mails in a medium in which they use predominantly for person-to-person communication. If only to have their own material given the right attention, internal communications practitioners must be in the vanguard of developing guidelines to lessen e-mail overload” With email used as the main form of communication at Menlo, verbal communication skills are eroding in the workplace. Sender’s communications are not being sent or received correctly.

Menlo does have other technologies they use for external communications. They have a website that customers can visit that tells of all new business and company info. Besides the website, Menlo also has a Facebook page as well as a Twitter account. Two of the newest communication technologies, companies use to attract customers and keep employees interactive. With the development of Facebook, businesses push for a self-service approach to customer service. No longer are businesses struggling to build relationships with customers. By viewing customer posts, blogs, and news feeds, companies effectively track customer complaints and offer efficient corrections. Companies like Menlo gain insights into the needs and interests of the population by reading negative comments and formulating ways to correct customer service techniques. Twitter is the new realm of communication. Johnson (2009) in his article “How Twitter will Change the Way We Live” describes Twitter this way, “Injecting Twitter into a conversation fundamentally changed the rules of engagement. It added a second layer of discussion and brought a wider audience into what would have been a private exchange. It was built entirely out of 140-character messages, but the sum total of those tweets added up to something truly substantive, like a suspension bridge made of pebbles.” In the future, this social networking service will be used for all forms of communication including business. Advertising through Twitter will be a new way to reach customers. Twitter can also be used to advise employees of; events, work related articles, or to advise stakeholders of the company finances. Per Management Communication, business communication is defined as, “the total set of venues used to transmit messages to all publics and stakeholders, within the company and outside the company” (Baack, 2012). Twitter will be able to reach people that would normally not know what a 3PL is or what Menlo Worldwide does. Menlo Worldwide needs to do a better job of advising customers and employees of the communication technologies that they have recently implemented. I found that not all employees are aware of them or know how to find them. I took an independent survey of 20 employees in my office, 80% were not aware of the Twitter account, and 45% were not aware of the Facebook page. It is nice to have the new technologies for communication internally and externally but if nobody is aware of them then they go to waste and money is lost.

Twice a month on Friday’s Menlo Worldwide nationwide has what they call a town hall meeting for each individual office. At these meetings, managers advise employees of any news or upcoming events. This would be a great time for an update on all communication technologies available to employees. Communications through Twitter for the month can be shown to all town hall attendees. Building managers can show a PowerPoint slide on the website and where to find it. Training all employees when they start of the company website and employee portal would be a good idea. Having employees trained on the features of the company website would help them be more knowledgeable of how the company is doing as well as to show them what the customer is seeing when they visit the website. Menlo has all the tools in place for great communication but have done a poor job advising employees and customers of them or how to use them. As stated Menlo uses emails extensively, they could send out a weekly email update to employees with updates to Facebook or Twitter and encourage employees to visit these social networks.

References

Baack, D. (2012). Management Communication. (Ashford University ed.). San Diego, CA:

Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Buchel, B. (2000) Communication Technology Enabled Knowledge Organizations. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10044063&ppg=14

Farrant, J. (2003). Internal Communications. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/docDetail.action?docID=10088336&ppg=22&p00

Johnson, S. (2009). How Twitter will Change the Way We Live. Time Magazine 173(21). Retrieved from http://www.time.com

Reference for Business. (n.d.). Communication in Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Clo-Con/Communication-in- Organizations

Simmons, M. (2004). Communication Strategies at a Fortune 500 Company: The Impact on Performance. Retrieved from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/ARossett/pie/Interventions/communication