COMM 565 - The Technology Phenomenon of Work

There is no denying that technology has transformed the way our society conducts business. Many organizations have had to examine their communication approach based on new technology, the Internet, and social media. In his article, An Overall Approach to the Communication of Organizations in Conventional and Virtual Office, author, Mehmet Altinoz does an excellent job of defining the communication approach for corporations. While the communication of an organization may seem obvious, most corporations could do a better job regarding their approach. It is important to review the functions of communication such as providing information, training, motivation, etc. This is a good breakdown of the purposes of organizational communication and the intent behind relaying various messages. At the most basic level, “communication helps implement and the basic functions of management such as planning, organizing and control; and thus organizations can fulfill their roles” (p. 476). Therefore, if companies continue to put the purpose of communication at the forefront, everything else such as mediums will fall into place.

            There is also the added component of how to communicate via a virtual office environment as they provide different challenges than conventional office settings. Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer bans working from home. Mayer’s intentions behind the decision are to increase productivity and establish a more connected company culture (Goudreau, 2013). Companies are learning how to navigate technological waters in order to maintain productivity levels as well as employee satisfaction. Understandably, there was frustration from some working mothers who had established a routine with their childcare as part of being able to telecommute. Read more about the situation here.

             In addition to communication in a technological environment, there is also the added component of how technology affects the workplace. While many individuals consider incorporating technology into the workplace to be a positive, it can also be associated with some negative outcomes. For example, some employees may be resistant to change or have a hard time learning new technology (Higuera, 2014). 

            Ultimately, our society is going to go through some growing pains as we determine how to navigate the technological and social media waters. We can learn from each other and create best practices and evolve based on successes and failures.

Altinoz, M. (2008). An Overall Approach to the Communication of Organizations in

Conventional and Virtual Office. Proceedings of the World Academy of Science,

Engineering, and Technology. Volume 31.

Goudreau, J. (2013). Back To The Stone Age? New Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Bans

Working From Home.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/02/25/back-to-the-stone-age-new-yahoo-ceo-marissa-mayer-bans-working-from-home/