1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION & ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
BY KHAWAJA MAZHAR IFTIKHAR
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Today the world turns on communication and information technology has changed the way business is
transacted. Each day more than $ 1 trillion is transferred electronically. For managers to survive in an
environment of ever increasing competition, the need to use information technology for effective
management of business and people is greater.
Business managers who enter the global market competition with knowledge of information
technology and an understanding to manage change will certainly be successful and also have a strategic
edge over their competitors. This new technology has brought with it challenges which management have
to tackle in order to stay in the run for larger profits: The following are few of such challenges:
E-mail
E-mail has gained unprecedented importance in the business organisations. These not only have
reduced paper work but also have made communication easily and quickly accessible. E-mails refer to
messages sent over computer and includes everything from casual notes to spiced up business
presentations. With this technology organisation and managers can reach individuals, groups, companies,
or other computers anywhere on the globe to share information that can be stored on a computer. It is the
cheapest source of communicating a message to a person or a company. Written communication patterns in
e-mails are more informal, even then managers have to draft their messages carefully.
The Internet
The Internet is a large network of computers that connect many different organisations with one
another across the globe. It can be accessed from any part of the world provided there are
telecommunication or satellalite facilities. Initially used by academics, researchers and engineers, the
Internet is being used by more & more business organisations. With this facility manager no longer have to
worry about the distant location of their ancillary wings. A CEO using a laptop in his office can easily
summarize business transactions of his company around the world.
Voice Mail
With time constraints in global management of business, voice mail can help managers receive
and give messages to the associated group of people. This technology enables a caller to leave his message
recorded. On the other end the receiver can retrieve the information from the answering machine and get
back to the caller.
Groupware
Groupware facilitates managers and supervisors in managing activities of their departments and
subordinates. A supervisor with the help of a computer program can get facts and figures from his
operatives. He does not have to physically move around. Groupware has brought about great change in the
culture of organisations. Privacy, hierarchy, face-to-face meetings, reports & memos have been threatened
by groupware technology to a great extent.
CD-Rom Data bases
CD-Rom has been a powerful information tool over the years and will be in the years ahead. A CD
disk can store more than 100,000 pages of text and can also serve an excellent back up source for the hard
disk.
Teleconferences
Telecommunications refer to electronic exchange of information. In much of today’s world
telephone, telexes, faxes and video images generated on computer screen can connect managers sitting in
different parts of the world. This method will reduce time and traveling costs of business executives in the
days to come.