Technology in the Workplace

Technology has evolved and affected friendships, communication, and the workplace. A topic that we didn’t go into a lot of detail with is how technology has affected communication in the workplace. There are quite a few topics to cover here. Technology, such as emails, phone calls, conference calls, and video calls, has made it much easier to keep in contact with our coworkers and bosses. This has enabled employees to communicate with the entire company, even if another office is on the other coast of the US. It allows companies to communicate with offices in other countries. Conference calls and skype sessions keeps CEOs in contact with each other and up-to-date on the company’s happenings.

Technology also changes communication in a negative way. Instead of spending the time to call a client and speak with them directly, employees will send an email. This makes it seem as though the company isn’t invested in their clients. Emails are impersonal. Using the phone is an interactive and direct line of communication that allows the employee and client to have meaningful interactions. Social media is another negative aspect of technology that has affected the workplace. Employers have asked their employees to hand over usernames and passwords for their personal accounts. Employers are then able to snoop into their personal lives, looking at private pictures and messages. Should employers be allowed to do this? It’s almost like giving them full access to your house- opening drawers and going on your computer. I think this is a violation of the employee’s privacy because a person other than their Facebook friend is viewing their profile. People have privacy settings for a reason. It could be beneficial in some aspects, such as a potential police officer breaking the law in a picture on his Facebook.

Negativity aside, let’s look at the positives of having social media associated with a business. In the Forbes article I was reading, called How Technology has changed Workplace Communication, a home-based consultant created a Facebook for her business and found it easier to converse with her team. She also saw her employees creating friendships that benefited the workplace. Social media can definitely have a positive effect for businesses. It’s essentially advertising. Creating a Facebook page makes it easier for potential clients to find a business. Companies can post updates, specials, news, and photos on their page. People can ‘like’ or ‘friend’ them, making the page more popular. A restaurant or catering business could create an instagram and post pictures of their dishes. Everybody seems to be interested in the fad of posting food pictures. That’s yet another great way for that company to advertise.

As we can see, technology has led to pros and cons in the workplace. People are able to easily contact one another, but lose that interpersonal connection when it isn’t done face-to-face. Social media has created issues with employers wanting access to their employees personal accounts, and finding potentially harmful information. On the other side, social media can help a business grow and get more customers. All-in-all, technology in the workplace will constantly evolve, and the workplace must evolve with it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/unify/2013/12/10/how-technology-has-changed-workplace-communication/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/10/facebook-passwords-employers/4327739/