Benefits of virtual communication at work places

Essay by shakemanUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, September 2013

download word file, 7 pages 0.0

QUESTION 1

Justify with practical examples why virtual communication is vital in organisations. [25]

According to Miller (2009) Virtual communication also called Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) is a form of human communication using a computer and Internet network and this Internet-based communication takes place on a global collection of networks that utilise the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite for data exchange. It is a type of communication which allows people to combine numerous media in a single message when conversing. CMC is an interactive channel which allows users to be active and engage in two-way communication.

Developments in technology have enabled virtual communication to emerge as a new medium for communication (Dietz-Uhler & Clark, 2001). Modes of Virtual communication technology include; instant messaging, email, voice mail, facsimile, audio and video conferencing, computer conferencing.

Virtual communication is proving to be very crucial to the modern business set up because of the benefits it offers to organisations, as the reality of business today demands the use of virtual communication for at least some work, and many professionals will sit on a virtual team at some point (Dewar, 2006).

CMC Creates greater equality at workplace by eliminating the non-verbal cues and power differences (Bower et al., 2001) that inhibit equal participation, resulting in more equal levels of participation within heterogeneous groups. For example, Dietz-Uhler and Clark (2001) found that when groups engaged in CMC followed by a face-to-face discussion, they perceived their interactions as more enjoyable than groups who did not engage in CMC prior to a face-to-face discussion. Dietz-Uhler and Clark (2001) argue that this difference was attributable to the fact that CMC enables greater freedom of thought, in turn improving the dialogue. Moreover, Lind (1999) and Nowak (2003) found that women reported feeling more social presence and were more satisfied...