21st Century Communication Trends
Stephen P. Borgatti identified five organizational trends that influence the workplace of the 21st century. These trends also have an effect on workplace communication.
Globalization:
Companies today want to expand their operations globally. They want to have access to many different markets in different countries. The key benefit of global organizations is the ability to exploit regional differences in customers’ needs and production capabilities, such as worker expertise, costs, government aid and so forth.
Diversity:
Diversity is considered both a supporting factor of innovation, and a source of conflicts. Management and employees need to cope with different styles of interacting, dressing, presentation, and physically appearance in a multicultural company.
Flexibility:
Flexible organizations are the ones in which organization systems, processes, and people are able to respond differently to different situations. By being flexible, the corporations have fewer detailed rules, greater autonomy, and special job schedules for mothers.
Flat:
The levels in the hierarchy are disappearing. Communication is fast in flatter structures. This structure helps the company for speedy exchange of information and cost reduction. Better communication between management and workers, less bureaucracy, easier decision-making and better team worker are few of the advantages of the flat structure.
Networked:
Direct communication across unit and firm boundaries enhances the speed of decision-making. Many companies outsource activities that are not their core competencies. If they decide to offshore, they have to establish a network with their service providers in the other countries.
Personal examples
Diversity:
In the MBA program at IUP, students come from all over the world. It reflects how organizations are today: people who have to work together have different backgrounds, different cultures, and different working experiences. It is a chance to work together because we learn a lot from each others.
Networked:
To travel from France to Pittsburgh, PA, I booked a flight through Air France’s website. But I flew in a Delta Airlines plane between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh because Air France doesn’t have direct flight to Pittsburgh and doesn’t have any domestic flight inside the US. Thanks to this networked alliance, I was able to book the entire trip on the same website without worry. It has made my reservation easier.
Additional resources
- An example of diversity is Microsoft which is committed to diversity for better performance.
Microsoft’s official website: http://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/default.mspx
- Google allows its employees to play at work. The workplace is more than a place where people work, it is also a place to meet other people and have fun.
Google’s official website: http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/plex/index.html
