Electronic communication has become more important to workplace collaboration in the early 21st century. Expansion of globalization and more spread out distribution of work team members have made it useful in sharing information and communicating on projects. The Internet, email, social media and virtual team "rooms" are common tools used for electronic workplace collaboration.
The importance of electronic communication in workplace collaboration began to surge in the late 20th century, according to a July 1998 article from Gartner called "The Electronic Workplace: The Evolution Continues." The company noted that basic trends in business operations and functions hadn't changed much over time, other than major developments in separation of work teams across varying locations. Whereas companies had historically kept work team members in the same locations, the capabilities of electronic communication contributed to more remote collaboration.
Email, virtual team rooms and other basic interactive tools provided by the Internet were among the first drivers of dispersed work teams. These tools allow companies to have employees collaborate on projects economically, even when they are located in different parts of the world. Retailers, for instance, are able to maintain greater cross-market brand consistency by enabling managers across the chain to communicate on a regular basis through email, intranets and electronic forums. Electronic communication also enables employees to maintain an ongoing dialogue to share ideas, even when they can't meet at the same time. In a forum, for instance, employees can offer ongoing input on a new product development.
A result of the availability of greater electronic communication tools is the increased ability of companies to develop diverse workplaces. Companies that can build diverse work teams take advantage of a broader range of ideas and better ability to serve global marketplaces with knowledgeable employees. The challenge is to instill cultural awareness, acceptance and sensitivity into the work culture. However, electronic communication tools also make it easier for companies to provide diversity training webinars, tutorials and forums online.
Despite their benefits, electronic communication does have limitations. Face-to-face communication remains important to building strong relationships with clients and colleagues. An ad agency may use email to approach a potential major client and submit a request for proposal, for instance, but agency representatives typically travel to meet with client executives to sell the campaign idea. Electronic communication also lacks some of the efficiency required in urgent situations. If a decision is needed immediately, face-to-face or phone conversations may work better. Protecting privacy and confidentiality of information is another concern for companies that share information electronically. Some companies also abuse or misuse email and other electronic tools for non-work activities.
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