Page 430 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

CHAPTER 13 • Managing Communication and Information 429
How Do We Manage Communication in an Internet World?
Lars Dalgaard, founder and chief executive of SuccessFactors, a human resource manage-
ment software company, recently sent an e-mail to his employees banning in-house e-mail
for a week. His goal? Getting employees to “authentically address issues amongst each
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other.” And he’s not alone. Other companies have tried the same thing. As we discussed
earlier, e-mail can consume employees, but it’s not always easy for them to let go of it, even
when they know it can be “intexticating.” But e-mail is only one communication challenge
in this Internet world. A recent survey found that 20 percent of employees at large compa-
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nies say they contribute regularly to blogs, social networks, wikis, and other Web services.
Managers are learning, the hard way sometimes, that all this new technology has created spe-
cial communication challenges. The two main ones are (1) legal and security issues, and (2)
lack of personal interaction.

This is BIG!

leGAl AnD securiTy issues. Chevron paid $2.2 million to settle a sexual harass-
ment lawsuit stemming from inappropriate jokes being sent by employees over company
e-mail. UK firm Norwich Union had to pay £450,000 in an out-of-court settlement after
an employee sent an e-mail stating that its competitor, Western Provident Association, was
in financial difficulties. Whole Foods Market was investigated by federal regulators and its
board after CEO John P. Mackey used a pseudonym to post comments on a blog attacking
the company’s rival Wild Oats Markets. 33
Although e-mail, blogs, tweets, and other forms of online communication are quick and
easy ways to communicate, managers need to be aware of potential legal problems from inap-
propriate usage. Electronic information is potentially admissible in court. For instance, dur-
ing the Enron trial, prosecutors entered into evidence e-mails and other documents they say
showed that the defendants defrauded investors. Says one expert, “Today, e-mail and instant
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messaging are the electronic equivalent of DNA evidence.” But legal problems aren’t the
only issue; security concerns are an issue as well.
A survey addressing outbound e-mail and content security found that 26 percent of the
companies surveyed saw their businesses affected by the exposure of sensitive or embarrass-
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ing information. Managers need to ensure that confidential information is kept confidential.
Employee e-mails and blogs should not communicate—inadvertently or purposely—proprie- Internal social media enable these IBM
employees in Dublin, Ireland, to
tary information. Corporate computer and e-mail systems should be protected against hackers communicate and collaborate with colleagues
(people who try to gain unauthorized access to computer systems) and spam (electronic junk at IBM offices throughout the world. They use
mail). These serious issues must be addressed if the benefits of communication technology IBM Connections, a social network platform,
and Sametime 8.5.2, IBM’s internal instant
are to be realized. messaging system, to share knowledge,
improve decision making, and accelerate
innovation.
PersonAl inTerAcTion. It may be called
social media, but another communication chal-
lenge posed by the Internet age we live and work
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in is the lack of personal interaction. Even when
two people are communicating face-to-face, under-
standing is not always achieved. However, it can
be especially challenging to achieve understanding
and collaborate on getting work done when com-
munication takes place in a virtual environment. In
response, some companies have banned e-mail on
certain days, as we saw earlier. Others have sim-
ply encouraged employees to collaborate more in
person. Yet, sometimes and in some situations, per-
sonal interaction isn’t physically possible—your
colleagues work across the continent or even across
the globe. In those instances, real-time collabora-
tion software (such as private workplace wikis,
Artur Widak/ZUMA Press/Newscom