How Information Technology Affects Managerial Communication

With the proliferation of Information Technology (IT), it's become possible to reach employees, clients and colleagues at virtually any time, in any place. Smartphones, laptop computers, tablets and desktop computers are all of sufficient sophistication to support voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging, email management and even communication via social networking. This means that even when employees leave the office, they can be contacted via one of their other devices and that issues can be addressed immediately as they arise, instead of waiting for the next business day.

IT also enables more efficient means of transmitting important data. Wireless data networks offer increasing bandwidth for data transmission, making downloading and uploading important files to and from work possible from virtually anywhere. Couple the availability of sophisticated software for mobile devices direct access to company resources, and the data transmission possibilities are quite vast. For example, management for an engineering firm can send revised blueprints to a construction team in a rural community via the lead engineer's tablet computer, while the team can in turn send progress reports back to management.

Communication within the office also has seen changes with IT integration. Should management need to privately discuss a matter with an employee, this conversation can be carried out via an instant messenger as opposed to calling the employee away from their workstation for a meeting. Members of different departments can all conference with one another via video calls and voice calls utilizing messaging software like Skype and other communications tools. This can be particularly useful when two departments are separated physically by considerable distance.

IT gives management the ability to oversee operations of remarkable scales. Depending on the manager's position within the company and the company's size, IT allows personnel to interact with one another across the globe. With high-speed data transmission allowing large files to be transmitted in relatively short order, IT enables managers and employees to coordinate globally on any number of tasks. Conferences can be held with the heads of various departments around the world, without incurring expensive travel costs.

Depending on the size of your company and services required, implementing an extensive IT system can be a costly endeavor. As a result, investments of this scale require careful planning to ensure the costs don't outweigh the benefits. Having almost 24-hour access to employees must also be managed carefully to prevent overworking or privacy invasion. Also, with more lines of communication available, there are more possibilities for intrusion by hackers and other malicious individuals. This means your security must evolve on par with your IT infrastructure.