4.4 Electronic Communication Limitations
In a global corporation, much of the communication is electronic. “Electronic communication” means that communication is by means of data messages and a digital medium. There are a smaller proportion of “real” face-to-face meetings and until recently few meeting used Interactive Video. Instead, bulletin boards and email have proliferated This environment tends to isolate managers in different parts of a company . also, this behavioral change means that there will be less spontaneous and informal communication in a company. To keep from getting “out of touch” , managers need to work harder to communicate feelings and develop trust relationships. Communications-driven DSS should probably include pictures of participants and background materials. The changes in communications medium and associated limitations may improve some group outcomes. For example, there may be more anonymous brainstorming and better documentation of decision rationales. Lisa Kimball [10] argues “too many teams fail to consider key qualities of different media in their choices about when and how to use the full range of communications channels available to them.” The benefits of various media for decision-making meetings needs to be better understood and must be considered by team leaders.