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Chapter7BUSINESSCOMMUNICATIONTHROUGHTECHNOLOGYFramework•7.1technologyforefficiency•7.2efficientinsending&receivingmessages•7.3technologyforcontinuingbusiness•7.4technologicaltoolsfittedforbusinesscommunication•7.5summaryCase:Henry’sworkinghourHenrygoestohisofficeat8:30sharp.Thefirstthinghedoesistoseeifanyfaxarrivedlastnight,ashealwaysleavesthefacsimileinwhenheleavestheoffice.Thenextthingforhimistoseeifanymessagewasleftonthevoicemail.Whileheislisteningtothosemessages,hestartshiscomputertoseeifanyemailcomesforhim.Heisusedtocheckinghisemailthreetimesaday-morning,earlyafternoon,andbeforeleaveingtheoffice.Henryhasreceivedseveralmessagesfromthevoicemail,someemail,andafewfaxes.Hepicksupthephoneandtalkstosomevoicemailcallers.Rightafterthathecomposessomemessagessoastomakethoseemailsendersfeelsatisfied.Finally,hespendsaroundtwentyminutessendingfaxestothoserelatedpeople.Assoonashefinishesallthese,heisaskedtoattendamorningmeetingcalledonbytheGM.Hehasbarelyfinishedhislunchwhenhismobilephonerings-itisacallfromtheHongKongbranchmanager,askingforthefinaldecisionforanewcontractwithaHongKongestategroup.AstheVPofthecompanyisawayinOttawa,HenrytellsthebranchmanagerthathewillgivehimacallbackassoonashereachestheVP.Assoonasthecallisover,HenrystartsdialingtheVP’smobilephonetoaskhisopinionforthatcontract…Question:whatcanwelearnformtheabovecase?•Inthepast,peopledependedsolelyonthelinedtelephone,writingletters,orsendingtelegraphsincaseofemergencies.•Now,people(esp.businessmen)areenjoyingtheconvenienceandefficienciesofthehightechnology.•Businesscommunicationtodayhasbenefitalotsfromtechnology7.1Technologyforefficiency•Whatworriesthebusinessmanmostistheefficiencyofcommunication.–Eg.,tobecompetitive,youhavetobehighlyefficientincommunicatingwithotherbusinessmen.•Onewayout:tomastercommunicationtechnology.–Informationhighway,orinformationsuperhighwayinAmerica.7.2Efficientinsending&receivingmessages•Efficiencyhasbecomethebottle-neckforbusinessmen.–businessmenhavemuchmailtohandleeveryday,e.gwritelettersandwaitforfeedbackwilltakeeightdaysforasingletravelandsixteendaysforanimmediatereturnfromShanghaitoNewYork.•Solvingway:moderntechnology–e.gEmail-oneofthemostefficientandeconomicalway-keepsthemessageflowsoundandfast7.2.1Efficientinmakingdecisions•Inbusiness,theearlybirdgetstheworm.–eg.,companywhichlaunchesanewproductearlierbeatscompanythatlaunchesthesimilarproductlater.•But,decision-makingactionisnoteasytobecarriedout,esp.involvingstrategicmovement.–eg.Mergingplan,settingupanoverseasbranch,withdrawingcapitalfromagivenproject,etc.•Reasonsfordifficultyindecision-making:–Decision-makingneedscarefulanalysis,dependablecalculatedfigures,agoodcoordinationbetweendifferentoffices,etc.•Inall,soundtechnologyservesasthebackup.–Roleofefficiency(e.ggettherequiredmessages,tellbosshappeningabroad)–Roleofeffectiveness(e.gcellularphone-immediacy;email-fast,economical,freefromjetlag,autoresponse,ReplyallFunction)7.2.2Effectiveinobtainingthedesiredeffect•Mostimportantoftheapplicationofhightechnology,isobtainingthedesiredeffect.•Differentwaysoforalmessages:–Bywayofvoicemail(convenientbothforthemessagedialeranditsreceiver,doesnotaskforacomputer,morepersonal)–Bywayofvisualaids•plainspeechV.S.speechplusvisualaids•Usingvisualaidsistimeeconomical,esp.sthaskforalengthydescriptionBarchart0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%1stquar.2ndquar.3rdquar.4thquar.eastwestnorthDiagram7.1GrowthinThreeTerritoriesfortheLastYearPiechart2-3years36%4-5years22%6-7years17%8-9years14%10years7%other4%Diagram7.2ChartofCompositionofEmployees’WorkingExperience7.2.3Effectiveinholdingdistantmeetings/conferences•It’seasyforsmall-scaledcompaniestoholdbusinessmeetings.•ItwouldbecostlyforCEOstocometotheheadquartersforameetingininternationalcompanieswithoverseassubsidiaries.•Workwayout:electronicmeeting•Teleconference:severalpeopleatdifferentplacesbutonlineatthesametime.•Videoconference:–VideoconferenceVS.teleconference–Essentialmediaequipment:audioservice,videoservice,relevantgraphicmessages,–Others:specialroom,specialequipment–Feathers:significant,effectivebutcostly7.3Technologyforcontinuingbusiness•Thosesticktotraditionalway,ignorantofnewbusinesstechnology,boundtosuffer.•Agoodunderstandingofnewbusinesstechnologybenefityourbusiness.7.3.1Buildupyourcompany’sdatabase•Absolutelywrongtothinkbusinessisonlybusinessandtakenocareofinformationmanagement.•Easiertochecktheformerinformationwithadatabasethanfilesonpaper.•Database:asystematicfilebuiltoncomputer,includesdatabasecreating,updating,andmaintaining.7.3.2E-commerce•Broadsenseandnarrowsense*•E-commerce:acheapway(timeandmoneysaving)•E-commercebringsroomforsmallbusiness•E-commerce:arevolutiontobusinessinanall-roundway7.3.2.1Advantageofon-lineshopping•Question:whatcanyoudoifyouwanttobuysthyetcannotgotothestorebyyourself?–Option1:callthestoreandaskthemtosendittoyou–Option2:goon-lineshoppingAdvantagesofon-lineshopping•Morechoice–Moreproducts,variedprices–Beeconomicalinsavingtime–Makeyouasatisfiedconsumer•Convenient-thestoreisalwaysopen•Expandedshoppingmall•Shoppingon-l