web posters--technology

The web posters I'll discuss today center on organizing and new communication technologies. ZamoraDesign's research on information transparency in organizational communication examined the ways organizations use new communication technologies to make information easily accessible--or not. I like the notion of linking transparency with social responsibility. That is, part of being a good corporate citizen is making information available. Still, as several researchers point out, complete transparency is not only impossible but not advisable. Some information, such as employee records and trade secrets, have to remain inaccessible. And strategic ambiguity also suggests that clear and open communication is not always the best way to proceed. For example, sensitive negotiations between organizations may be best advanced with some equivocal communication. Mission statements are generally ambiguous to encourage agreement among all groups. What stood out in this web poster was the author's video discussion of future research, which personalized the poster.

I've done some reading on global virtual teams for a project I worked on with several colleagues. Such teams are becoming more common, especially as more organizations tap into personnel resources outside their traditional geographic boundaries. As PinkLady describes in her web poster, she's interested in this topic because she works in such a team. Some of the research in this area is rudimentary, but as the research moves away from basic comparisons of in person and online communication, organizational communication scholars will develop more sophisticated models of such teams as well as guidelines for best practices.

Anima's focus on virtual worlds and organizational communication fascinated me because of my experiences in online learning/teaching and my participation in groups and organizations that coordinate their efforts primarily online. When I attended the Association of Internet Researcher's conference last year, one of the founders from Linden Labs--the creators of Second Life--was the keynote speaker. The potential for collaborative work (as well as many other applications) in Second Life is there, but as Anima found in her research, far from fully realized. At this point, organizations seem more interested in using Second Life to develop a consumer base and not as interested in using Second Life was a work space. My dream is to have faculty meetings in Second Life. I wonder what avatars my colleagues would create.

~ Professor Cyborg