The ability to work in a team is highly appreciated today on the labor market. Most of the employees and job seekers intentionally develop this skill in order to increase the likelihood of their employment. Nevertheless, all these enthusiasts also face a lot of challenges in the ever-changing sphere of collaboration in a group, which is especially affected by the technology. The technology is believed to have both positive and negative effects on the teamwork. Yet, there are definitely a few ways that might be used with the intention to benefit from the technology use.

First of all, human resources managers have outlined the special type of group and named it “virtual”. It consists of the experts from the different areas, located in the various continents of the world. For them the only way to communicate is to use the technology such as the Facebook groups or chats, the Skype etc. The communication technologies might also raise the level of participation of employees in the process of decision-making. The simplicity of the interfaces of the communication programs makes the top managers more accessible to average employees. Moreover, they can inform top managers about key proposals or innovations that might be used in the process of the development of the new product or service. The information technologies also help leaders to keep the key processes under control, even when they are outside their offices. They are frequently used for the discussions, conferences and business meetings, when not all of the invited individuals can be present in one place.

On the other hand, a lot of managers admit that their employees prefer to send electronic messages, and in general they avoid personal and live communication. They acknowledge that the rapid use of the technologies is not beneficial for the teamwork, since it decreases the overall level of mutual understanding and coherence of workgroups. Moreover, the lower quality of teamwork might serve as one of the reasons for the intense turnover rates. The communication technologies might also cause misunderstandings or confusions within a team, since it might be hard to understand the other person correctly only with the help of electronic messages. As a result, it may lead to some bitter disputes or debates. It is a great threat especially for the business practices, where a lot of the interactions and business operations are conducted for a short period of time.

The flaws related to the use of the technology in the teamwork might be addressed through several initiatives. Firstly, it is important to diversify messages and mediums for communicating them. Long messages or the ones that concern the vision, values or the mission of the company have to be delivered in person. The ones that consist of the several words or notions can be sent electronically. The establishment of clear rules for the electronic communication, the sanctions for their breaking, and the policies also help to improve the work in teams.

In conclusion, the effects of the technology are diverse. On the one hand, they raise the productivity of the teamwork and enable the cooperation of experts from different fields and from different continents or countries. On the other hand, the technology disconnects the people depriving them of the personal contacts. Regardless of this fact, the technology might be well-used in order to improving the productivity of groups or work distantly. The companies are also recommended to establish the policies for the internal communication.

This article was prepared by Mason Dillon, who is an essaysprofessors reviews writer.