How ICTs Influence Communication in a Virtual Environment

Why are ICTs important, especially in a virtual space?

ICTs (Information Communication Technologies) are applications where different forms of digital communications are used. These applications could include Zoom, Webex, Google Docs, Slack, Gmail, and many other applications. They feature different types of virtual communication such as face-to-face meetings, video conferencing, chatting, and shared computer databases (Polin, S.). The usage of these apps spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic as offices closed and people started working from home. ICTs helped people adjust to working from home by providing a means to communicate with managers and team members in real-time. When companies started the use of ICTs for their employees, over 4.9 billion downloads of ICTs were made across the globe. Two years later, there are still millions of people who rely on them for work and communication.

ICTs have made it possible to flexibly communicate with one another. It has expanded the workforce into a new realm, allowing industries to grow and work more efficiently. For example, when team members cannot meet face to face, they can use different technologies, such as videoconferencing, to communicate with one another. In the article from David Sarokin he states, "Videoconferencing can help you keep a cohesive group even though the members are across town, across the country, or even halfway around the globe" (Sarokin 2). Communication in virtuality has taken a new step. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICTs have allowed businesses to continue operating because they could meet remotely online. ICTs have made stress more manageable in emergencies&nbsp;because employees can send urgent messages and meet in real-time to solve problems. ICTs are essential because they connect people and relay information in a way that was unthinkable in the past.

The most common effects of ICTs on employees’ mental and physical health are stress, strain, and burnout. The increased availability, response expectation, and employee monitoring can all increase burnout in employees because they feel that they would never get a break from work. With ICTs, employees can be contacted over the weekend, when they’re on vacation, or even during their lunch break, which causes them to feel that they are constantly working despite being on break. The increase in information access, workload, and learning ICT usage causes stress, especially when employees work longer hours or take their work home. In addition, technology malfunctions are a factor that can cause unnecessary strain due to everything being digitalized. For instance, when work is lost, employees need to scramble to redo their work, sometimes even working overtime, in order to finish by the deadline.&nbsp;

Proper etiquette and mannerisms while communicating with ICTs

It is essential to always show proper etiquette when communicating with coworkers, managers, and clients using various ICTs, such as Messenger, Zoom, and Gmail. Whether the message is being sent to a friend or boss when using company ICTs, formal and professional wording should always be used. Any slang, offensive, and informal speech should be saved for the employee’s personal devices. Poor manners can impact the trust team members, managers, and clients have for each other. The company distributed devices and applications should be used only for company work rather than for personal use.&nbsp;

David McLachlan. (2020, June 24). Virtual Teams and Communication Technology - Key&nbsp;Concepts in Project Management [Video]. YouTube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIjtpJ7vSQU&amp;ab_channel=DavidMcLachlan">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIjtpJ7vSQU&amp;ab_channel=DavidMcLachlan</a> Day, Paquet, S., Scott, N., &amp; Hambley, L. (2012). Perceived Information and Communication&nbsp;Technology (ICT) Demands on Employee Outcomes: The Moderating Effect of&nbsp;Organizational ICT Support. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 17(4), 473–491.&nbsp; Elevate Experiences. (2020, March 24). 3 Easy Ice-Breaker Games to Play on Video Conferences [Video]. Youtube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BrdHfdiaWw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BrdHfdiaWw</a> Forbes Business Development Council. (2018, August 2). 10 Ways Technology has changed&nbsp;team communication. Forbes. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2018/08/02/10-ways-technology-has-changed-team-communication/?sh=77922f7e7cb4">https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2018/08/02/10-ways-technology-has-changed-team-communication/?sh=77922f7e7cb4</a> Hossain, L., Wigand, R. (2017). ICT Enabled Virtual Collaboration through Trust. Journal of&nbsp;Computer-Mediated Communication, 10 (1).&nbsp; <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/10/1/JCMC1014/4614474">https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/10/1/JCMC1014/4614474</a> Levi, D., &amp; Askay, D. A. (2021). Group Dynamics for teams. SAGE Publications, Inc.&nbsp; Polin, S. (2020, March 9). What is ICT (information and communications ... - youtube. What is&nbsp;ICT (Information and Communications Technology)? Retrieved April 4, 2022, from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDQKu2-bAc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDQKu2-bAc</a> Research, B. T. M. (2022, March 28). Video telemedicine market size projected to rise lucratively&nbsp;during 2020 – 2030. Digital Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/video-telemedicine-market-size-projected-to-rise-lucratively-during-2020-2030">https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/video-telemedicine-market-size-projected-to-rise-lucratively-during-2020-2030</a> Sarokin, D. (2020, October 9). How Can Technology Enhance Teamwork &amp; Groups in the&nbsp;Workplace? CHRON. Retrieved from&nbsp;<a href="https://work.chron.com/can-technology-enhance-teamwork-groups-workplace-1878.html">https://work.chron.com/can-technology-enhance-teamwork-groups-workplace-1878.html</a> Skillsoft (Ed.). (2020, March 16). Setting communication standards for virtual teams - youtube.&nbsp;Setting Communication Standards for Virtual Teams. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eisfFx20FdI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eisfFx20FdI</a> Taylor, N. (2020, August 26). The importance of ICT within an office environment. Gamma&nbsp;Telecom. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gamma.co.uk/resources/blog/importance-of-ict/">https://www.gamma.co.uk/resources/blog/importance-of-ict/</a> Wu, K. (2022). Personal communication [Personal interview].&nbsp;

Interactive Games are a great way to utilize engagement in ICTs. Having an interactive game is a great ice breaker, especially when creating a group or flow of communication! In the video below, there are three interactive games that entice engagement within your group. The first game is “Would You Rather?” where your virtual group holds up 1 or 2 fingers according to the question the leader asks. This creates a flow of getting to know each group member better. The second game is “Where in the world is?”&nbsp;where players have an imaginary ball passed around members on the ICT, and they say the first word that comes to their mind, leading them to pass the ball to another member. This game can create engagement and ensure all group members are aware and attentive. The last game is “Pass the Word,” where players point to where a specific person is on their virtual grid as all members are in different places on the grid during the call. This is able to show group members where they are on other members' screens. These games are a great way to involve everyone and “break the ice” when hosting a virtual ICT meeting.

3 Easy Icebreaker Games to Play on Video Conferences

A significant benefit of ICTs is the faster and more seamless communication between team members and ease of access that comes with working from home that employees enjoy. This is apparent when looking at an exciting interview with Amanda Suhovsky, a closing coordinator at the Clear Skies Title Agency, in which she explains the freedom and increased productivity that she feels when working from home. She states, “It makes it a lot easier, when I’m in the office I get distracted a lot and with working at home there are no outside distractions from co-workers.” The Forbes Business Development Council also backs up this claim when the council discusses this topic explaining that team members are more accessible as they can be reached through many different applications, whether through more traditional means such as phone or email or newer means such as shared portals or other types of software allowing for team members to be connected at all times making them overall more productive.

How to Establish Trust in Online Communication

The academic journal, “ICT Enabled Virtual Collaboration through Trust,” describes how social settings and knowledge are incorporated together to create collaboration in a virtual environment. The essence of how ICT communication differs from a physical work setting is discussed thoroughly to help understand electronically transferred communication (Hossain, L. and Wigand, R. 4). The authors support their evidence through case studies and various psychologists’ papers. The journal dabbles into trust through online communication, as well as understanding the optimal use of ICTs in support of collaboration. The conditions of trust include: 1) Understanding the need to collaborate 2) The user's understanding of how to use the ICT 3) The proper support needed to adopt said ICT 4) An organizational culture to support collaboration

How to Decide Whether to Set Up a Phone or Video Conference

The figure on the right portrays how a team can build trust online. This is an example of one cycle that shows the intersection between a private and public space that needs to be separated to build successful collaboration.

When you want to set up a virtual meeting, there are two essential choices on setting up virtual meetings. These choices are phone conference and video conference. A phone conference is a meeting where two or more people discuss their idea over a phone call. In contrast, a video conference is a facetime meeting where people discuss their ideas via webcam. In terms of their communication differences, a phone conference will only allow you to listen and speak to your teammates. While video conferences do not just allow you to speak and listen but also allow non-verbal communication with your teammates. A phone conference is more for people who decide to set up a private meeting, while a video conference is more suited for people who want to set up a public class or group meeting.

Team 6: Kelly Wu, Edem Acolatse, Jose Collantes, Daniel Segal, and Gabby Harrington

How ICTs Influence Communication in a Virtual Environment

Introduction Chapter 1: What are ICTs Chapter 2: Types of ICTs Chapter 3: Benefits and Importance of ICTs Chapter 4: Disadvantages of ICTs Chapter 5: How to Properly Communicate Using ICTs References

As technology advances, many parts of life change and adapt. More specifically, the workplace has seen an immense amount of change in the last 20 years and more recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New ICTs (Information Communication Technologies) have made it possible to connect people from around the world and increase flexibility. In our book, How ICTs Influence Communication in a Virtual Environment, we focus on the progress of online communication. The book is divided into five chapters which include: What are ICTs, Types of ICTs, Benefits and Importance of ICTs, Disadvantages of ICTs, and How to Properly Communicate Using ICTs.

Technology Malfunctions and Learning Curve

Although ICTs allow easy access to work and faster communication, it is not always beneficial for employees. When addressing communication ICTs, it is essential to note the increase in demands expected of employees, such as their availability, communication, and response time. Managers and team members will expect other members to be available to communicate with the team if problems arise due to the accessibility of devices, especially phones, in today’s society. In the case of information ICTs, Arla Day et al. (2012) mention that ICTs may provide “employees with opportunities to gain information at a faster speed [however] workloads have not decreased, suggesting that employees have a limited amount of time to sift through information to process what is relevant” (pp. 474). In other words, expectations and workload have increased, but the time allotted for the work has not. In addition to the increased expectations for workload and communication, employers can more easily monitor employees through ICTs, increasing employees' stress. In an interview conducted with Lena Hu of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Hu stated that she feels that she has more work since she began working from home. She has logged onto her work system late at night and on the weekends multiple times due to her increased workload.&nbsp;

Another disadvantage to ICTs is learning how to use them. Various companies use different ICTs for the same purpose, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the user interface (UI) will be the same between ICTs. For companies, training for ICTs usage has become cheaper because there is no longer a need for in-person lessons. Employees can simply learn how to use ICTs through pre-recorded videos, saving the company money and time. However, this is not necessarily the case for employees who may feel overwhelmed when using the new ICTs, especially if the company expects them to watch the pre-recorded lessons on their own time. In addition to the stress of learning how to use ICTs, technology can malfunction, disrupting the progression of projects or communication with team members. Technology malfunctions include data loss and outdated technology that crashes or freezes.&nbsp;

Video Conference, Email, and Social Media

David Sarokin’s article provides a look into different types of technological improvements that have been implemented in the workplace. Videoconferencing, email, cloud collaboration, project management tools, social media, and webinars are all broken down into how they strengthen virtuality (Sarokin 3). He discusses that because of COVID-19, the progress made in the virtual workplace is substantial. ICTs have adapted to the work, while humans have also learned how to become more comfortable with them. Video conferencing connects people in a face-to-face meeting through a screen. Workers can address projects, events, and meetings with their phones, laptops, or tablets. E-mail can allow anyone with a link to access, comment, or edit an electronic document. Lastly, social media creates a space to trade messages with coworkers, where it can be formal or informal. Group pages can be made private, such as Facebook groups where the invitation is for a select number of people.

Shared Portals are an essential communication tool that assists virtual teams by allowing the team to easily share documents and organize specific projects the team is working on. In his YouTube video Virtual Teams and Communication Technology, David Mclachlan&nbsp;gives a good overview of the different types of shared portals used by many other virtual teams. He lists Confluence, SharePoint, Jira, and Trello as the most popular shared portals. Confluence was first created in 2004 by an Australian software company, and it supports many different databases making it very flexible. Jira is developed by the same company as Confluence but focuses more on planning and tracking specific projects. SharePoint is similar, but being a Microsoft software, it is integrated with Microsoft Office, allowing for virtual teams who use the Microsoft suite to easily share documents between the different software applications. Lastly, Trello is very similar to Confluence and Jira, allowing teams to seamlessly manage and collaborate on projects; however, it is a more limited software than its competitors.

ICTs allow for collaboration within a virtual team on a global level. Shared portals and video conferencing software as discussed in the previous chapter allow a team to meet up, discuss, and collaborate from any location with an internet connection. Team members send each other documents and messages and can collaborate in real-time over the internet. The only limitation is time zone differences between team members. However, this limitation can be solved with good communication and organization within the team. This allows a virtual team, for the most part, to be more diversified than in-person teams, and a more diversified group of individuals allows for more diversified opinions and ideas. The Forbes Business Development Council discusses this idea in detail in their article 10 Ways Technology Has Changed Team Communication. The council raises an important point that ICTs “[f]acilitate a more holistic approach to fostering and growing client relationships.”

Another benefit to using ICTs is that they allow you to communicate with coworkers, customers, and other company members in a decentralized environment. Through virtual meetings, team members can hold meetings with each other, managers, and business partners from any time zone. This allows issues and discrepancies to be addressed faster because the inconveniences that coincide with commutes to a physical meeting place are removed. Specific ICTs also permit users to share their screens during meetings, broadening the amount and variety of information transmitted in real-time. This saves the trouble of printing out copies of the document when meeting in person and other pre-meeting hassles. In addition to communication, ICTs also allow users to share and work together on documents with their team members more easily despite their location.&nbsp;