Assignment 9 – Part A: Business Report

1.     Findings and Analysis

At Amor publicity services, a current business communication barrier is prevalent. The employees are constantly complaining about the excessive usage of smartphones in the workplace and the ways in which it is negatively impacting them by increasing their stress levels. At the workplace, the usage of smartphones is quite disrupting, and 55% of employees are constantly using their smartphones to engage with others. In the digital era, communication and “staying in touch” on a consistent basis has become a trend. However, constant texting and internet surfing can have severe short and long term effects. Cybercrime is a serious threat, and it could lead to information or data breaches. Therefore, addressing this barrier is vital for the progress of the company. The short and long term effects of smartphone usage in the workplace have been analyzed below-

Short-term effects- The employees at Amor Publicity Services have higher chances of getting addicted to smartphones because not using smartphones in the digital era could lead to extreme discomfort as well as anxiety. Smartphones create an environment where people are constantly getting disrupted. The Pew Research Centre in 2011 stated that the young generation, on an average exchanges 109 texts per day over WhatsApp and Snapchat (Mochi & Madjar, 2018). The smartphone activity has been increasing at a tremendous rate and will create emotional distress among the employees. Apart from smartphone users, the other employees are also likely to get distracted, and it can severely affect their concentration levels. They are less likely to feel “engaged at work.” A kind of smartphone obsession has been created, and the likelihood of escaping from the dangerous effects of smartphones is low (Elhai et al., 2019).

Long-term effects- Excessive usage of digital devices has a severe impact on health. Employees are likely to suffer from neck or spine damages. They will be unable to adopt a right or healthy posture, and it will be straining for their eyes (Ferdous, Osmani & Mayora, 2018). In the long term, they will develop a faulty posture and ongoing pain in the shoulders and neck. Consequently, the productivity levels of employees will be hampered. They will suffer from sleep deprivation, and the overall performance at the workplace will deteriorate as well. Mobile phone addiction of employees will have a detrimental effect on the company as well. On the one hand, it has transformed the method of doing business by providing constant connectivity and facilitating remote working. However, the lines between work and leisure are getting blurred, and employees are playing games even during office hours (Rather & RAther, 2019). It has a severe impact on the outcomes of the business. Cell phones are wasting working hours and threatening the performance of the workplace. Cybercrime is another threatening issue because an employee might get involved in software theft. They can illegally get access to the company’s information for personal gains. Events such as commercial counterfeiting and unlicensed copying can severely affect the business (Wang & Suh, 2018). The company might have to bear the substantial financial loss. This, in turn, will impact their reputation. Hence, technology misuse in the workplace will become a trend if strict restrictions are not imposed on cell phone usage in the workplace.

2.     Future Business Communication Trends

At present, Amor Publicity Services is witnessing serious business communication issues, and there is a need to adapt communication methods that would resolve the issues. After adopting a better communication strategy that is in alignment with future trends, it will be easier to gain a competitive advantage in the industry.

Technology is a major trend, and it can enhance business communication. Revolutionizing the way people communicate in a business setting is necessary for improving the current conditions of the business. The emerging trends that can revolutionize the business have been discussed-

• Chatbots– After the social media boom, consumers are constantly asking for authentic communication. They prefer direct interaction with brands so that they can get personalised and customized services or products. Chatbots can be useful as it is programmed to response to the customer queries within seconds (Paliwal, Bharti, Mishra, 2020). After introducing chatbots, the productivity levels of the organization would increase as well.
• Artificial assistants- Another advancing technological trend that can enhance business communication is the usage of artificial assistants. The technology is AI-powered, and it is programmed to make phone calls and display the characteristics of the speech of human beings. Assistants are effective enough to handle administrative affairs and internal communication between managers and employees. It can be integrated into regular operations and eliminates the necessity of hiring humans who used to do menial tasks at the office.
• Blockchain- It can function like a database and ensure proper business communication. By implementing this technology, the company can constantly update and store vital information in multiple locations. With the help of blockchain technology, two entities of the same organization can connect, coordinate and update information (Lalić et al., 2019). The process of transferring information would be much faster. It can keep records and technology is undergoing rapid expansion. Blockchain technology is often considered as “innovation at its best.”
• Virtual reality- Another noteworthy technology is V.R that allows its users to experience something for real. With the combination of haptics, 3D vision, sounds and location data, it has the ability to alter reality. Businesses can use V.R to present an altogether different reality to customers. It can make attitudinal changes and attach customers emotionally. It can be considered as one of the immersive technologies, and it can play a critical role in the success of the business.

3.     Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusion

The report has been written by considering the present communication challenges of Amor Publicity Services. At the beginning of the report, the issue of excessive smartphone usage in the workplace has been summarized. After conducting research regarding the issue, data has been gathered, and the findings were demonstrated. Both short and long term effects have been outlined in the report. The employees, as well as the company, would be seriously affected. The impact on physical and mental health has been demonstrated in details. Following that, the current business communication issues have been identified, and the future trend has been discussed. Technology is one of the future trends that will surely affect the business in the coming years. Therefore, advanced technological trends of 2020 and beyond have been discussed in the report. The possibility of resolving communication barriers increases as soon as the business adopts the technological trends.

Recommendations

The smartphone-related issues discussed in the findings and analysis section can be resolved by –

• Creating a policy– Smartphone usage should be limited by the policy, and it should be tailored based on the organizational needs only. Lengthy calls should be limited or restricted, and workers should follow a mutually-agreed time limit of cellphone usage (Colbert, Yee & George, 2016). This, in turn, will reduce the rate of workplace disruptions.
• Developing wellness programs– The work environment should be aligned in a manner that enhances the productivity of the employees and refrains them from excessive smartphone usage. A wearable device can be introduced so that employees focus on fitness and physical health. Awareness regarding the severe effects of smartphones can be increased in the workplace.

Similarly, the company can adopt the rapidly emerging technological trends by –

• Reforming the current technological needs of the organization
• Encouraging continuous training and development
• Thinking fast and optimizing the trends

References