Communication and Facebook

        As a communications major, facebook is a topic that is frequently discussed and came up a lot at the end of chapter 11 in our textbooks on Communication in Organizations.  Facebook has created a revolution in the communications field.  It has enabled people to connect and communicate with people all over the word instantly.  It has also greatly affected the business world.  Businesses are using it to look up prospective employees and to advertise and promote their products.  Although I may be alone in my beliefs, I personally think Facebook has hindered communication in several ways.  I think although people might be communicating more with people that they normally would have, this type of communication is really unauthentic and depersonalized.  I also think its an illusion-by this I mean that I think people try to portray themselves or intend to have others see them in a way that is not really accurate.  Through Facebook, peple try to emulate themselves how ever they wish to be seen; but this might not be very truthful.  People form opinions about others based on snapshots of their lives through pictures and status updates, but this may not be who they actually really are.  I also think that Facebook can misconstrue words.  Since Facebook lacks verbal inflections, tone of voice, and facial expressions, many statements  can be ambiguous and therefore people may interpret them differently.  Also, it can allow people to formulate opinions and ideas about other people based on pictures and statuses that are not an acurate protrayal of who they really are.  In short, although Facebook has opened up a lot of communication, it has also brought with it many obstacles.  I too, have a Facebook, but I never post my status and rarely comment on others to avoid confusion and to remain private.  However, I have found myself forming opinions of others through Facebook.  Although I think there are a lot of uses for Facebook, such as keeping in touch and up to date with people you may not get a chance to talk to or see o na regular basis, I feel that Facebook should be used with caution and people should try to be subjective when looking at it, and remember that it is not an accurate portayal of who people really are.

Improving Upward Communication

          In conjunction with chapter 11 in our books on organizational communication, I read an article I found on EBSCOHOST, published in the Journal of Business Communication titled "Improving Upward Communication," by Robert M. Wendlinger.  The article highlighted the results of a study that examined communication for one year at the Bank of America.  The study found that employees at lower levels did not feel comfortable comunicating with upper management and often avoided it because they felt that upper management didn't care or take them seriously or they were worried about negative repercussions.  This seems to be a common trend in organizations-employees are not encouraged to express their ideas and suggestions with upper management, they do not feel comfortable doing it, or do not think anything positive will come of it.  We can label these feelings and perceptions the employees are experiencing that are hindering communication as noise.  In my own work experience I have also found communication with upper management to be a challenge.  After the study discussed in this article was conducted, an "open-line" program was implemented at the Bank of America.  This program involved a confidential suggestion program in which employees could express their opinions and ideas anonymously.  The program was very successful as employees liked and used it.  They felt that they were better heard and even saw some changes they had suggested implementing.  I think this program was an excellent idea and I think all companies should have a program similar to it.  However, I think upper management also needs to make a committment to being approachablr, to listen to their employees, and to encourage communication.  If this is not done, employees will feel undervalued and the organization may miss out on potentially valuable insights and ideas.