Introduction
The world is changing due to the changes brought about by the emerging technologies. According to Chandra (2003), communication technology is one of the main aspects of emerging technologies that has affected many sectors of the economy in various ways. As the world gets increasingly globalized, the need to share information has become greater than before. The business sector needs improved communication system in order to run its operations effectively. In the education sector, there has been need to share information among researchers, learners and teachers. In the health sector, medical practitioners need a communication system that can enable them share their new ideas on various issues.
The social environment has massively been affected by the advancement in information technology. The Facebook, YouTube, Tweeter, and other forms of social media have transformed the social structure of the global society. The political class has also found advancement in information technology affecting them in one way of the other. In this research, the focus will on the impact of advanced communication technology on education and business sectors.
Impact of Communication Technology on Business
Communication is one of the key components of the emerging technologies that have transformed the world into a global village. With the help of the advanced communication technology, it is now possible for a person in New York to chat with friends in Dubai, Nairobi, Berlin, London, and Tokyo at the same time using Facebook. The business sector has benefited a lot due to this advanced communication system. According to Aswathappa (2006), business units in the current society highly value information. This scholar says that information in the business sector has a major impact and can define the ability of the firm to fail or succeed in its operations.
For this reason, firms have found it helpful to use the emerging technologies to gather relevant information about the changing customers’ needs and preferences. The marketing department needs improved communication system in order to coordinate with other departments within a firm in order to deliver quality products into the market. It means that improved communication technology has had positive impact on marketing strategies of firms in the modern world. However, it is important to note that some firms have suffered in their marketing and production strategies because of improved communication system.
Chandra (2003) says that in the modern society, stealing of data in the business sector has become very common. It means that the improved technology has subjected firms to data insecurity. There have been attempts to address this negative impact, but a concrete solution is yet to be found. Improved communication systems have had positive impact on the logistics units in the business sector. Many business units are currently able to trace the movements of their products from one location to the other. This makes it easy for them to determine if the movement of these products has been faced with any form of problem. In case there is a problem, it would be easy to dispatch rescue team within the shortest period possible. This has seen this department become efficient in the modern-day business environment.
Managers of business entities have benefited a lot from the improved communication technology. In the past, managers of multinational organizations had to travel from one country to the headquarters in order to hold conferences. This was not only a costly process, but it was also consuming a lot of time. With the invention of video-conferencing technologies, this problem has found a perfect solution. Such conferences can now be held by these managers at their respective offices without the need to make any travels. Some of the multinationals that have implemented this technology have benefited from it. However, Chandra (2003) warns that this also comes with some challenges that a business entity must be ready to face. For instance, there is need for experts that can ensure that the system does not fail while the conference is in progress.
Improved communication technology has played a major role in helping firms develop their brands. The social media has been seen as the solution for firms that seek to reach wider market coverage.
Impact of Communication Technology on Education
The field of education has massively been affected by the advanced communication technology. For a long time, learning was considered to be a rigid process where a learner and a student had to interact physically in a classroom set-up. This made education very expensive, especially among those who were forced to leave their countries to overseas nations in search of education. However, the improved communication technology has successfully solved this problem.
Learners all over the world can attend a class at the same time without the need to move to the campuses of these institutions. Online classes have become popular as people embrace the emerging technologies. The field of research has also received a massive boost from the advancement in the field of information technology. With the advanced online information sharing platforms, researchers can easily share their findings and ideas over various issues in order to achieve the best solution to the research problem.
According to Chandra (2003), there is a culture that is growing in various parts of the world where learners shun books. They claim that the bulkiness of books makes it complex to carry and read these books. Advanced communication technology has helped address this problem. The e-books are now available for the learners. This has promoted the culture of reading among learners. The emergence of wikis has also played a major role in promoting consultative forums among the learners. The wikis enable learners from various parts of the world to share information and ideas freely on different fields.
According to Bak and Stair (2011), information communication technology has been very helpful in integrating stakeholders into an environment where they can freely share relevant information. Teachers can now reach parents and share with them the performance of their children or any other relevant issue. This makes it easy to address issues that may have negative impact on the learners. Teachers also use this emerging technology to promote consultative environment within the learning institutions. Management of institutions of learning has also found advanced communication technology very important in managing both the staff and students.
However, it is important to note that these benefits come at a cost. Wright (2000) says that when learners are allowed to access the internet, they rarely visit academic sites. They spend most of their time on social media, especially on Facebook and YouTube. This reduces the amount of time they dedicate to learning. Some even access sites with adults’ content that may end up polluting their mind. This has a serious negative impact on quality of educations learners receive.
References
Aswathappa, A. (2006). International business. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Web.
Bak, O., & Stair, N. (2011). Impact of e-business technologies on public and private organizations: Industry comparisons and perspectives. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference. Web.
Chandra, R. (2003). Universal education and technology in 21st century. Delphi: Kalpaz Publications. Web.
Wright, C. A. H. (2000). Issues in education and technology: Policy guidelines and strategies. London: Commonwealth Secretariat. Web.