Digital communication environments in the workplace

Abstract

Digital communication environments consist of various kinds of communication technologies and collaboration platforms. These enable employees to communicate through text, audio, video, and graphics, often in an open and networked way. Complementing the popular stand-alone communication tools regularly used in workplaces, such as email and instant messaging, digital communication environments enable the sharing, editing, and storing of information publicly within the organization and sometimes externally among its stakeholders. This chapter reviews and analyzes digital communication environments as well as their affordances and constraints for communication and social interaction in the workplace. The chapter considers the issues that need to be discussed and taken into account when digital communication environments are implemented and used in organizations. These environments provide a variety of affordances for task-related communication and effective team performance, and they can support relational communication, foster the creation of new social ties, and strengthen the existing relationships in the workplace. However, questions concerning privacy, surveillance, lack of motivation for use, and reluctance to share information in these environments should also be considered.