Analyzing Business Communication Tools: IM, Chat, and Forums

This report delves into the significance of effective business communication and explores various tools used in the modern workplace. It examines the role of instant messaging (IM), group messaging, chat rooms, and discussion forums in fostering collaboration and achieving organizational goals. The report highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each tool, considering factors such as ease of use, immediacy, and impact on employee engagement. It also discusses the effectiveness of discussion forums in promoting knowledge sharing and employee participation. The analysis emphasizes the importance of selecting the right communication tools to facilitate efficient task completion and improve customer service. The report concludes by reaffirming the critical role of effective communication in business success and the value of leveraging collaborative spaces and communication tools.

Running Head: Business communication 1
Business Communication

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Introduction:
Effective communication is the key of success for every business organization, and it also helps
in completing the goals on time with effective use of resources. Managers of the organization
and team leaders who communicates effectively for achieve the objectives, conduct specific task,
using the right tool for right purpose, contributes more to the success of the organization as
compared to those who fails to communicate efficiently while conducting business activities.
There are number of communication options which are available these days, and it becomes
difficult for business organizations to choose what tools to use and how to use these tools in
more effective manner.
This paper discusses the topic related to implementation of instant messaging/group messaging,
and discussion forums and chat rooms in the workplace. Lastly, paper is concluded with brief
conclusion.
Chat rooms, private & group messaging:
Effective communication is a component of successful collaboration which is critical in nature,
and it also enables the collaborators to share their ideas, to build common ground, and also to
develop complex interpersonal relationships. As new communication technologies develop their
use is become increasingly common at the workplace, which means just telephone, email and
FAX are no longer the only communication tool (Kim, Gwang, Park, & Rice, 2007).
Private messaging or group messaging and Chat functions provided by Collaborative spaces are
usually considered as effective communication tools for the purpose of ensuring that teams are
working together. It is considered as an effective form of communication for busy managers and
employees. Instant messaging makes the activities easier such as general discussions of team and

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updates regarding projects. This process is considered as best process when team members and
employees are worked at different geographical locations and different time zones. It becomes
easy to share the files and conversations if needed. Chat rooms and group messaging are
considered as the similar thing but interfaces related to both the terms in practical life are very
different. This can be understood through example; platform of instant messaging is better as
compared to platform of chat room in case organization does not have projects in which lot of
team work is required and in that case only when individuals usually contact with other
individuals within the organization. Following are some different digital communication tools
(Scott, n.d.):
Instant messaging- instant messaging are normally used for the purpose of recreation but now
this tool is mainly used in the business organizations for employee-employee messaging or
employee-management messaging. IM provides an interface for individuals for the purpose of
communicate in one-on-one approach. There are number of software’s which allowed the
creation related to group messages but actual use of IM is not this.
In other words, instant messaging is considered as important tool of internal communications in
many organizations, which make the things easy. Through this tool and new technology,
organizations are changing the face of the workplace. There are number of advantages related
to instant messaging, but it also has various problems with it. Advantages and disadvantages of
instant messaging are stated below (Maher, 2004):
Advantages-:
 It is instant, which means it can be assumed that target is online and the message will be
received as soon as other person sent it.

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 It is brief, which means IM is mainly used to send short messages instead of lengthy
messages.
 It is controversial, which means IM has an immediate back which help in collaborating
the employee in real time (Maina, 2013).
Disadvantages:
 It is intrusive, which means when message pop up on the screen it makes loud alert tones
which disturbs the person when person is doing some other work. It is possible to set the
messenger settings in such way as it does not do make such loud noise, but in that case
there is chance to miss the important incoming message. However, this contradicts the
pron of instant messaging.
 It is proprietary, which means communication through IM requires that both the parties
have accounted with given instant messaging services.
 Other disadvantage of IM are need to log in, which means if person does not log in to the
instant messaging service of choice then it becomes impossible to communicate with
such person through IM tool.
 IM lose the history, which means when person log in instant messaging communications
then each exchange is considered as island up to itself. In other words, when person
wants to find the chain of communication after a year instant messaging logs will not be
very helpful.
Chat Rooms- no matter whether business is casual, private or public, chat rooms are considered
as those forums which are created for specific group of people for the purpose of facilitate
interaction and receive notifications. There are number of chat rooms which are based on the

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shared topic or characteristic. This can be understood through example; some chat rooms are
there which are confined to some specific age groups and interests (Emmons, n.d.). It must be
noted that, IM clients and intranet provide support to some kind of group messaging dynamics,
but software of chat room is designed for the purpose of sharing the team/group based
information and messaging.
Bots- there is one more tool known as chat bot or chat robot and which can interact with users by
using the chat mechanism, no matter whether person is using the IM or chat room. There are
some cases in which users will be able to get the status of the stock, reports, and even listing of
the movies. Some bots are there which are designed with high technology, but in various cases
instant users know that they are not communicated with the actual human. In number of cases, it
becomes necessary to have method which can be used to communicate either with a single
member of the staff or with the complete team. This process makes the things more easy as it
tackles the projects and also the troubleshoot issues in simple manner, and reduce the need of e-
mail.
After considering the pros and cons of above stated communication tools, it is clear that IMs and
chat room also improve the customer services. Because of these communication tools customer
will no longer wait for long time period to get the answers of their questions about product or
service. Now, businesses are able to solve the queries of customers as soon as they receive the
query.

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Discussion Forums:
Discussion forums are considered as old technique for someone, but still it is the most preferred
business communication tools which are used by many organizations today. Discussion forum is
the tool which brings management and employees together and also allowed an open discussion
on any topic. It can also help the organization in knowledge dissemination and also bring the
work force together. This tool is also effective in achieving the organizational knowledge, and
this knowledge can be used by anyone as a reference. Organizations also used this tool as morale
booster by participating in the regular discussion forums (Crowder, 2016).
The biggest challenges faced by the organizations are lack of participation from employees while
conducting general operations of the organization. There are number of employees who are
enjoying their work and perform best in their job if they feel that they are also the part of the
organization. Discussion forum is considered as important tool through which organization can
increase employee engagement and also produce new ideas and decisions. Using the forum of
company in this manner usually help in producing the better results as compared to
communication through E-mail. This can be understood through example, E-mails are
considered as tool which leads to closed discussion environment but forums are an open
environment. In case employee checks the forum post then it encourage the interest among them,
and they are contribute something useful. A discussion forum integrated with internal E-mail,
and this will also allow the business to get the best in the entire contexts that are employees and
customer. Discussion Forums also help in sharing the knowledge and it saves the time also as no
time will be wasted by answering the same questions again and again. This will help in sharing
the information of the forum that needs it (Elcom, 2016).

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Conclusion:
After considering the above facts, it can be said that Managers and team leaders who can
communicate and relay objectives, conduct specific task, using the right tool for right purpose,
contributes more to the success of the organization as compared to those who fails to
communicate efficiently while conducting business activities. Collaborative spaces which
provide private/group messaging and Chat functions are usually considered as best business
communication tools for the purpose of ensuring that teams are working together. It can be said
that these new developed tools are important for internal communications in many organizations,
which make the things easy.

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References:
Crowder, C. (2016). The Advantages of a Chat Room. Available at:
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-chat-room-70640.html. Accessed on 6th November
2017.
Emmons, K. Compare Use of Email, Instant Messages, and SMS (Text Message) in Business.
Available at: http://web.vtc.edu/users/kle12300/CaseProject1.pdf. Accessed on 6th November
2017.
Elcom, (2016). Communication Tools Used in Modern Day Business. Available at:
https://www.elcomcms.com/resources/blog/communication-tools-used-in-modern-day-business.
Accessed on 6th November 2017.
Kim, H., Gwang., J. K., Park, H. W., & Rice, R. E. (2007). Configurations of Relationships in
Different Media: FtF, Email, InstantMessenger, MobilePhone, and SMS. Journal of
Computer Mediated Communication, Volume 12 (4), 1183-1207.
Maina, T. (2013). Instant messaging an effective way of communication in workplace. Available
at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258201470_Instant_messaging_an_effective_way_of_
communication_in_workplace. Accessed on 6th November 2017.
Maher, K. (2004). The Dangers of Using Instant Messaging at Work. Available at:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB109692934259135827. Accessed on 6th November 2017.
Scott, S. The Pros of Using IM in the Workplace. Available at:
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/pros-using-im-workplace-10534.html. Accessed on 6th
November 2017.

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