Topic > The age of technology

Introduction In the technology-mediated age we live in, the workplace has long transcended the traditional boundaries of buildings and even the geographical boundaries of countries. Today's workplace is no longer defined by mortar, stone, internet connection and sitting allowance in the name of offices. It goes further. The productivity of any organization hoping to be among the top 100 in its industry or country is judged by the organization's ability to use the 24-hour clock to achieve expected goals. Time zones are no longer a barrier to productivity. Technology has enabled humanity to work, literally across time and space. This coalition of workforces across different geographies is what is known as the Global Team, the main focus of this paper. Managing a global workforce can be interesting, challenging, scary but surprisingly rewarding. This article aims to explore communication between global teams as they come of age in today's organizations. Nowadays, it is rare to find organizations that are not geographically widespread. From tertiary education institutions (Universities) to for-profit organizations, it is economically feasible to have branches in different locations in order to reach more customers and diversify the services an organization can offer. It is common to hear a certain service of an organization is offered in a specific branch. Universities in Kenya have adopted this type of approach, with companies such as Kenyatta University having their law students on one of its constituent campuses and those studying medicine on yet another campus. It is therefore essential for any geographically large organization to know how to initiate, motivate and implement communication between its teams which can sometimes be made up of people from different cultures (countries). Definition of Terms Global Communication: The term used to describe ways of sharing, connecting, relating, and mobilizing across political, geographic, economic, cultural, and social divides. Global Team: a team made up of members spread all over the world. The "team" is made up of smaller teams, each in their own country or geographic region. Virtual Team: term used as a synonym for global team. Culture: Patterns of environmental stimuli, physical cues, and implicit (or explicit) factors used to convey understanding among people in a geographic area. IM-Instant Messaging, is the use of technology, through various social platforms, to send text messages in real time. 1.2 Overview of Global Teams Culture and experiences are some of the factors that influence effective communication. Organizations however, especially those that have global teams as part of their organizational structure, largely ignore this critical information (Smith, 2014). Global teams are traditionally made up of people who come from different countries, and therefore cultures,. For this reason, these people (teams) have unique experiences that, as mentioned, determine their understanding of any aspect of communication. These differences are commonly seen in cultural communication styles and their frames of reference. A good example of a cultural difference in global teams would be the fact that many non-exempt US employees spend approximately 50 or more hours per week working. A typical workday for them is not eight hours, but extends up to 10 or 12 hours a day. This is because in the United States, working remotely (from home or anywhere) is considered part of the job (Smith, 2014). Compare this scenario to a non-exempt worker inKenya, France or Germany who probably won't work a minute for more than eight hours a day. Additionally, people in said countries typically turn off any work-related communications when they leave the office. This, among other cases, shows the variations and difficulties in managing a global team, without even considering their communication. Furthermore, according to Brewer (2015), these cultural differences will spill over into their communication and work against it. This leads to failure of any project undertaken by a global team. At the end of this article, the difference between cultures, ethics and working practices and their impact on communication should be ascertained. Furthermore, this paper aims to establish challenges in communicating in a global workforce or team, communication structures in global teams, and how a global leader motivates a team working and living in a variety of countries. 2.0 Technologies Used by Global Teams to Communicate A) Video Conferencing Tools A video conference is a live visual connection between two or more people residing in separate locations for the purpose of communication (Bozon, 2016). There are numerous video conferencing tools or software available that can be used by global teams. The most effective, however, is Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is a chat-based video conferencing and interaction tool that allows global teams to hold virtual meetings, with members spread across the globe. On this platform, when an open meeting starts, the technology alerts all team members and lets them know who is live (participating). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A project leader in London, for example, can attend a members meeting in Kenya, South Africa, etc. This technology also allows all members to leave live meeting video and audio on their notebook or desktop computer in case something relevant appears and their input is needed. Microsoft Teams users typically feel as if they are in “one place,” according to Bozon (2016). Other teleconferencing tools worth using are; Zoom, which among other features, allows the user to share a common "whiteboard" that allows them to share notes and illustrate what they want. Also there are GoMeeting and Slack.B) Document Sharing Tools Documents are an essential part of any team's communication, after all, they are non-verbal communications. It follows that global teams should have means to share documents as it may be a requirement that teams work on a single document or that members of different global teams collaborate to create a document. The most used document sharing tool currently is Dropbox, which not only allows simultaneous access to several people around the world, but also tracks changes made to the document. This makes it easier for teams or individuals to know the progress of a document and who accessed it or was last updated. Plus there's Google Drive, which is largely underrated and overused. Google Drive remains the most viable option, for teams hoping to work completely online as its tools allow for both document creation and sharing between multiple individuals (Hewett, 2010).C) Instant Messaging Tools Messaging tools Snapshots have become a normal part of our daily lives, with their use in global teams reduced to use in social groups. The most used instant messaging tool today is WhatsApp, owned by.