The point I'm trying to make is that even when you get right down to the basics of technology manufacturing and development, it's now knowledge-based. Companies now hire people who think outside the box rather than simply take the approach of "more is better".
This assists greatly in the networked world. The burden of advancement and progress is not on a single entity, rather, it is on a networked entity who collaborate. This networking in the workplace allows the workload to be divided, which, as Bradwell and Reeves discuss, creates a more personal work environment. Bradwell and Reeves also discuss how the breakdown of a workplace from a hierarchy into a distributed network allows for more social networking, creating an easier flow of information. In order for companies to utilise to ever-increasing socially-networked world, they need to adapt it to their business model, ensuring the do not "interrupt the looseness from which their value emerges".
As far as the concept of work and social lines blurring to a point of no separation, I'm not sure I agree with this. It depends largely on the work environment, rather than the workplace's adaptation to social networking. Just because your workplace has a social networking presence, or because you have a work colleague on Facebook, doesn't mean the workplace becomes part of your social life. I think it's better to view it as making the workplace more social, and more networked.
As far as the concept of work and social lines blurring to a point of no separation, I'm not sure I agree with this. It depends largely on the work environment, rather than the workplace's adaptation to social networking. Just because your workplace has a social networking presence, or because you have a work colleague on Facebook, doesn't mean the workplace becomes part of your social life. I think it's better to view it as making the workplace more social, and more networked.
I also read this reading and what I gathered from it was that they were taking note of the power of networking in companies and how the obvious benefits of it were behind the shift from the traditional hierarchical corporate structure to a more flexible, communication based network structure.
ReplyDeleteI think that social networking in the workplace can be a bit dangerous because it's really difficult to monitor and control what others put on your page and comments and photos that may turn up, but on the other hand, the valuable connections made through these sites may be worth the risk.
@ DXW1 - There are so many benefits of networking. However, I had never really looked at networking in such a negative light until you pointed out some of the risks. For example the ways in which that colleges can sabotage information and possibly restrict it from reaching others.
ReplyDeleteNetworking delivers and passes through so much information. If one piece of information goes missing then it would be easy to lose track of information. This would also cause communication failure and disruption of work in the workplace.
I think the point about how networking actually creates a more personalised working environment is really interesting. Usually, when we think of a network, we think about people doing things together- but in a really large network, it becomes each doing their part. You work out of a perceived responsibility to the network, and yet at the same time, you are working even more autonomously than before. In fact, I wonder if sometimes the growth of a network could mean the shrinking of a community.
ReplyDelete