Organizational Theory and Behavior

Organizational Theory and Behavior

The internet has become a necessity rather than a luxury in many organizations. Its importance in marketing and other organizational activities cannot be disputed. Despite these advantages, it has also posed several challenges to management. One of the ways through which employees use the internet is email. Most organizations allow the use of emails for work related purposes but the management is also aware that the employees use it for personal use. They have therefore come up with acceptable use of policy, which states what users are allowed to do on the network (Albanese & Sonnenreich, 2003). They have done this because employees waste a lot of time on the net and for security reasons.

Email is a powerful communication tool but it is insecure. Some companies send out junk or unsolicited mails (spam) to many recipients at any one time in form of direct marketing. This is frustrating to the people who receive the mails, as they may not be interested in any of the products and services that are on offer. Sometimes it is not easy to tell which email is secure and which one is a virus or a malware and the users should be careful about which emails they choose to open. This will reduce the costs that the organization will use in buying email management software and an anti-virus to deal with the viruses.

As a communication tool, email can be used in many ways. Some can use it to threaten others thereby causing security concerns. Still on security, the management can prohibit the use of email to stop the spread of gossip and rumors in the company. Some employees find it easy to discuss office details using email. Others use email to harass their colleagues such as racial discrimination. Organizations find it necessary to have email filters to ensure that the emails sent are not spam or they do not pose any threat to the company. They have also established policies and rules that the employees ought to abide by to avoid any unnecessary conflicts in the organization (Smallwood, 2008).

Some organizations allow their employees to use the internet and emails for personal reasons and employees can waste a lot of time communicating through email. Because of the quick response and ease of use, they can continue communicating without realizing the time they are wasting. This means that they are not as effective as they should be in carrying out their duties and they end up wasting the company’s resources. Some may find it necessary to respond to every email they receive and this includes answering questions from marketing companies. Since it is impractical for employers to prohibit the total use of email, they have come up with rules to ensure that the employees do not abuse and waste their resources (Ramsey & Thomas Telford Limited, 2007).

Social interaction in the workplace is a common thing. Since some organizations are very large, it is not easy to meet up with colleagues and interact and it is therefore easier to use email. Some employees form social groups in the workplace and they use they email to communicate their after-work plans and discuss what happened when they were out together. They use this time to bond and interact with each other or with others outside the organization. As they work, they also discuss about current affairs and other events happening around them. Such kind of communication may be important for some jobs such as the media, which has to keep in touch with everything, but it is not so for many other organizations.

There are noted benefits of using email but the management should also be aware of its limitations. Security is a major concern because of malware, viruses and spam mails and employers should be aware of this. They should make sure that they have email management software to deal with this. They should establish rules and policies regarding personal use of the internet and all the employees should be aware of this. Another reason why employers are discouraging the use of email is that it wastes a lot of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Albanese, J. & Sonnenreich, W. (2003). Network security illustrated. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional

Ramsey, V. & Thomas Telford Limited. (2007).Construction law handbook. London, UK: Thomas Telford Limited.

Smallwood, F. R. (2008). Taming the email tiger: Email management for compliance, governance, and litigation readiness: A management guide. Lulu.com