I’ve just finished reading Internet Apocalypso by Christopher Locke, the first chapter in the book The Cluetrain Manifesto: The end of Busieness as Usual and I have to admit, the entry was really enlightening, especially for Organizational communication students like me. The entry provided ideas and insights that help people not only to adjust to changes the corporate world is leading to, but to also help that change be a positive, encouraging working force that betters an organization.
While reading the article, I kept thinking about how much our world of buy and sell changed a lot over a small course of time. It wasn’t too long ago when everyone was more than eager to go to the marketplace and look for goods and other necessities. Next came the over-the-phone transactions, having the fast-food chains’ delivery hotlines as its most popular form. Now, business transactions have evolved to more accessible forms, especially to the younger generations. Online selling with the use of blogs and other online accounts sets now as the trend. We now have existing online sellers and even more online buyers.
Change is indeed inevitable. Change comes in many forms. Change is now in the form of Internet.
However, not everyone is indeed accustomed to change, especially if it is too abrupt or if its effects seem to be damaging to them regarding their crucial factor (e.g. financial, morale, etc.). Basically, change for them is something that threatens them to leave their comfort zones.
Going back to the Internet, I think more and more people nowadays start digesting the wonderful world of online selling and incorporating it to their culture (though it is safe to admit that there are also technophobes who do not prefer such trade). Personally, I find the Internet most engaging. It has revolutionized and empowered people in terms of acquiring the things they want (amen to that!). The Internet became the sticky tape that bonded the two important sheets of paper of the society. There existed a relationship of mutualism between two key factors of business—the Trading organizations gain a global market for their products that equates to more sales while the consumers open their computers and browse a worldwide mall of various products to choose from and buy.
Having evolved from a capitalistic setting, consumers now are wiser to know they do not want to be mere buyers. With the Internet, people can now converse about the products. They can voice out their ideas, share their comments about the product’s structure, color, design, function, et cetera. They can voice out what is so good or bad about the product, which helps in the development of better products. Besides, who else know what the best products are for people than the customers themselves?
Indeed, the sticky tape has bonded them well—has bonded us well.
What even made the concept of Internet so good is that the same concept is used to better internal organizational functions. Just as how the adage “a healthy body and a healthy mind” goes, any organization is better having a productive workforce, which includes not only the lowest of employees but also the topmost person in the organizational chart. With Intranet (an organization’s personal Internet structure used for, primarily, organizational functions), it deduced the mile-high organizational chart to just a click away in front of their PCs from their personal cubicles. Some people might see this as a negative action towards the whole bureaucratic authority that has existed ever since an organization was structured. It is a menace.
It is wrong to think of it as like that, though. The Intranet did not exist to debunk the authority of the higher-ups. It does not make a CEO step down and be a clerk, nor the other way around. What’s so good with the Intranet is that it becomes an open field for people where they can talk about each other. They can talk about their jobs, ask help on how to do things, trade information crucial to a task, and much more. Minus the formal, autority-based regulations. Minus the Apprehension. Minus the feeling of being choked by power.
Having this venue for everyone in the organization eases all the workload each has. I have learned before that the most powerful person in an organization is, at least not entirely, not the person who holds neither higher power nor position, but the one who holds the most crucial information, and handles it well. The one who works alongside clients knows how to treat the customers better than the supervisor who grounds it all in theories of personal engagement. Information is power. Because of the Intranet, everyone now has the crucial information. Everyone now handles it well. Every employee becomes productive; hence, the whole company becomes productive. Everyone leaves the office smiling.
Basically, The Internet concept has helped mobilize individuals towards a more productive relationship with the people doing good for them. This form of transaction—no—relationship is way better than having someone forcing food down my throat when I prefer something else.
i totally agree about the paradigm shift consumers have undergone.it’s about time consumers learn to be smart about what they acquire!(but this doesn’t always hold true for me, he he..)
interesting highlight on the Internet as a marketplace; your inclusion of a bit of history of selling helps drive home the point. i would have wish you to make this a litte more personal, rather than simply elaborating on Locke’s statements.
when you talked about the Intranet as Locke did, it would have been more helpful to your readers if you included some examples of companies that used/use Intranet the way you said they should. and while i appreciate the generalizations towards a “happy, healthy, productive” organization, i would want you to ground that further with facts and real examples.
oftentimes though having too much “nets” of connection slows down the broadcasting of information (vital information, that is). there are just too much passageways to seep through (sometimes depending on who reads the information first), and multiple, different (mis)interpretations crop up. minus to productivity points. minus the to “bond”. and so the purpose is defeated.
crucial indeed. not only how information is relayed, but what information is relayed in the first place. what are the goals of the organization? always realign with them.
organization of what organizes (the intranet structure) the organization is vital.
as for the internet, awowwa. basta mabilis at walang virus, walang problema.
why is food being forced on you?