The Different Ways the Internet Changed the Nature of Business Interaction

“Internet Changed the Nature”

If a list of the era-defining happenings of the past decade had to be created, the advent of the internet would beyond the shred of a reasonable doubt top that list! The world wide web has revolutionized many of the ways in which day-to-day operations happen around the globe. The increased connectivity and permeability in terms of sharing of information have impacted particularly impacted the world of businesses more than it has impacted any other sector or realm of work. Moreover, with the emergence of smartphones and other portable devices with internet connectivity, business communication is an aspect that had to change. And arguably, the internet has changed business communication for the better!

Here are the 5 most noticeable and significant changes in business interactions caused by the internet:

1. Communication Is No Longer Limited By Geographical Distances

To state the most obvious example, a case for Skype calls can be made. Businessmen all around the world are able to communicate because of virtual connectivity. An advertisement firm in China can easily communicate with a client based in Canada over the internet. A business meeting can be help among people separated by entire continents. The best part is that communication facilitated by the internet is effective as well.

2. Sharing Of Information Is Cost-Effective And Super-Fast

When two entities come together to honor a business-oriented engagement featuring deliverables and receivables, some sort of exchange of information is an inevitable phenomenon. With the help of the internet, such exchange of information is way cheaper than handing out physical documents for every little thing. MoUs can be easily shared via e-mails and business proposals can be metaphorically ‘handed out’ in a matter of seconds. The instantaneous nature of information sharing platforms running on the internet gives the added benefit of speed in communications as well.

3. Internal Human Resource Management In Businesses Has Improved

Not only does the internet give separate business entities to communicate with each other in a snappy and financially viable manner, it also facilitates communication within a single business entity more efficient as well. Employees are in constant touch with their superiors over the internet and can easily reach them out as and when required. Consequently, superiors can share specific instructions or pass on valuable information to multiple employees all at once with nothing but a single click. Moreover, the internet has provided new resources for evaluation of the performance of a company’s workforce as well. Human Resource engagement can also be assessed better due to the technological innovations backed by the internet.

4. Productive Use Of Resources Has Led To Increased Financial Stability

This isn’t exactly an impact of the internet on the way businesses interact. But, it is important to state this effect as it subsequently enables businesses to share resources. An example can explain this better. Let’s just assume two startups join hands towards a singular goal. One office has leased printers for a year and the other one has not. Due to the internet, a resource as obvious as a printer can be easily shared by the two business entities. This not only saves money for both parties involved but also creates a greater sense of trust during business interactions. In bigger enterprises, sharing and productive use of resources happen at a much larger scale than that of the above example. The case of cloud computing and outsourcing explains the principle.

5. More Communications Barriers Have Also Come Into Existence

The four points mentioned above are essentially the positive impacts that the internet has had on business interactions. However, increased communication over the internet has created a plethora of distractions as well. The notification panel of a proficient business man’s smartphone can prove this point. Among dozens of messages and emails simultaneously dinging to get your attention, concentrating on something specific is really difficult. Therefore, the internet has created some barriers in business communications as well.