Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services - Article Review Example

According to the article by Glace et al, virtue communication is depicted as the modern phenomenon that facilitates information transmission with an aim of achieving an action to a distant location where there is a possibility of creating the content, intentions, and actors. Wayne in his article on managing a virtue workplace' discusses the practicality associated with virtue communication in operating a business through using employees operating remotely (Glace et al., 2004). The two articles establish the benefits associated with the use of virtue in business engagements. Global manufacturing is one of the business environments that has reaped a lot of benefits from virtue communication-related strategies (Cascio, 2000). This research paper provides an analysis of important ethical issues surrounding business communications with regard to IBM Company alongside providing the ethical parts of the articles and possible solution.

One of the multinational manufacturing company that has utilized virtue communication and virtual workplaces to advance its profits in its business engagements is the IBM (international business machines Corporation). IBM is known for its engagement in global manufacturing of computer hardware, middleware, and software. IBM Company has applied virtue communication in operating its virtue workplaces to curb real estate expenses as far as renting and building offices for their employees are concerned and boosted its productivity through using teleworking employees.

The major ethical issues surrounding businesses communications include conveying the message with respect to the audience, maintaining a viable relationship with the audience, and observation of accuracy of the information shared. For the application of virtue communication, the mentioned ethics must be observed strictly. In a nutshell, it is important to ensure the message conveyed to the audience through virtue communication is conveyed in a smooth manner irrespective of the circumstances. Maintaining the initial wavelength with the audience strengthens the relationship and trust between the business and its customers. Besides, the business communicating to the customers, workers, and associates must ensure the information shared is always accurate to maintain their reputation.

With the above-mentioned ethics issues surrounding business communication the two selected provide a clear guideline of managing virtue workplaces, which is directly powered by virtue communication. Disadvantages associated with operating a manufacturing business with the use of virtue workplaces are put into perspective with their possible solutions. Setting up virtue workplaces and maintaining is one of the problems that affect virtue communication between the company and its employees. Individual employee requires boost in meeting the cost of establishing viable workplace fixed with a reliable internet connection to facilitate downloading of the online material, the database on products and customers accessed remotely. To solve this problem, the business decision makers should formulate a strategy that will facilitate the provision of virtue workplace setups for their employees. Besides, cultural issues is another problem that affects the viability of both virtue communication and virtue working place. For instance, a virtual business organization like IBM with its operations at the global scale transfer both business policies and cultures to work with diverse business spread globally, which can easily result in business clashes and national cultures leading to faulting the entire alliance. To solve this issue the management must ensure the virtue workers are empowered in making decisions to boost their ability to add value to the collaboration, through effectively communicating virtually with clients. Lack of trust as discussed under ethics analysis is another problem that affects the viability of virtue communication in business. To solve this issue the management must formulate an assessment method to enable them to select viable employees to virtue in the virtue environment alongside offering necessary training to assist them in both meeting obligations and behaving in a predictable manner.

References

Glace, J., Kern, K., Morse, L., & Rice, J. (2004). Guidelines for implementing and maintaining virtual reference services. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 44(1), 9.

Cascio, W. F. (2000). Managing a virtual workplace. The Academy of Management Executive, 14(3), 81-90.