The
Impact of Instant Messaging in the Workplace
Alpesh
J. Patel
East
Carolina University
ITEC
6050 – Fall 2008
Abstract
Instant Messaging (IM) is a highly demanding
method of communication in the workplace. This paper presents the meaning of
IM, the advantages of IM, the disadvantages of IM, best practices of IM, and
the resolution of the disadvantages of IM that every organization needs to
address.
One of the many advantages of IM in the workplace is instant feedback
from the recipient compared to the traditional methods of e-mail and phone. One
of the many disadvantages of IM in the workplace is the lack of formal
communication. Establishing a procedure for IM communication is one of the many
resolutions for the disadvantages of IM. There are several security issues with
using IM in the workplace. These issues will be addressed along with its proper
resolutions that every organization must address.
Instant Messaging
is the next phase in communication within the workplace, but it must be configured
correctly with strict policy rules to ensure network security. Instant
Messaging is going to be an integrated part of an organization in today’s
fast-paced work environment.
Introduction
“Instant Messaging (IM) is a form of real-time
communication between two or more people based on typed text.” (Instant
Messaging, 2008) IM is a great tool since it enables communication in
real-time, but there are issues if these communications are not protected. IM
conversations usually tend to me short and direct, but they can be lengthy.
IM actually
predates the Internet, first appearing on multi-user operating systems in the
mid-1960s. Many of these systems quickly were used to facilitate communication
with other users logged into the same machine. In the mid 1990s, GUI-based
messaging clients began to take off with ICQ in 1996 being the first, followed
by AOL Instant Messenger in 1997. In 1998, IBM released IBM Lotus Sametime. In
2000, an open source application and open standards-based protocol called
Jabber was launched. Jabber servers could act as gateways to other IM
protocols. (Instant Messaging, 2008)
IM has been around for
a long time. It has been used in older systems, bulletin boards, free chat
applications for home users, and now it is flourishing the corporate
industries. Over the years, IM generally stayed the same. The use of IM and the
environment of IM have changed drastically. Many companies have automatically
started using IM in the workplace as a means for better communication between
remote areas.
Positive Impact of IM in the
workplace
Positive impact of IM in the workplace can be best
evaluated by its advantages. There are numerous advantages of IM. One of the
greatest advantages of IM is the real-time collaboration amongst people. This
collaboration is not present in snail mail or e-mail. This advantage increases
the time of response from people who are communicating. This increase results
in better completion of projects and tasks if used properly. I have used this
advantage in the workplace for solving IT-related problems. “Although IM is
about connecting with colleagues faster than before, at its core is something
even more valuable – presence. Presence refers to the ability to see if someone
is online and if they are available to communicate.” (Bisconti, K., 2007) I,
personally, use IM at work to determine who is available. This is an advantage
that comes with any IM software. It is an underlying advantage that positively
impacts communication in the workplace. The simplicity of IM can increase
critical project decision making. (Bisconti, K. 2007) Often in the workplace,
while working on a project, the need for communication at different milestones
is vital. One of the quickest methods to communicate is IM; whether it is a
simple question or a better methodology for a project. The impact of this
advantage in the workplace is lower duration of time spent on communicating
different projects and seeking information which results in the increase of project
completion ratios. I have used this advantage to quickly resolve IT-related
problems in my current workplace.
“As organizations are becoming more information based,
the need for effective knowledge and collaborative environments amongst
employees has become vital, especially, within more geographically dispersed
teams.” (Instant Messaging, 2008) The impact of a tool to instantly collaborate
with others is enormous. IM is that tool. In fact, I use IM at the workplace to
instantly collaborate with my peers across the United States. It has led to
quicker answers and an increase in completing projects on time. IM’s impact in
the workplace can be measured greatly in the communication between field
offices around the world. It truly brings the world closer. IM makes people in different areas work
together. (Hoffman, K. 2004) An e-mail
doesn’t have the same impact as IM since an e-mail can’t verify if the person
is online. If a person is geographically in another location, it can take a
very long time for a response. IM traverses this disadvantage because it can be
use to verify who is online and it can generate a quicker response. “Instant
messaging lets connected workers see if a colleague is online and, if so, to
initiate a ‘live’ exchange of text messages with them.” (Oakes, C., 2001) IM
doesn’t look at geographically disperse locations of users. It enables
collaboration with groups in different areas to improve productivity.
With a phone conversation, there is no time to perform
other tasks while formulating a response. With IM, this is not the case. The
immediacy of IM makes a better exchange when any other medium would be too
lengthy. (Oakes, C., 2001) Since IM is immediate and used for verification that
the other party is online, you can formulate your response to a question from
the other party with ample time. This advantage is greatly used in a fast-paced
distribution and hospital environment. In fact, I have used this advantage at
my current workplace with great success.
An advantage of IM for an organization is the cost
factor. If there is a meeting that has participants located regionally distant
from each other and there is no time or funding for travel, IM can be a great
method to communicate without the travel cost.
If the cost of video-conferencing with a vendor for a meeting with
several branch offices across the world is not feasible, IM is a great
alternative for immediate communication. “Motivation for using IM was that some
respondents were not employed locally and travelling in person was not an
option. Another was that we were under rather severe time constraints.” (Voida,
A., et. al 2004)
Negative Impact of IM in the
workplace
Negative impact of IM in the workplace can be best
evaluated by its disadvantages. Although there are many advantages of IM, an
organization must be aware of the disadvantages of IM as well. One of the main
disadvantages of IM is that IM is used for personal reasons rather than
business reasons. (Himes, M., 2004) This disadvantage has a large negative
impact of employee productivity in the workplace. IM is vulnerable to attackers if the
organization’s network is not configured correctly. “IM threats can be
transmitted and redistributed automatically in only seconds and without the
same level of end user participation.” (Himes, M., 2004)
A disadvantage of IM is excessive usage of IM impacting
the productivity of users on the receiving end of the conversation. “IM when
excessively used will blur the processes because IMs are used across teams. A project
may suffer in such situations. (Gupta, V., 2008) In traditional e-mail, you can
involve the project managers to determine exactly where the project is at and
who needs to do what phases of a project, while IM doesn’t have such
regulations since IM has open communication. In my current job, we had
excessive usage of IM several years ago that impacted productivity. The company
created and enforced policies to resolve this disadvantage.
Some corporate users can change their IM application to
bypass corporate firewalls. (Valiente, C. Jr. 2006) This is a very serious
disadvantage since an organization’s internal network is being exposed to the
outside world. Since IM has open communication, you can have the chance of
divulging internal company information to outside world. This can be resolved by having an in house IM
application software. “Companies should be aware that simply by using IM, they
are exposing themselves to an additional potential source of legal liability.”
(Valiente, C. Jr. 2006) Another disadvantage of IM is that IM can bypass
antivirus applications because they communicate directly to the computers.
(Valiente, C. Jr. 2006) This disadvantage is a cause of concern since the
spread of viruses cannot be blocked by firewalls. Sending IM transmission that
is within the internal network is still not secured because very few IM
applications protect the session, thus eavesdroppers can read the transmitted
information. (Valiente, C. Jr. 2006) IM may have phishing attacks that when
clicked provides a way for viruses to enter the corporate network. (Valiente,
C. Jr. 2006) This disadvantage is similar to browsing the Internet where there
can be an organizational policy to not click on the commercial ads on a webpage. A potential disadvantage of IM comes with the
idea that IM has open communication. This open communication can lead to
disastrous effects on an organization. The use of IM to transmit inappropriate
language, adult content, or harassing materials between IM users can result in legal
liability for the company whose resources are used. (Valiente, C. Jr. 2006)
This disadvantage can be resolved with organizational policies. A disadvantage
of IM comes with the ability of IM to send files. Large files through IM can
congest the network at the expense of important business matters. (Valiente, C.
Jr. 2006) One of the other disadvantages of IM comes with the exposure of the
user’s internal IP address. When IM users engage in file sharing, the user’s
network address is revealed due to the design of the IM protocol. (Valiente, C.
Jr. 2006)
Best Practices of IM
Some
organizations would believe that due to the disadvantages of IM, IM has a
negative impact in the workplace. There are methods to resolve many of these
disadvantages. One of the major tasks in resolving these disadvantages is to
teach the employees of the organization about the best practices of IM.
There
are several best practices of IM that can be implemented by the end user. One
of them is to remember to use the right tool to communicate. There are many
times when an E-mail or phone call is more appropriate than an IM, such as
research questions. (Hoffman, J., 2004) Since IM is used for quick
communication, it is very easy to forget the important points of the
conversation. E-mail can be an excellent tool for detail responses that require
changes from other groups. Also, E-mail can be used for having something in
writing. I, personally, exercise this practice for verification of a
conversation at a later time. Turn off your IM program if you’re getting
distracted by constant IMs. (Hoffman, J., 2004) Sometimes, I turned off my IM
program in the workplace to concentrate on projects. You have to understand
that while using IM at work, you’re still at work and you must comply with the
company policies.
A
best practice is that the language used in IM should be very carefully chosen.
(Guidry, K., 2004) Since IM communication is very quick, it can lead to
misinterpretations. The language used in IM should not be vulgar because it
violates organizational policies. User names and away messages should be
professional and suitable for anyone in the public to read. (Guidry, K., 2004)
Since there are free IM applications available on the Internet, you can choose
any username you like. When these free IM applications are used in the
workplace, the username and the messages related to your status in the IM
application must follow organizational policies.
Some
users would have to learn this new method of communication. An organization
should have training available on IM and its use in the workplace for all
users. My current workplace had IM training for everyone. This minimized
numerous disadvantages with IM. “Users must choose to absorb certain costs
associated with use, such as acquiring new skills, purchasing hardware or
software, and exercising ‘communication discipline’”. (Herbisch, J., et al.
2002) Finally, if a user receives file
transfer request from an unknown source, the user should not accept it.
(Valiente, C. Jr 2006)
Resolutions to the negative impact
of IM in the workplace
Apart
from the best practices of IM, there are numerous resolutions to the disadvantages
of IM that an organization can exercise to better safeguard their network and
their employees. If these resolutions are exercised, the negative impact of IM
will be minimal. These resolutions should be carefully reviewed by the
organization before implementing IM applications.
One
of the resolutions is to include IM as part of their appropriate use policy.
Since IM in the workplace is a recent communication tool in the workplace, most
organizations don’t have it in their appropriate use policy. Another resolution
is to use policies and technologies to prevent intellectual property leakage
and to monitor IM traffic. Within the company there is also the risk of
employees using IM to release confidential information and project details to
an outside source. This issue is best controlled by a combination of written
policy and technology. Organizations should implement “gateways” or IM security
products to monitor messages. (Instant Messaging, 2008) Until now, the
resolutions of the disadvantages of IM did not have a cost factor. With the use
of IM security products, some organizations would have to purchase them. This
cost should be looked into if IM is part of an organization, because the cost
of IM security products is nothing compared to the cost of a network attack
through IM.
Time
should be set for IM responses to stimulate productivity. “A maximum length of
time between responses, including an initial greeting, should be set.” (Guidry,
2004) Employees should know about social engineering. “Employees should never
open attachments from unknown persons received via IM.” (Guidry, 2004) Since IM
is used to determine who is online, the problem of an employee being at work
but not online should be minimal. My current workplace has policies to update
your status in IM applications on a regular basis.
To
resolve the anti-virus gateway disadvantage, an organization needs to have a
strong anti-virus program. “Instant Messaging applications make it essential
that the organization implement a strong anti-virus program that constantly
searches users’ personal disks for known viruses and trojans.” (Valiente, C. Jr
2006) Since IM can be used to send or receive files, an organization must
carefully evaluate the risk of illegal information on their network. Assess the
liability that could result from transmission of illegal information using
company resources. (Valiente, C. Jr 2006) To resolve the disadvantage of using
non-standard ports to bypass firewall filters, an organization must investigate
any open ports. This investigation will enhance the security of an
organization’s network. “Analyze and document each port and service opened
outbound from your organization’s firewall gateway.” (Valiente, C. Jr 2006)
Since there is a possibility that a user can reconfigure an IM application, an
organization should review the need of protocol analyzers and network sniffers
to monitor the network. (Valiente, C. Jr 2006) An IM resolution is to know when
to send information via IM. “Never send sensitive information over IM unless
the application has the capability to encrypt messages using a minimum 128-bit
encryption.” (Valiente, C. Jr 2006) Personally,
I rather send files in e-mail to maintain a record of it. To resolve the
disadvantage of having IM applications revealing internal IP address of a user
when sending files via IM, a user can use E-mail instead to send the files or
the user can rely on the IM application to hide the IP address. “Some IM
applications allow senders to hide their IP address from the recipient. If
possible, users should utilize this feature within their application.” (Valiente,
C. Jr 2006)
Conclusion
IM
is the next phase in communication at the workplace. It has changed the way we
do business and it has brought the people in an organization together. There
are certain negative impacts to IM in an organization, but there are numerous
resolutions in place to resolve those negative impacts. An organization not
using IM as a method of communication, should carefully review it since IM might
be used by employees anyway.
References
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