This week reading is Economies in Networking Citizens (pp. 25-31)
The author said that “Technology is the only part of the answer to why it is that networks have remained in such sharp focus, and have occupied thinking around work and businesses.”The rapid growth of the technology have make network become very important to us. We can easily access to the network because of the new technology like iPad and smart phone at anywhere and anytime. This makes it easier for us to access to the network and make the network become convenient to us. For example, people are frequently updates their status through their mobile phone on Facebook or Twitter to let people know what they are doing. With these reason, network has become very important to business too.
social network
Network changes the way people conduct their business. In the past, people need the physical office to start a business but now, you just need a laptop and access to network and do business online. For example, there are many people selling clothes on the popular social network, Facebook. There are also a lot of organizations or company using Facebook to promote their service or product to millions of the Facebook user. They created a fan page for the company and update their company’s information for their fans in the fan page. They also keep in touch with their customer on Facebook. They can also advertise at the Facebook to create awareness towards their services or product. The labour had change from industry labour to liquid labour which means that the business had change from the factory machine assembly lines to the computer which processing information. Many company or organization had computerized their systems to be more systematic, convenience and flexible. With this, it is easier to find the data in the company when the data is computerized. It will save a lot of time for the staff to look for the data where time is the money for the company.
Besides that, network can help the organization or company in interact with client and customers. I had just mention that many organization used the popular social network, Facebook to keep in touch and updates with the customer and clients. Network is a must for business especially when dealing with the client at different country. Organization or company need to keep in touch with the client frequently by email or have video conference. Network breaks the physical border in the real world and with this; it’s easier for the organization or company to make business throughout the whole world. The time on network is homogenization which means that the sense of time is less obvious on network. People can send the email or data anytime and can contact the people on the opposite on the earth at anytime.
Interact through Network
Because of the network, business can be done easily and faster. So, network is helps in economic. According to the author, he stated that the last two decades have seen a shift away towards service and knowledge-based work. In this century, the Katerina Rudiger has argued in a report for the Work foundation, ‘this shift to “intangibles” is underpinned by modern economic growth theory, which acknowledge the vital role that technological progress and knowledge play in generating long term growth. Network is full of different types of information and knowledge, it also can stores the organization data and helps to contact and deal with the clients. The employees can find the information on the network easily and make their work easier and can complete it in short time. Network also can help the employees from different department to communicate at anytime and anywhere. This helps to save time and make the work more effective.
There are many people do business through network to cut down the transaction cost. For example, organization or company can promote their service and product through social network which cost nothing like set up a fan page on Facebook. It can make a big impact on the audience and create great awareness. Besides that, people that do the business online also save down a lot of cost because they do not need to setting up an office for business.
As a conclusion, the network helps a lot in business. When the business or transaction had increase, our economic will increase as well. That means network will directly affect the economic. But there are some disadvantages of network in business as well. The network make the work become easier as well as cut down the job opportunities. The technology had replaced the job for us and the many people is losing their job. The author stated that “high-tech manufacturing declined from 443 300 jobs in 1996 to 288 000 in 2006”. It had become an issue in many develop country. What do you think?
I'm unemployed =(
