I'm also expecting a major increase in the use of virtual/remote methods of communication/information management. But then, like many of those who have followed this, I've been wrong before--anyone remember video-phones?
Video-conferencing has been around for a very long time (by tech standards) at least since the mid-1960's with a resurgence of interest that coincides with upticks in energy/travel costs and seems to go in 10 year cycles. This last one though, might be real. Pres. Bush has been shown on tv several times conspicuously video-conferencing from Camp David. Four of my students--out of 16 or so, (most of whom work full-time) in a higher level MIS class regularly use video-conferencing, and by the way, find it tedious in the extreme! Whether this time the costs in time, and energy, (and now perceived personal risk) of travel; will outweigh the benefits of f2f contact, remains to be seen. Mike Gurstein Michael Gurstein, Ph.D. (Visiting) Professor School of Management New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark NJ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Hudson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lawrence DeBivort" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2001 3:27 AM Subject: Distance-working/Low-rise buildings > > 2. Yes, it's likely that more video-conferencing and distance-working will > take place in the future. Indeed, a subsidiary reason why I started my > choral music business (selling on the Net) was to test the idea that one > could run a business without actually meeting one's working colleagues. > (Only two out of my team of nine in eight different countries in Handlo > Music have ever met -- that is, I've only met one of them and none of the > others have met one another. We don't have video-conferencing though, only > e-mail, but we work together very well even though we have minor language > problems sometimes.) > > The problem here seems to me to be the fact that bosses are not yet ready > to dispense with the "factory" method of management -- that they have to > see those they oversee -- that they cannot entirely trust people to work > conscientiously when they are out of sight. But quite besides my own little > outfit, there many businesses, including a major software firm, which > operate successfully with distance-methods. Also, distance-learning by > universities in various parts of the world is one of the fastest-growing > sectors of all at the present time. > > I'm puzzled why distance-working and video-conferencing has not taken off > much more quickly than they have done so far. Perhaps when broadband > transmission becomes widespread and more cheaply available then we'll see > it happening in a big way. The considerable reduction in overheads, and > savings on commuting costs by staff means that those firms which can take > the plunge will probably gain great advantages over their competitors. > > I imagine that it's got to happen sooner or later and that the dense > clusterings of skyscrapers in many of our largest cities will become a > thing of the past. > > Keith Hudson > ___________________________________________________________________ > > Keith Hudson, General Editor, Calus <http://www.calus.org> > 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England > Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > ________________________________________________________________________ >
