t be in work and at his desk for production is becoming more obsolete as companies realize the potential of the internet. One impressive way the internet can help companies is the workgroups that can be formed internationally. A workgroup is a group of emp

cues that are lost over a computer. In a chat room, for example, the two employees might know nothing about each other, other than the information they provide about themselves. Therefore, any type of social stereotypes (i.e. sexism, racism, bigotry) is less prevalent than if perceived in the real world. If the employees have never met, social irritations may not be as readily triggered than if in person. For example, if I am irritated by a person who stutters when he speaks, the chances that he will do so over the internet are relatively low. This allows me to concentrate solely on the task at hand and not be distracted by insignificant things. The book speaks of how the internet groups, in the absence of social cues and orders, had to find a group identity online. In other words, the lack of social cues also has its drawbacks. Even if the members of the workgroups concede personal information about themselves, such as their race or ethnicity, the other members might have no !

k of human interaction on the computer, was limited to almost nothing. On the other hand, the group that fared the best was noted as having the most email interaction and regular group meetings. The members of the group also took it upon themselves to go beyond what was asked of them simply because they felt a great responsibility to the group as a whole. What caused this desire and cohesion within the group? According to the book, the group kept their personal lives out of the online chatting. Therefore, the members knew very little about the members of the group. The group even agreed to keep their gender out of the online group. This forced its members to assume that each of the other members formed the most productive group in which that person could perform. For example, if I felt that I could work best with three women and two other men, that became my group. If my coworker preferred working with all women, that became his group. The breakdown of things immediately evide!

in, the possibilities are infinite! Lastly, the online workgroups could help the Philippines play a larger role in the world community. Right now, the Philippines plays a very limited role in what happens in the world. Allowing our diplomats and government agencies to work online with other countries' diplomats and agencies would provide the Philippines a louder voice than right now. The opinions of the Filipinos could be heard throughout the world and allow for a larger influx of ideas into the Philippines. International policies and legislation could be passed with Filipinos having contributed to them. When the book spoke about online group members, it made no limitation as to who the members could be. With this in mind, the members of the online group could easily be entire nations! Conclusion The role of the internet workgroup is very applicable in the workplace today. It can increase productivity by providing certain attributes absent in an IRL setting. Furthermore, I bel!

life" groups (IRL groups). The book theorized that during online discussions, members are allowed to type uninterrupted by other people's ideas. IRL groups, on the other hand, were comprised of on

Some common words found in the essay are:
Filipino California, Philippine Context, Research Development, Philippines International, Analysis Book, Environmental Science, University Tokyo, Psychology Internet, Summary Book, Filipinos Philippines, online workgroup, world community, increase productivity, social cues, role world community, book provides, drilling companies, ideas philippines, flow ideas, help companies, produce quality,
Approximate Word count = 2121
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)