...and in modern times

• a general increase in business communication;

• globalisation and deregulation increase competition;

• fewer secretaries are employed to protect people;

• more outsourcing means a wider range of other companies with which it is necessary to communicate;

• more ways to communicate: by fax, voice mail, e-mail, internet and online conferencing, in addition to the more traditional methods, telephone, meetings, post and telex.

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The amount of information has increased for a number of reasons: there is a general increase in business communication, in-company and with customers and suppliers; trends such as globalisation and deregulation increase competition; companies are downsizing and fewer secretaries are employed to protect people from information; more outsourcing means a wider range of other companies with which it is necessary to communicate. There are also more ways to communicate: by fax, voice mail, e-mail, internet and online conferencing, in addition to the more traditional methods, telephone, meetings, post and telex. (Waddington, 1997)

This quotation identifies a number of factors related to information overload:

.increased communication

.globalisation

.de-regulation

.downsizing

.technology

Waddington, P. (1997) Dying for information? A report on the effects of information overload in the UK and world-wide. In: Beyond the Beginning: The Global Digital Library: an international conference organised by Ukoln on behalf of JISC, CNI, BLRIC, CAUSE and CAUL 16th and 17th JUNE 1997 at THE Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, UK. Available at: http://www.cni.org/regconfs/1997/ukoln-content/repor~13.html [Accessed 23.01.01]