Buzz word- Convergence

Question Time: Convergence has implications for governments and society. Pick a profession and then answer the question, how convergence is forcing change in the profession?
Convergence -buzz word of the week

Before I begin the blog, I thought I would take the time to define convergence and get to know it a bit better. According to Flew, Convergence refers to ‘the interlinking of computing and IT, communications networks, and media content that (have) occurred with the development of the internet and the convergent products, services and activities that have emerged in the digital media space’(Flew 2009). According to Henry Jenkins, a key theorist of new media and media convergence, convergence is ‘continually reforming to adapt to enduring demands of technologies, therefore, changing the ways society consumes, learns and interacts with one another’(Jenkins 2006). It is ‘shaped by the desires of media conglomerates to expand their empires across multiple platforms and by the desires of consumers who have the media they want, where they want it, when they want it and in the format they want it in’(Jenkins 2006).

Although convergence might have implications for governments and society, it also has proposes some great advantages with the shift further towards convergence. In terms of implications, it essentially means the continual reformation and modification of policies and procedures to in order to be kept up to date with other governments and societies. This can be costly and very time consuming.

How is convergence forcing change in the sales (car industry) profession?

My research has proved that in terms of this industry, convergence is forcing change in the sales profession. However it is not consistent across all sales industries. The convergence of new technologies and the web 2.0 is making life easier for those working in the profession, but perhaps a little too much. With the rise of the internet, programs such as MYOB and websites offering consumers the option to buy online, the industry is diminishing itself the need for retail sales outlets and in turn probably costing them money. According to Jenkins, ‘the power of networked communities (like carsales.com) in developing knowledge systems (for consumers) that are not only greater than the sum of their individual parts, but that grow, evolve and collectively learn through their individual parts’(Jenkins 2006; Flew 2009). It is apparent to me (as the daughter of a car dealer) that car dealerships are digging their own graves, fooling themselves in some instances.

The car industry is a behind-the-times industry that has not exactly been forced in to a convergence change. Dealerships currently are not taking into consideration the influence of convergence changes as opportunities instead insisting on a ‘build and then sell sales model’(Golden 2008). This is because the industry is not listening when their consumers are calling for smaller, more economical cars and ease in terms of buying patterns. With the rise of private sellers on the internet it is becoming harder and harder to sell cars in a dealership.

Convergence of technology in the consumer sector is adding to this complication by making it easier for customers to preview, sell and make contact with those selling cars from their own desk/phone/television/games console rather than the traditional trip to your local Dealer. Websites like carsales.com.au and tradingpost.com are all contributing to the forced change of the car dealership to perhaps... the online car dealership.

However, convergence is forcing some good change in the car industry in some cases although it is slow. As a kid growing up, I remember my dad having a Nokia phone in his car that would have been the size of my text book. It offered no loud speaker, no SMS capabilities and was not even cordless. Now mobile phones are cordless and connect with the blue tooth in the car. It is the same with GPS systems. Once upon a time, GPS systems were huge, now they are standard in almost every car that is rolled off the production line. With further forced convergence in the car industry, your mobile phone, GPS system, Bluetooth and television is now incorporated with your cars own computer making the car a multi-purpose agent for a range of (illegal) activities involving new digital media and driving, of course.

References

Flew, T. (2009). New Media: an introduction, Oxford University Press.

Golden, G. (2008). Accelerating the Auto Industry's Convergence with Energy and Software. Future Blogger.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide. New York, New York University Press.