Mission Impossible??

Some course that I've attended recently got me thinking about how people work or even communicate with each other. Of the many comments, reasons or excuses I've heard before, one that comes up strongly is a classic case in its own league.

Worker A and Worker B are doing the same marketing functions, but in separate cities for the same company. The company expects them to be able help each other market the products in the other person's company. Worker A complains that he doesn't know what is required or how the process works, while Worker B complains that there is no communication from Worker A, even though both workers are connected via internet, emails and internal communication channels. And at the end of the day, it becomes Worker C's responsibility to make the two of them talk.

It just makes me wonder... what is stopping Worker A from communicating with Worker B and vice versa? Is it really so hard these days to talk openly with a fellow worker? What about the media options that are available to facilitate communications? Is it really that hard to use them? And what's stopping them from sharing info, knowledge or even become friends using these options?

Or is it a case that they fear that "Big Brother" (in this case, the management of the company) is watching? If it is, wouldn't that make Worker C's job near mission impossible?