Social Media in Organisations-Your Experiences
Many organisations fail to understand the importance of social media in their internal operations. Social media provides a platform for ensuring effective interactions among the workers, the management, and the stakeholders. Treem, and Leonardi (2013) showed that it has been shown that social media has been used by several companies to reduce the costs of operation and increase the revenue generated through the stimulation of innovative ideas.
One of the main roles of social media in a company is ensuring that there is proper communication, interactions and progressive innovation in an organization. Social media encourages exchange of information thus encouraging learning. It is only through sharing of information that innovation can be realized in an organization (Mount and Martinez, 2014 p. 143. In the management of change in an organization, social media ensures that there is transparency in the information shared by various individuals. The information sharing process is very effective where organizations utilize social media as a communication tool. Treem and Leonardi (2013 p. 143) in their analysis defined social media as a platform where individuals can share their ideas openly without interference with the interest of other employees. This ensures that there is a rapid spread of ideas and therefore enhancing innovation and introducing change in the organisation.
Social media is used for promoting communication skills among specific workers in an organisation. Through effective communication, most of the issues are solved in an effective manner. In the process of enhancing communication, communication partnerships are created thus enhancing bonding in an organization (Tortoriello, Reagans, and McEvily, 2012 p. 1024). The impact of effective communication is improved sharing of knowledge on how to improve the current work done by individual employees. Post work edits are carried out at this point.
Bonding among the employees increases due to enhanced interactions and proper integration of various cultures. In the process of bringing the workers together, there is growth in an organisation by reducing conflicts (Szulanski and Jensen, 2006 p. 937). Therefore, social media is used as a tool that enhances innovation in an organisation through easy exchange of ideas, cultures and ensuring that there is effective communication among the workers. The platform forms the basis for rapid spread of knowledge.
Social media is one of the most appropriate platforms for the exchange of ideas. However, in order to ensure that it is not used for the wrong reasons, organisations should develop the policies and guidelines that will ensure that there is a proper use of the social media (Klievink, and Janssen, 2014 p. 240). Social media cannot be of benefit to an organisation while it is constantly being misused by individuals and organisations alike. Social media has been pointed out as methods of spreading bad motives and hence hindering the performance of the workers. Therefore, workers must be trained on how to use social media responsibly. They should also be encouraged to strictly use it for enhancing innovation in their respective organisations. Effective use of social media enhances growth in an organisation.
References
Klievink, B. and Janssen, M., 2014. Developing multi-layer information infrastructures: Advancing social innovation through public–private governance. Information Systems Management, 31(3), pp.240-249.
Mount, M. and Garcia Martinez, M., 2014.. ‘Social media: a tool for open innovation’, California Management Review, 56(4), pp. 124-143.
Szulanski, G. and Jensen, R.J., 2006. Presumptive adaptation and the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Strategic Management Journal, 27(10), pp.937-957.
Tortoriello, M., Reagans, R. and McEvily, B., 2012. Bridging the knowledge gap: The influence of strong ties, network cohesion, and network range on the transfer of knowledge between organizational units. Organization Science, 23(4), pp.1024-1039.
Treem, J.W. and Leonardi, P.M., 2013. Social media use in organizations: Exploring the affordances of visibility, editability, persistence, and association. Annals of the International Communication Association, 36(1), pp.143-189.
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Social Media in Organisations-Your Experiences
Introduction
Many organisations fail to understand the importance of social media in their internal operations. Social media provides a platform for ensuring effective interactions among the workers, the management, and the stakeholders. Treem, and Leonardi (2013) showed that it has been shown that social media has been used by several companies to reduce the costs of operation and increase the revenue generated through the stimulation of innovative ideas.
Analyzing the use of social media internally in Organizations
Social media is used as a marketing tool in an organisation for the purpose of making the products to reach more customers. Social media connects millions of people across thee world and hence the marketing approaches can reach a wider audience (Tortoriello et al, 2012 p.1024). In addition, the use of social media can be applied in the supply chain by linking the business and the retailers who are located across the world. Moreover, it is also used in sales and customer services to enhance customer relationships.
Social media is a platform that houses a wide range of data that are used by various organisations in making an important decision regarding the behaviour of the customers. The existing data can be used in increasing the growth of the business through the process of evaluating responses from the customers and making the most important decisions (Szulanski and Jensen, 2006 p.937.
Social media is used for promoting communication among specific workers in an organisation and hence increase in productivity. Through effective communication, most of the issues are solved in an effective manner. In the process of enhancing communication, communication partnerships are created thus enhancing bonding in an organization (Tortoriello, Reagans, and McEvily, 2012 p. 1024). The impact of effective communication is improved sharing of knowledge on how to improve the current work done by individual employees.
Bonding among the employees increases due to enhanced interactions and the proper integration of various cultures. In the process of bringing the workers together, there is growth in an organisation by reducing conflicts (Szulanski and Jensen, 2006 p. 937). Therefore, social media is used as a tool that enhances innovation in an organisation through the easy exchange of ideas, cultures and ensuring that there is effective communication among the workers. The platform forms the basis for the rapid spread of knowledge.
Conclusion
Social media is one of the most appropriate platforms for the exchange of ideas. However, in order to ensure that it is not used for the wrong reasons, organisations should develop the policies and guidelines that will ensure that there is a proper use of the social media (Klievink, and Janssen, 2014 p. 240). Social media cannot be of benefit to an organisation while it is constantly being misused by individuals and organisations. Social media has been pointed out as methods of spreading bad motives and hence hindering the performance of the workers. Therefore, workers must be trained on how to use social media responsibly. They should also be encouraged to strictly use it for enhancing innovation in their respective organisations. Effective use of social media enhances growth in an organisation. Organisations should adopt the changes for realization of the goals of the business
References
Klievink, B. and Janssen, M., 2014. Developing multi-layer information infrastructures: Advancing social innovation through public–private governance. Information Systems Management, 31(3), pp.240-249.
Mount, M. and Garcia Martinez, M., 2014.. ‘Social media: a tool for open innovation’, California Management Review, 56(4), pp. 124-143.
Szulanski, G. and Jensen, R.J., 2006. Presumptive adaptation and the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Strategic Management Journal, 27(10), pp.937-957.
Tortoriello, M., Reagans, R. and McEvily, B., 2012. Bridging the knowledge gap: The influence of strong ties, network cohesion, and network range on the transfer of knowledge between organizational units. Organization Science, 23(4), pp.1024-1039.
Treem, J.W. and Leonardi, P.M., 2013. Social media use in organizations: Exploring the affordances of visibility, editability, persistence, and association. Annals of the International Communication Association, 36(1), pp.143-189.
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Example 1
Introduction
The social media (SM) use by organizations is falling behind the use of the public. Even though many organizations use social media to promote their products and develop a new vision which will lead to the success of their latest products. Still, other organizations have no idea how to use it for their innovations and creativity.
Moreover, various organizations creativity was negatively affected by social media. However, social media is supposed to provide a transforming chance to organizations that discover in what way to develop SM and benefit from it. Although taking advantage of this opportunity needs more than utilizing the known social media platforms. Therefore, to make use of your social media creativity and innovation, you need to have a clear strategy and objective. The organizations who benefit from the social media utilization in developing their latest products are the ones who use it throughout their development process; these organizations build an organizational process and structure which will support their recent product development movement (Roberts et al., 2016).
Social Media Analysis
Regardless of the different advantages of using social media by the public and organizations, there were many kinds of research which showed that organizations are mostly failing in recognizing the advantages for creativity, regardless of their social media existence. It was discovered that the use of the innovation process is not the only essential part but also the approach used.
Organizations that seek out the utilization of the social media abilities to present their creativity must follow the below recommendations (Roberts et al., 2016):
1. Emphasize Social.
2. Customize your approach to each platform.
Strategy Used
Social media will not lead to improving the performance of the latest product promotion automatically. But this can be achieved by developing a dedicated strategic approach which will connect the social media to the developing product and their organizational objectives. In developing this strategy, the leaders need to ask themselves what their goal is and how they must achieve it. The value of social media for the latest products is motivated by various talents and capabilities bounded to several operational fields, divisions, plus personnel.
Higher management participation is essential to urge teamwork and knowledge sharing between all departments. Sometimes an innovation leader is appointed to align the strategies and tools and Help in identifying the rational social media strategy (Roberts et al., 2016).
Recommendation and Conclusion
Nowadays most of the work done is invisible which have many adverse outcomes for the organization. Introducing social media tools like NSNSs, microblogs, and blogs to the organization environment result in making the work more visible. As Mount et al. (2014) said: “The community character promotes creativity and quality of contributions since participants from different backgrounds with different areas of expertise, skills, and experiences can work together.” The social media delivers regular communication between the coworkers and makes work more visible for third parties. Enterprise Social Media (ESM) have an essential role because it transforms invisible work to a visible one. Moreover, using transparency promotes terms, and makes the concept of visibility linked to the work needed to pinpoint the information in the communication (Leonardi, 2014).
Mohamad El Hassan
Reference
Leonardi, P.M. (2014). Social Media, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation: Toward a Theory of Communication Visibility. Information Systems Research. 25(4), pp. 796-816. Available at: https://elearning.uol.ohecampus.com/bbcswebdav/institution/UKL1/201940JAN/MS_CKIT/CKIT_558/readings/UKL1_CKIT_558_Wk5_Leonardi.pdf (Accessed 06 February 2019).
Mount, M. et al. (2014). Social Media: A Tool for Open Innovation. California Management Review, 56(4), pp. 124-143. Available at: https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=c8fc8a9d-0ad0-4e61-8f87-b6a14a22d4b8%40sessionmgr104 (Accessed 06 February 2019).
Roberts, D.L. et al. (2016). Finding the Right Role for Social Media in Innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 57(3), pp. 41-49. Available at: https://search-proquest-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/docview/1778414430?accountid=12117 (Accessed 06 February 2019).
Example 2
Introduction
Social Media ab initio has come a long way since its inception and is proliferating at a very fast pace; enhancing effective interaction and making information sharing simple and easy via the internet and virtual communities. Today, it is easy to find people from all walks of life using social media in one way or the other; it has become part and parcel of our everyday life. Facebook (2013) alone has 727 million daily active users. But the bigger question is, how this disruptive technology or innovation is playing strategic roles in organizations internally.
Analyzing the use of social media internally in Organizations
Using social media in any organization is one of the perfect marketing tools to reach out to bigger audiences not only locally but globally. Scholars of communications have argued that difference in communication anatomy and processes have a direct impact on organizations (McLuhan 1962).
One aspect of organizations where social media is impacting hugely is organizational processes; that is
1. Marketing
2. Supply chain
3. Production process
4. Sales and customer service.
The propensity at which these organizational processes function properly hinges on how effective data and information are managed and coordinated.
Today’s business world is gradually gearing towards more information and knowledge-intensive milieu. Organizations are adapting quickly to this new development in order to take advantage of the ready availability of data and information’s made possible via social media to make well-informed decisions to make their business profitable and efficient while keeping in tune with the ever-changing socio-economic and environmental business trend.
To support this claim, the amount of data generated every day is enormous and it is projected to reach 35 zettabytes by 2020(Gants and Reinsel 2012). This large amount of data can be collected via social media and processed to unearth new relationships among complex data (Manovich 2011).
Aside this, social media also fosters effective communication between co-workers making work more visible and eliminating the invisible nature of the business setting which have many adverse consequences on organizations.
This virtual community promotes creativity and enhances quality of contributions since participants from different backgrounds with different areas of expertise, skills, and experiences can work together Mount et al. (2014)
Recommendations and Conclusion
It is imperative for organizations to adopt as quickly as possible to be able to evaluate, conceptualize and abstract new means that will foster the effective coordination of these information’s with the organization goals and vision to be able to make automated decisions taking into consideration new business opportunities, change, and risks(IDC 2012). When these things are taken care of, organizational processes become very easy and efficient making businesses processes more effective, efficient and profitable.
References
Facebook. (2013). Key facts. Palo Alto, CA: Author. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http:// newsroom.fb.com/Key-Facts (Accessed 09 February 2019).
McLuhan, Marshall. (1962). The Gutenberg Galaxy: The making of typographic man. New York: McGraw-Hill. (Accessed 09 February 2019).
Gants and Reinsel. (2012). The Digital Universe in 2020: Big data, Bigger Digital Shadow, Biggest Growth in the Far East-United States (Accessed 09 February 2019).
IDC (2012). Country brief (Accessed 09 February 2019).
Manovich (2011)Trending: The Promises and the Challenges of Big Social Data(Accessed 09 February 2019).
Mount, M. et al. (2014). Social Media: A Tool for Open Innovation. California Management Review, 56(4), pp. 124-143. Available at: https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=c8fc8a9d-0ad0-4e61-8f87-b6a14a22d4b8%40sessionmgr104 (Accessed 09 February 2019).
Example 3
Introduction
Over the last decade, internet usage has grown exponentially, an assessment that is supported by Internet Live Stats (2018) as nearly half of the world population has gained access to the internet. The increasingly popular use of social media (SM) is primarily powered by the feasibility of today’s internet reserves (Karikari, Kofi, and Owusu-Frimpong, 2017).
SM Use in Education
The viability of SM in terms of communication impacted academia to embrace its benefits. SM platforms are continuously evolving with time; intriguing towards a transformed educational sector thereby inculcating that SM has become a fundamental networking medium within the educational settings (Bicen, and Uzunboylu, 2013). In my workplace, which is a school, management has commenced using SM for crisis communication with stakeholders. Incorporation of SM applications has eased communication, therefore it has been embraced as a daily practice by tutors. The aim of adapting to SM trends has sufficed not only the teachers but the guardians as well by aiding easy communication on their child progress while teachers continually grow towards better teaching plans to enhance learning outcomes. Integrating SM marketing has become a necessity due to its rewarding results. The success of our school was pivoted by SM tools as it facilitated in building a closer relationship with the society in order to enhance confidence and engage more students to enroll in our school.
SM Role as a Strategic Tool
The utilization of the SM in my school comprises of various short term and long-term strategic advantages. Stakeholder’s communication is readily increased with resource sharing, the progression helped towards learning within the academics as well (Thomas and Akdere, 2013).
Furthermore, the school has developed efficiency in conveying its marketing strategies to a relevant audience.
Considering the long-term advantages, SM has helped my school to reach two main goals; to escalate the learning experience to a level that suits the twenty-first learners. The second is to produce well-educated graduates who are able to contribute towards the betterment of society. The use of SM has a potential benefit in engaging students in their respective educational discussions enhancing their learning experience (Wordell and Keintz, 2014).
Recommendations
With the tremendous number of studies that indicated that the adoption of SM might be helpful in education, a lot of studies have also recommended that teachers should limit in their relationships with students and communicate with them within proper boundaries (Felder, 2016), this also should be applied on the electronic forms that being used in the the students-teachers interaction (Wordell and Keintz, 2014). Moreover, the SM posts, comments and shared should be controlled by a specialized person and monitored by the concerned management to avoid harmful comments that might temper the school’s reputation.
Conclusion
The perks SM contributes towards us is however redeemed with its disadvantages as well (Al-Sharqi, Hashim and Kutbi, 2015). The immense information on platforms has hindered the learning process as it does not incorporate learners to focus on the subject. Therefore educators should assess strategies in order to minimalize the hindrance SM has on the learning outcomes.
References
Al-Sharqi, L., Hashim, K. and Kutbi, I., (2015) ‘Perceptions of social media impact on students’ social behaviour: A comparison between Arts and Science students. International Journal of Education and Social Science, 2(4), pp.122-131.
Bicen, H. and Uzunboylu, H., (2013) “The use of social networking sites in education: A case study of Facebook”. J. UCS, 19(5), pp.658-671. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268800025_The_Use_of_Social_Networking_Sites_in_Education_A_Case_Study_of_Facebook (Accessed: 8 February 2019)
Consequences of social media use in Ghana. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 123(10),
Felder, R., 2016. Rethink Traditional teaching methods to improve learning and retention. Journal of STEM Education, 17(1).
InternetLiveStats. (2019). Internet usage – social media statistics. Available at: http://www.internetlivestats.com/ (Accessed: 8 February 2019)
Karikari, S., Kofi, O.-F., & Owusu-Frimpong, N., (2017) ‘Evaluating individual level antecedents and consequences of social media use in Ghana’, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 123(C), pp. 68-79. Doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2017.06.023 (Accessed: 8 February 2019)
Sabieh, C., (2015) ‘April. How Important Is It For Students To Know What Social Media Is To Use It?’ In Global Learn (pp. 84-94). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Available at: https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/150850/ (Accessed: 8 February 2019).
Thomas, K.J. and Akdere, M. (2013) ‘Social media as collaborative media in workplace learning’, Human Resource Development Review, 12(3), pp. 329-344. doi: 10.1177/1534484312472331
Wordell, P. & Keintz, B. (2014) ‘Social Media Use and Policy in High Schools’. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning (pp. 2093-2097). New Orleans, LA, USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Available at: https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/149003/. (Accessed: 8 February 2019).
