Journal of Management Research
Volume 18, Number 4 (October–December 2018)
ISSN: 0972-5814 Online ISSN: 0974-455X
Exploring Organisational Understanding of Foundational Pillars of Social Media A Qualitative Content Analysis of Social Media Policies of Technology Companies
Namita R. Shah and Shishir K. Jha
| Abstract |
The use of social media has grown exponentially. There is now a 1.5 billion-strong user force, potentially offering an economic value of more than $900 billion. Yet the organisational absorption of certain medium norms appears to be lagging. One of the key reasons for sluggish social strategies is the lack of understanding of basic elements of the medium that lends itself to appropriate usage and the avoidance of reputation loss. This study addresses a clear gap in the literature by analysing social media policies (SMPs) with the intent of assessing organisational understanding of the medium through the lens of its foundational pillars, which are identified in this study as ‘user categories’, ‘user-generated content’, and ‘social applications and platforms’. We submit that SMPs are modes of organisational communication available in the public domain and, hence, are best suited for showcasing and directly communicating any such engagement to a wider interested populace. We find that an organisational understanding of the medium made initial progress but now appears to be frozen at a point due to lack of policy updates and due to the view of the medium as yet another technological advancement with minimal appreciation of guiding principles such as interaction, collaboration, free expression, and user engagement.
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