The Role of Social Media in Organizations

Communication is key in any business since it plays a role in ensuring that organization’s operations are running effectively and there is cooperation within the business. Organizations need to adopt effective communication strategies for better performance and interactions among stakeholders. Over the recent past organizations have employed modern technology due to its effectiveness as it helps in improving communication and engaging with customers as well as their staff. Social media, for instance, is effective and most organizations have incorporated it into their structure since they have a role in improving communication capabilities. Most companies face challenges when it comes to communication and this has a negative effect on their performance. Margaret & Sons Textiles Limited, for example, has been experiencing problems in communication which have contributed wrangles in the company and in return the firm has suffered losses due to poor communication strategies. This piece will depict the importance of social media in an organization and it will depict why Margaret & Sons Textiles Limited should use social media as its primary communication platform.

Hence, it is essential to focus on Margaret & Sons Textiles Limited communication problems while exploring, some of the benefits the company will enjoy the use technology in its communication.  The company should employ social media in its operations since that will be the most effective strategy to solve the communication problems that are being witnessed. With this in place, it is evident that there will be cooperation and the management can be reachable by the employees as well as the customers. Moreover, performance will improve dramatically at the same time conflicts witnessed will reduce.

Role of social media in organizations

Social media has an impact on business and that is the reason why many companies are using social media for their day-to-day communications. There are many organizations which have adopted this method of communication and it is working perfectly good since it comes with a number of advantages. Technology has made communications within organizations better than ever before and this is due to its flexibility and ease of access to many people. Facebook, Twitter along with other social media platforms have infiltrated the traditional workplace and this is by changing the mode of operation as well as communication. Social media has brought many positive aspects to organizations that participate in their networking. The usefulness of social media in communication and decision making for organizations has brought the community together by using the most effective practices in order to communicate (Ward van Zoonen, & Verhoeven, 201,7). Although many older generations are uncertain about using social media due to the negative impacts it has had on our culture, working together as a team to provide communication strategies can bring conventional and contemporary communication into a light of positive feedback for many. However, knowing how to brainstorm as an organization to effectively engage individuals in the organization on the social media network can be challenging. Always making sure you know what population or age group is being targeted; as well as, using relevant information towards these individuals will bring success to the organization (Cheng, 2015).

Over the last decade, we have witnessed the quick spread of an innovative class of information technologies, normally known as social media, which upkeep interactive communication and cooperation using Internet-based platforms. Currently, social media has become the most common platform of computer-aided communication due to the massive growth of technologies that are on the market. This sensation has not only influenced daily communication but it has also become universal in organizations, offering platforms via which communication in organizations happens. Among the finest known of social media networks are sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, each having millions of users. Regardless of the widespread adoption of social media networks, their application objectives in organizations, comprising knowledge management and marketing, has only just started (Badea, 2014). As debate of social media persist to discuss the influence it has had on the internal and external communication of the organizations. Earlier research revealed that it has become progressively integrated for communication in organizations with workers and customers within the past decade. Leonardi, et al. (2013) studied depict how the of this platforms in an organization has influenced communication actions via which work is achieved. He noted that only 18 percent of managers have a belief that social media is significant for their organization today, and more than 65 percent claim they will be significant for organization within three years.

However, how these innovative technologies will influence organizations is not entirely precise and recognizing the theoretical effects of social media technologies for an organizational study is challenging.

How social media has effected change in organizations

             As more sorts of this platforms begin to emerge, and the organizational world persists to be complex and competitive, firms participate in employing of various platforms to maintain the company’s status. Many companies have set a significance on recognizing to suitably achieve the use of modern media as well as appreciate its efficiency since there is a great popularity of social media. These communication platforms play a significant role in everyday activities and has turned to be part of the current incorporated communication techniques for most of the organizations because of its user-friendly and inexpensive way of exchanging user-generated information. Badea (2014) argues that use of this tools has significantly effected changes in the organization by decreasing the cost of content generation, discovery techniques, and distribution. This is because; individuals and organizations are able to come up with an online existence economically and easily. This existence could generate a large feedback based on the interest in the information shared and the content created. An online community is the goal of many organizations in various social media platforms given its moderately low cost and immediate consumer access. This sharing of information between the buyers and user content has improved both advocacy and satisfaction and encouraged resilient consumer involvement for those firms that have employed social media as a marketing technique. Researchers of how information spreads and affects consumers in a social media network have been of substantial interest, specifically considering the early adoption of social media tools for marketing determinations (Fader & Winer, 2012).

            Sharing of information within the organization can be challenging but social media networks have effected a radical change. Social media tools have offered a chance for the organization to communicate faster with their stuff and stakeholders. If there is a matter that requires instant consideration, an official can distribute the message via social media and the internet to staff to access appropriate information. According to Swartz (2008), organizational social networks has aided in the management of inappropriate electronic mail and immediate message in the organization. Social networking sites have minimized the time consumed for a task to be finished since they cut down the duration of time workers and management take to contact the staff. Moreover, information is easily accessed through the internet. Social media tools have become the quickest means to obtain information. Most of the companies are actively controlling the superiority of social media to discover innovative ideas, new groups of like-minded companies and individuals (Koch, Leidner & Gonzalez, 2013). This has enabled many organizations to share information about diverse marketing approaches (Waters & Williams, 2011). In this case, revenues have been extremely increased and organizations are accessible which is an important in any business.  

               Social media platforms like YouTube, Wiki, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook have become widespread technologies with organizational marketing teams that distribute the expression about the services and products (Lynn & Robert, 2015). The use of traditional tools in marketing has become outmoded and digital marketing is being considered as the best way of promoting services or products virally via the web. Organizations have recognized the social media as an influential medium that is transforming the means at which world share information (Santra & Giri, 2009). Every worker, supplier, and the consumer has become a consideration on how the organization works and which are its roles. The control has been advanced from what the organization needs to depend on the public, to what workers, suppliers, and consumers say about the organization, either for better or for worse.    

            While there are various causes for the popularity of social media, one noticeable feature that people appreciate about this media is because it acts as interrelation method that permits people to participate in social relations. Social media is a normal allowance to the interaction society which offers firms a chance to exchange knowledge more constantly with the clients (Fischer & Reuber, 2011). In other words, social media has generated a collaborative discussion that signifies both the opinions of the organization and of the user (Reitz, 2012). This has permitted them to modify accordingly to what they learn about their consumers thus advancing the general satisfaction of the consumers’ wants (Swartz, 2008).

            As a notable impact, social media has resulted to transfer of control, which has influenced organizations extremely on all levels. Organizations that initially implemented social media accept the control shift and linked the effect of social media on the well-being of organizations (Sashi, 2012). For instance, organizations such as South West airlines empowers its workers and reply to consumer’s comments and objections through social media. Just in 2010, a pilot in South West airlines requested a clumsy passenger to de-board the plane due to the ‘one seat’ policy of the company. The pilot was not aware that one of the passengers was a popular actor, director, and writer with many supporters. The passenger, known as Mr. Kevin Smith, decided to post his reaction on social media because he was not comfortable with that issue. It was within a duration of eight hours that South West Airlines responded to him and every one of his followers in the social media commented concerning the incident, expressing regret and explaining their policies (Waters & Williams, 2011). In other words, South West Airlines exhibited how organizations are engaging their consumers during conflicts in order to maintain the organizational status. It took a pride in its apparent policies and admitted to its mistake, thus building its reputation and respect from workers and customers.

            The technologies have offered access to control, counsel, and has acted as a self-development platform that can be applied any moment and from any place. Organizational directories have also experienced major modifications in order to have the similar expertise to that of LinkedIn or Facebook. Further features such as personalization and offering user-rating possibilities have been incorporated into the organization intranet sites to make them more revealing thus effecting a radical transformation.

            Clearness is one of the major results of using social media. The role of organizations has been greatly changed since it cannot dictate what information to share on social media or not share with the public. In most incidences, consumers, the suppliers or the workers have distributed this information. The benefit of going viral, as well as the quickness at which information flows in social media, are also the causes many organizations can no longer manage the information (Somerville, 2013). Nonetheless, the best part is that companies are enforced to tackle their challenges with a plan of rectification, if not they will risk losing their customers and status in their business (Waters & Williams, 2011). Therefore, organizations have begun to give significance to communication and collaboration in their vision statements.

            While it can be a beneficial interactive process between consumers, workers and organizations, using this technology can also result in potential risks if firms are not careful. For instance, after public relations executives were interviewed about the platform on their well-being, one of them indicated that the biggest jeopardy for a company is to undermine social media and to permit discussions to take place without participation (Badea, 2014). According to Badea (2014), it is becoming hard for firms to admit the weak authority linked to social media ignoring opinions of the public. Even though these platforms may pose possible risks for a company, it has more pros for the company.

Conclusion

Social media has a role in the well-being of the organization as depicted above, therefore, there is a need for organizations to employ social media for communication purposes. Employing the tools has also brought about innovative tools that create value for customers, and the employees thus promoting change in organizations. These technologies promote their products and build their brand status. Therefore, it is evident that social media has a major role in communication and Margaret & Sons Textiles Limited should consider using social media.

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