The Role of Social Media in the Management of Information on an Organization - Assignment Example

Contents Introduction 2 Information Sharing 3 Social media in Crisis management 4 Social Media in Knowledge and Information Management 4 Positive Effects of Effective Social Media Management to a Company 5 Managing Social Media in the Business World 8 The Impact of the “Cloud” to a Business 10 Security in Information Management 11 Importance of Securing a Company’s Information 11 Importance of an Information Security Management Team 12 Works Cited 14 Introduction Social media has been the most prolific mode of network communication at both personal and business levels. Internet platforms continue to evolve and are introduced to the market on regular basis. The largest social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, You Tube, and Tumblr. A majority of social site users are young adults. Facebook is the largest social networking site in the world with an industry command of up to 67% of the total internet users and boasts over 1.15 billion subscribers[Dug12]. Social media has many uses, majority of which are beneficial while a few are detrimental. In a positive way, social media have revolutionized both personal and business communications. The new communication technology has completely transformed the mode of information management in many organizations.It has been used in advertising, delivery of news, chatting, sharing of photos and images, among other diverse uses. Social media have enlarged the social spacefor millions of people. On the detrimental side, social media have facilitated cyber bullying, bad publicity, and the spread of propaganda among other problems. Social media have facilitated globalization through creation of vast interactive networks though sharing of information. Sites such as LinkedIn provide a platform on which professionals share their ideas and research work resulting in synergistic research. More growth is expected in the social media industry and its effects will continue to be felt in the corporate arena. Social networks have influenced in a great way in which organizations go on with their usual duties. Verbal communication has greatly declined while the social space has widened while the advertising platforms haveincreased. However, the social sites have been faulted for its simplicity in sharing any information, some of which may place an organization at a vulnerable position. In this paper, I will endeavor to establish the role of social media in the management of information in an organization. In addition, a focus on ‘cloud networking’ shall be put into perspective as it relates to the management of information. Finally, the issue of security in the management of information shall be addressed. Social media has made computer-aided communication very easy, convenient and affordable. Through social media, one may access information that their followers are updating instantly. In addition, one can follow-up on the original communication and leave a comment that is instantly received by the other person, irrespective of geographical separation. This mode of communication is quite affordable. All that is required is possession of a functional social media account and internet connectivity. It is also possible to retrieve the message at a later time after receiving it and read it then. Information Sharing Social media have enhanced both personal and business communication. In the business world, companies now are able to communicate to their clients on anything that requires their attention. It is quite easy convenient and affordable, no matter how distant their clients may physically be. Business has also taken advantage of the social platforms to engage the public in their marketing schemes and advertising campaigns. Governments have also embraced social media to deliver messages that are supposed to be for public consumption. Apart from using the mainstream media, they are able to access so many more people through social media. In a great way, the social media has facilitated service delivery by organizations. Social media in Crisis management Social media has been utilized in management of crisis. On instances when there is need to disseminate information to a number of parties instantly, social media has played a very critical role. The velocity at which any given information flows is greatly facilitated. Through the social media, the management is capable of getting a hint on the productivity and issues affecting the staff. A few minutes after the occurrence of any incident, the social media keeps people aware hence proper interventions are sought. The flow of information is facilitated by the fact that social media takes to cover the information gap. In addition, the network effect facilitates the realization of information by a large number of people[Sla09]. Another perspective in the management of crisis by the social media is in the gathering of intelligence. All the information relayed during the time of a crisis is treated as potentially true, all this information is brought together and used to elucidate the facts relating to the situation at hand. Social Media in Knowledge and Information Management One of the major uses of social media is the internal social networking within an organization. The essence of narrowing networking mainly to the people within a given organization is geared towards ensuring that the privacy and confidentiality of their information is assured. Information for an organization is sensitive and should be treated with utmost care. Strategies applied in information management system by a company such as should be based on the social media platform used. Each of the platforms should have its information management strategy. Positive Effects of Effective Social Media Management to a Company Organizations have been forced to embrace social media for many reasons, all which are geared towards building a name for the company while maintaining the customers and making additional others. By 2012, more than half of the total internet users were subscribed on social media, an aspect that made businesses to rethink about their strategies [Ber13]. It is not a strange thing that companies have embraced social media because they want to be where their customers are. The good thing about social media that has made it a powerful tool in business is the ability to have direct communication with the customers. The social media has a myriad of benefits to the business world. Creating a strong brand is the dream of every company or business venture. Social media has played a pivotal role in creating and lasting brands. In the modern setup, almost every company has embraced the social media. In these platforms, they try as much as possible to create a name for the company. Large multinationals such as Coca-Cola have built a positive reputations over the social media platforms. Therefore, the business continues to earn high profits courtesy of the image created over the social networks. Building the brand has facilitated a reinforcement of their products in the consumers’ minds. Social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn provide information about the job placement of its users. This makes it possible to relate the company to individuals. Reputable companies usually hire competent personnel that are able to represent the company image via their personal accounts. Through social media, the brand value as well as brand attributes can be attractively promoted. The informal nature of social media has facilitated intra-organizational communication. The communication between management and the employees has greatly been facilitated because they are able to share thought on a lighter note than would be possible via other channels. Therefore, the disparity between the management and the staff is bridged. Another spectacular aspect of social media interaction is the sharing of ideas across the strata in the company. Every person in an organization has a fair chance of airing his or her opinion regarding various issues in the organization. This has made the work of the manager easy and efficient. It is also possible to get the views of a person in absentia. In addition, social media have facilitated execution of projects and promote teamwork. The views of the outsiders can also be presented through social media and add value to the business. Use of social sites such as Pinterest can conveniently facilitate sharing of content such as videos and pictures. Social networks have facilitated a reduction in the time used in execution of tasks by employees. The time that is required to make contacts between colleagues in a workplace as tremendously reduced. The use of emails for communication resulted in some communication breakdowns because it could have been unlikely to have all the members get the message on time. However, with social networks the spread of the communication is very efficient. Irrespective of the location, people serving the same organization are able to communicate hence saving on time and other expense that could have been incurred in executing the tasks. On the other hand, the amount of time that the management takes to have direct contacts with their staff is eliminated; both are able to chat in the comfort of their offices while still delivering the objectives of the organization[Yan14]. Communication between corporations and customers has been greatly facilitated by social media. Communication with both the existing as well as the potential customers has been made very efficient with social media. This is because the communication is instant; the company has the opportunity of marketing itself from the comfort of its employees’ chairs. Companies have engaged in training their employees in order to be able to handle online traffic efficiently. The customers are able to give their feedback hence they experience some satisfaction based on the feeling that their concerns have been addressed. On the other hand, potential customers usually have many questions about the company as well as its products. Through social media, their questions are answered. The likelihood of the potential customers feeling content with the responses given is quite high based on the training that the staff have on public relations. Through the feedback that the company gets from both the customers as well as the potential customers, they are able to improve their products and well as the mode of service delivery[Car11]. The bulk of the information available through the internet is not found in any single offline document. Being available in the internet, social sites provide one of the fastest and convenient platforms of getting information. Through social media, organizations are able to track new business openings as well as compare notes with like–minded individuals and organizations. In addition, there is a potential of the businesses getting new sources of industry specific knowledge and expertise [Bak]. Companies have an opportunity to share and find relevant information on various marketing strategies that are able to boost their brand as well as the market acceptability of their products. These promote the growth of the business while ensuring that it keeps abreast with the dynamics in technology as well as the industry advancements. Banking on existing forums on the social media, many companies have been able to market their products as well as build their reputation. Social media has groups and pages that attract huge followings; though these forums some of the companies, especially the ones that are building their names, are recognized through presentation ideas and views. Courtesy of the contributions of the company through these forums, they have commanded respect and can be listened to by any individual. The forums also act as a platform to dispel rumors, propaganda, and any other form of negative talk about the company. Social media has promoted the development of e-commerce. It is possible to shop over the social media; this form of doing business is still growing with a quite a number of the social media subscribers not aware of it. However, for companies that do e-commerce, social media have boosted greatly their work. This is because apart from using the usual websites, they have the social media platforms, which provides them with an opportunity to reach a wider market. In 2012, Booz and Company, a reputable consultancy in the United States, predicted that that the social commerce market would make $ 30 billion worldwide spearheaded by e-commerce [Ber13] Managing Social Media in the Business World Social media is very dynamic and needs proper management for it to benefit organizations. It has become one of the most inevitable things in our lives hence the persons involved may tend to use it for personal reasons at the expense of businesses they work for. To ensure that social media are beneficial to the employer and it exhibits a return on the investment, various strategies have been put in place. Training of staff on the use of social media as well as hiring individuals with prowess in social media management has helped many organizations maintain their positive public images. Some organizations have added an additional department in either public relations or marketing departments, which is under the online community manager. This section is specifically devoted to ensuring that the company’s online presence is maintained throughout. This makes the customers as well as potential clients to get used to interacting with the company through social media. Therefore, the department is able to keep track of the customer trends, their purchasing habits and use their feedback to make recommendations to the management. The company has also developed online marketing plans. Currently, every company is striving to keep its profitability high as it ensures that it overcomes competition. The achievement of this objective could not have been possible were not for development of both long-term plans as well as strategic plans. Social media being a relatively new technology in the market has attracted strategy development outlining a framework of what should be achieved through social media, who should achieve it and how the achievement will be monitored. In addition, plans have featured strategies of expanding the customer base as well as promoting their loyalty via social media. The Impact of the “Cloud” to a Business Cloud computing is a major development towards maintaining data security as well as providing efficient and affordable data storage services. Through cloud computing, the company is capable of developing systems that help in its data storage hence there is no need of it having its own servers. All the applications that are required for the operations of the company are based in the cloud. The experience that has been reported through cloud computing is far much better; there has been propositions that the workload is reduced due to its shift towards the cloud technology[Mar12]. Cloud computing has impacted positively on companies in various ways. It has greatly facilitated the freedom of getting information. Through cloud computing, the information is able to be transmitted from one source to another to create a local cloud that will provide services to a specific group of people[Ern11]. Secondly, it has been able to broaden the scope of impact of a company while reducing on the cost of doing business. The efficiency of data storage, low cost and the transmission of data has greatly promoted the number of opportunities that are available for the business to expand its operations. Thirdly, to a great extent, cloud computing has facilitated social networking. The implications of social networks to business are conspicuous. Finally, cloud computing is a wonderful accelerator of transitions in technology. The tablets and other devices that have been developed are a product of the success that has been demonstrated in cloud computing[Mad12] Cloud computing has opened up a number of new business opportunities. The supply chain barriers have been eliminated hence it has become for the companies to be more flexible in managing their operations[Han14]. This results to an overall increase in the profitability of an organization. Another issue that the company has battled with is the question of the risk that is associated with the cloud. Security in Information Management Information is a very important asset that is owned by any company. Therefore, they need to guard their information from being interfered with by unintended parties. The information belonging to an organization can be interfered with through hacking or any other form of data stealing. In order, to maintain data security, the company should ensure that its databases are free from intruders. Many organizations have established information security management systems that facilitate data security. Information security entails all the technologies, policies, standards, and management practices that are put in place to ensure that the data belonging to an organization is free from intrusion. Importance of Securing a Company’s Information The changes in technology have many companies to heavily rely on the information at their disposal. There has been a rising level of independence by organizations on the utilization of their information. In addition, there are many potential threats that pose a challenge to poorly managed information, through terrorism, hacking, or other criminal activities. Firstly, information provides an organization with a competitive edge in the market[Gra98]. A company like Coca Cola has thrived courtesy of its ability to conceal the information regarding its ingredients and other business secrets. If such information is not well secured, then the competitiveness of the company will be adversely affected. Secondly, in the modern setup, information is what fuels innovations, creativity and the overall development of the organization. The foundation of any development is the available information, it helps build up the business from the existing ideas[Cru14]. Thirdly, the security of business information goes beyond being a technological aspect but also a business issue. This means that information management directly affects the operations of an organization. There is need for businesses to endeavor protect their information for purposes of sound business operations[OPend]. Fourthly, the company is assured of its future. The information remains safe hence the company can even engage in long-term plans that assures that it will remain in business to accomplish its objectives. Fifthly, secure company information instils stakeholder’s confidence with an organization. When customers are aware that their information is kept private and confidential, while the suppliers and the distributors also perceive that the company is doing much to protect the data at their disposal, confidence ensues. The employees also would like to feel that their information is protected, hence data security becomes a very important aspect for the wellbeing of a company[Bak]. Importance of an Information Security Management Team For effectiveness in maintaining information security, it is important that an information security management team is constituted in order to serve the company in this capacity. They would have the following roles: Developing information security policies and activities that will ensure that the business objectives are met. To support the management in the development of information security measures at the departmental levels. Marketing of information security measures to the people in the organization, that is, the management, employees, and other stakeholders Provide limitations to access of information between the management and the technical teams[Cyb13]. Works Cited Dug12: , (Duggan and Brenner 1), Sla09: , (Slawomir 5), Ber13: , (Berzal 1), Yan14: , (Yan, Brooke and Lucinda 83), Car11: , (Carolyn and Gautam 35-36), Bak: , (Baker 1), Mar12: , (Martens and Teuteberg 872-873), Ern11: , (Ernst & Young 6-9), Mad12: , (Madhavaiah, Bashir and Syed 172), Han14: , (Hancock 1), Gra98: , (Grant 14), Cru14: , (Crutchfield 1), OPend: , (OPenLearn 1), Bak: , (Baker 1), Cyb13: , (CyberSecurity 1), Read More