How the Advent of Social Networking Is Affecting the Communication Process of the Corporate World - Assignment Example

Abstract This report explores the advent of social networking and how this trend is affecting the communication process of corporate world. It will focus on the role that social networking has in the world of business. With the advent of the Internet and Semantic Web, so did the rise of social networking. Most companies are aligning their communication modes so that they take more of social network communication more than traditional communication. Social networking is changing the way people communicate and even changing the way companies and organizations perform their communication processes. With the development and improvements done on Internet infrastructure, social networking is bound to grow. The outcome of the research therefore shows that there should be greater emphasis on using social networking as a mode of communication. Table of Contents Abstract i Table of Contents ii 1.Introduction 1 2. Benefits of social networking service use 2 2.1 Benefits of social networking to Media literacy 2 2.2 Benefits of social networking to Education 3 3. Importance of social networks 4 3.1 Importance to marketing 4 3.1.1 Purchase decision 5 3.1.2 Improved marketing 5 3.2 Social networking and user engagements 5 4. Motivations for social networking at work 6 5. Impact of social networks in business applications 7 6. The effect of the word of mouth 9 7. Conclusion 10 9. Appendix: Concept map 12 1. Introduction Human beings are among the most social living things on earth. Their ability to learn and associate with each other in a harmonious manner has contributed to the success and to the advancement in many sectors of the world economy. With social networking in place, it is now possible for people in an organization to communicate efficiently and reliably. Social networking has in the past and is still used by man to improve the information penetration in to different parts of world population. Knowledge fostering has been achieved through this networking. Social network has been taken as an organized group or groups of individuals who are ascribed to the same or a common interest. The common interest with which these individuals are connected with has some form of interdependency in association. These interdependencies may include aspects such as common market, policies, ideas or even monetary exchange. Social networking therefore refers to the grouping of these individuals which are brought by the common interest in order to achieve a certain objective (Redbridge Marketing, 2008). The best avenue for social networking is the web. The web has transformed the way men communicate with one another in a manner that has seen sophistication introduced into the field. The driving force behind social networking is created by the presence of many social networking sites that are flexible enough to allow easy usage in any manner. Most of these sites are supported by hand held devices like mobile phones thus making them easier form of networking. The growth which has been experience is rapid and the limit of this growth is not possible (Atif et al., 2010). 2. Benefits of social networking service use Social networking has many benefits to many people. It has been found to be of benefit to many sectors. Social networking is increasingly becoming popular with the young population regardless of their geographic location. This chapter will look at the benefits that have been attributed to social networks. 2.1 Benefits of social networking to Media literacy Social networking has been seen to have played a key role in communication from within and without companies. Improvement in areas such as media literacy and education has been realized because of the same. Media literacy was traditionally understood and taught in relation to mass media, however today online and networked media environment requires a more complex technological experience that is not taught in schools (Collin et al, 2011). Consequently, there are components to media literacy, which include technical literacy, critical content literacy, communicative and social networking literacy, creative content and visual literacy and mobile media literacy. Technical literacy encompasses the ability by one to use a machine or a particular software application while content literacy is that ability to understand properties related to a particular content in terms of its source, credibility and usefulness (DiMicco et al., 2009). Social networking has contributed in the development of this media. The skill of using code to develop a profile enhances the technical media literacy not forgetting the fact that creative content and visual literacy is greatly enhanced by uploading of photos on to ones profile, texting, music, sound and videos. All these forms of literacy, which are developed due to social networking, are in most cases not learnt or taught in a formal education system (Atif et al., 2010). In conclusion, the media sector has been shaped by social and media and the associated technologies. It is reaping from this technology due to the fact that most activities and functioning of this sector will require the use of communication. 2.2 Benefits of social networking to Education Though e-learning is commonly used in many educational setups, the aspect of social networking in education is yet to gain solid use. In fact, some states have banned the use of social networking services that could have otherwise complemented the educational system. The benefits of this networking in education are numerous. It can lead to self-directed and peer-to-peer learning, which can be achieved through sharing of information. The young people in particular find technology captivating and as a result value online or virtual learning as opposed to physical learning environment. Online communities or forums ensure continuity and extension of learning by form of discussion outside the formal classroom set up. Today, it is possible to contribute to discussions and review a book from anywhere, as long as someone has Internet connection. The immediacy aspect of the social networks allows people to gauge and evaluate themselves in relation to their peers from different geographic or cultural backgrounds. It gives the young generation the ability to learn more by engaging in various issues not only in class but also during leisure times (Collin et al., 2011). The marginalized or the socially disadvantaged are given a chance by the social media to express themselves by engaging and connecting with others therefore boosting their self confidence in education or whatever undertaking they are doing. Where there are barriers like social, cultural or language, attaching of videos or use of images can serve as a perfect way of expressing one self. Social networking can prove very useful in learning if there is meaningful integration of their use in education with everyday life (Collin et al., 2011). Education has been made efficient with social networking. There are many changes that have been seen to have taken place from the possibility to learn from anywhere to the possibility to get any content and any view regarding a concept. In conclusion, it can then be seen that social networking is gaining popularity in the education sector. There is still a lot of potential in this sector. 3. Importance of social networks One of the overriding goals of social networking is to establish a connection between people in a network so that the people that are connected can share information freely on the Internet. There are different types of connections that exist on the social networking arena. One of them is follow-me that is seen on the Twitter application. In this connection, the creator will let others follow him on the Internet. The full reward is attained if the people following the creator also let the creator follow them. This chapter will explore the importance of social marketing. There are many sectors of business that have gained a lot from social networking. 3.1 Importance to marketing Social networking is seen to be playing a very important role in marketing and marketers are warming up to this trend and embracing this technology. 3.1.1 Purchase decision Social networking has been known to be a very important and integral part of the communication process where consumers feel free to disseminate information on the Internet and make it available to the other members in the social networking forum. Research has shown that 70% of Internet users who are aged between 18 and 29 years use social networking as a platform for communication and 73% use Facebook as their chosen and preferred communication channels (Waters et al., 2009). The other social networking applications that are preferred by users are MySpace at 48% and LinkedIn at 14%. Making adverts in social networking makes the consumers to engage in some kind of interaction where they are able to like, comment or pass along with the connections that they have in the social world (Collin et al., 2011). 3.1.2 Improved marketing With special networking, the marketers are in a position to improve the marketing plan and understand their potential clients better. With the comments and the reviews that are found in social networking review sites, marketers are able to get what the clients want and so strive to ensure that they provide for the same. Through social networking like Facebook, we businesses have managed to integrate their networking over marketing their small clients to other sites. 3.2 Social networking and user engagements Social networking has been known to improve the engagement of users in many aspects. It has been known to improve the social well being by strengthening social connectedness, self efficacy, general knowledge, life skills and overall mental health. It also contributes to improvement in civic engagement and political participation through information sharing by use of emails and other networking practices. It has been used for mobilization and organization in emerging political discourse (Collin et al., 2011). According to Haron and Mohd (2010), social networks are used to easily express ones’ self and bring out ones’ identity. People use them to express their culture, believes, cultural, ethnic or sexual identity. Interpersonal relationships are also strengthened through these networks. This contributes to positive predictor in the individuals’ wellbeing. It creates a sense of belonging and collective identity, which can be created when diverse people in different aspects e.g. gender, or sex connect and learn from each other. Social networking contributes to strengthening and building of communities that facilitate the sense of connectedness and belonging (Haron, & Mohd, 2010). In conclusion, the business of today is seen to rely on social networking within and outside the organization. This was not the case a decade ago. Many companies are aligning their businesses to gain from social networks. 4. Motivations for social networking at work The introduction of social networking has brought about a new way of communication in companies. Colleagues now have a new way of passing ideas amongst themselves. With social networking, there is a new way of sharing and communicating professional information. Research has shown that professionals use social networking to strengthen the bonds and ties with people who they are not used to (DiMicco et al., 2009). Their motivations in so doing can be attributed to the need to connect with colleagues at personal level. As can be seen, social networking has motivated workers so that they work as colleagues in the work place and not strangers anymore. Most people use the social networking applications like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Orkut to connect and share common interests There are three main themes of motivations that have been identified with the use of social networking tools. Two additional themes have been realized with the use of social networking applications; in addition to the desire for employees to share at personal level and this providing openness in the company (DiMicco et al., 2009). One reason that employees connect using social networking tools is because they are in a position care and to be cared for. One main reason why employees want to join social networking applications and be part of a group is that they get the much-desired satisfaction in their line of work. As can be evident then, social networking is a source of motivation as it brings the desired satisfaction to employees. With the emergence of work-from-work employees, social networking is playing a vital role in connecting distributed workforce. The need to connect to the people that one knows and even to complete strangers serves right for the management and the organization at large (DiMicco et al., 2009). The second theme for the use of social networking application is the advancement of careers for most employees. Most people who use social networking applications feel that they are better placed in social networking and are in a position to advance their careers with social networking (DiMicco et al., 2009). Another theme, the third one, is that of campaigning; this is where users use social networking applications and connections to drum up support for their projects within the company. They use social networking to drive support and direct traffic to the project websites (DiMicco et al., 2009). 5. Impact of social networks in business applications With the reference that the young and the future generations give to online social networking, it is becoming apparent and important that companies enterprises should ensure that there are tools that are used to achieve this. There is need to bridge the generational gap that is in existence today; this will be attained by ensuring that the tools that are used to achieve this new method of communication are available Haron, & Mohd, 2010). The benefits that will be achieved will go beyond the change that will be attained in the generation. It has been found out that a high percentage of users of social networking are managers and senior level employees. The social networking application use in business helps to boost communication between the management and the junior employees. This will help to break the gap that has been there before between the management and employees (Chu, 2007). Another benefit that social networking has for businesses is that there is a new source of information which can be stored. With data mining in place today, it is possible to use the data that is being exchanged in the business to increase productivity. This is so because of the fact that employees are known to be open when using this technique (Haron, & Mohd, 2010). Because of this reason, they will be valuable to the decision-making process of the company. This information would be available outside the company were it not for the introduction of social networking concepts in business. With all this benefits, we can now able to show our clients new products through online links follow-on to more societies being market through campaigns on media consequently to our integral part of our search engines optimization strategy (SEO). This links will now value our web traffic through social networking. Marketing with this social networking will now improve our sites and awareness through web sites link presenting our products and weighing equipment being disclosed (Haron, & Mohd, 2010). Also with other networking ling it will shows out all sites like reddit, poke tagging and other messaging articles being posted to our web links. If any message is send to your services, you intend to visit it through other search engines to market it more than it could have been issue in other search engines. With this social networking it will now promotes a distinctive prospect to survey the relevant society over their yield and necessities thus will now enhance an increase in yield through social networking for certification initiation to our voices through our clients (Chu, 2007). In conclusion, the business is seen to be the beneficiary of social networking and the different business functions that are seen to be gaining form this new wave of communication. 6. The effect of the word of mouth Marketers and advertisers have realized the importance of word-of-mouth in influencing the decisions that consumers will have to make so that they can either accept or reject the product. Word-of-moth (WOM) has been defined as the act of exchanging marketing information by consumers and it has been regarded as the best form of advertising by marketers. Many prefer WOM to the other means (Chu, 2007). WOM plays an important role in convincing the consumers to change their attitude towards taking a given product. Consumers rely in the information that they get from WOM before going ahead and purchase the product that is in question. The emergence of the internet and Semantic Web has enabled the development of electronic WOM (eWOM). eWOM can this be defined as being statement, either positive or negative, that is by consumers, either potential, current or former, about a given product on the Internet. The channels through which these consumers make these statements include blogs, social networking sites, virtual consumer communities and websites that are used for review (Chu, 2007). Although it has been found out that social networking communication affect the eWOM communication, the dynamics of the use of eWOM have not been clearly established. It is important to have a clear understanding of the mechanics of eWOM communication, as this will enable the marketers to get more understanding of using the Internet marketing strategy. In conclusion, the word-of-mouth is gaining preeminence more than the traditional word-of-mouth. Given the fact that electronic WOM takes place without one being physically present, it makes those who are communicating to have confidence. 7. Conclusion The rationale of social networking in the world of business is increasing by the say; this role is cutting across both at individual level. However, there are issues that need to be addressed so that this trend may be grow and develop. With these issues in place, the future of social networking applications is bright. The future of social networking will grow and expand with time. The assets and knowledge will be seen to increase. A trend that will be of beneficial to consumer is that of purchase behavior. An example is that, when purchasing items, people will tend to base their purchase decisions on the reviews that they get on the Internet. 8. References Atif, Y, Elnaffar, S, & Al Falahi, K 2010, Social networking: Challenges and new opportunities, Al Ain: United Arab Emirates University Press. Chu, S 2007, Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites, The University of Texas, TX. Collin, P, Rahilly, K, Richardson, I, & Third A 2011, The benefits of social networking services, Murdoch University Press. DiMicco, J, Millen, D, & Geyer, W 2009, Motivations for social networking at work, IBM Research, Cambridge. Haron, H, & Mohd, F 2010, “Cyber stalking: The social impact of social networking technology”, 2010 International Conference on Education and Management Technology, Vol. 2, Issue 3, pp. 43. Redbridge Marketing 2008, Social networking marketing: The basics, The Redbridge Marketing. Waters, R, Burnett, A, & Lucas, J 2009, “Engaging stakeholders through social networking: How nonprofit organizations are using Facebook”, Public Relations Review, Vol. 35, pp. 102-106. 9. Appendix: Concept map Concept map Pages p. 2 p. 2-12 p. 13-17 p. 3-7 p. 4-7 p. 2-4 p. 5 7. Conclusion 6. The effect of word of mouth √ 5. Application to business √ √ 4. Motivations for social networking at work √ 3. Importance of social networks Social networking and user agreement √ Purchase decision √ √ To marketing √ 2. Benefits of social networks to service use Education √ Media √ 1. Introduction √ √ Author and date Atif, Y, Elnaffar, S, & Al Falahi, K 2010 Chu, S 2007 Collin, P, Rahilly, K, Richardson, I, & Third A 2011 DiMicco, J, Millen, D, & Geyer, W 2009 Haron, H, & Mohd, F 2010 Redbridge Marketing 2008 Waters, R, Burnett, A, & Lucas, J 2009 Read More