The Effects of Social Media on the Workplace. . Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Increases need for employee guidelines If social media is prevalent in the workplace, you may need to implement guidelines for usage. Such activity will be subject to the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as the (updated) Investigatory Powers (Interception by Businesses etc. "The question is, are we at a point where the social media organizations and their activities should be regulated for the benefit of the consumer?" -Pinar Yildirim 4. They've also seen more students use social media to self-diagnose their mental health issues and then use it as digital therapy. In Britain, monitoring of unauthorised private social media access at work is permitted without employee consent. Social media is no longer a novelty. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter Instagram and LinkedIn, are Internet-based services that provide individuals a way to interact with each other online. Reduces Employee Productivity 2. When providing some information, an individual often believes that, his/her opinion is right and acceptable. platforms in workplace have negative impact on the efficiency and productivity of. This is because some irresponsible employees could use the social sites to influence the behavior of other employees or leak information to the wrong individuals. Creative Onboarding Programs: Tools for Energizing Your Orientation Program. In France, similarly bound by the new EU regulations, the Labour Code is informed by case law, and any internet connection provided by an employer is deemed to be solely for professional business use during working hours. 7. Social media can be a great tool that can be utilized for the benefit of your company and employees. How Do Co-Workers Affect Employee Behavior? This has got a boost in the social media. Ordinarily, the company retains the ability to monitor communication through the facilities at workplace (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2011). Social media looks charming, intriguing, entertaining and informative. This should not be solely based on the usage of social media during working hours. These problems may also lead to termination. IvyPanda. There is also a need to ensure security of the information contained in these media, since some of the information is essential for smooth running of the organization. This could explain the unusual reluctance of company lawyers, labour experts and corporate managers to offer a contemporary perspective when invited to discuss the matter. Once social media starts affecting workplace communication, the behaviours and practices of the employees overlap and change to a great extent. Increase in Productivity. 3. A survey of 237 corporate employees showed that 77 percent of them checked websites during work hours. Social media in the workplace can also have a positive impact, check out the examples below; Recognising employees work on social media helps them to feel valued and appreciated. Whilst employee advocacy on social media channels can help to promote the company, some employers may take the stance of ensuring personal life and company life remain separate. As people and colleagues start following them or putting Likes in their posts, they start basking in a false sense of popularity. This is especially true for women, but men too are not immune to such feelings. Full usage of social media at the workplace is recommended by experts as well because it helps in reducing the boundaries, and disparities and helps in creating skills as well as knowledgeable workers. Negative Impact of Social Media on Business 1. Limited monitoring of illegal activity may be allowable in some circumstances. Social media in the workplace; to ban or not to ban that is the question. Social media can cause sleep deprivation that, in turn, depletes workplace productivity. The Internet age has led to enormous changes in the way we communicate in virtually every aspect of our lives. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at a meeting held today at EEOC Headquarters in Washington. Other ways to show appreciation include posting about employee achievements and work anniversaries. Unless it is necessary, employers need not to get into the private affairs of employees. However, while using social media at workplaces, the company has the capacity to check into the content of such information. Effective communication is essential in the supply chain management in a business organization. Employers can now track internet and social media use within the office premises and can be strict with their rules and policies. By presenting and analyzing the previous literature related to the subject of the study, most of the primary studies demonstrated that the use of social media is beneficial to organizational and personal productivity. Myrian Herlle and Vivian Astray-Caneda . Please fill out your details below and a member of our team will get in touch with you. These people feel empowered by social media. Wastage of time and productivity. The very obnoxious impact of social media at the workplace is the breeding of jealousy among colleagues. Due to the ease of Internet connections and access in the workplace, organizations can enhance business operations and employee communications by having their own inter-office social media platforms. Stalker can well be a colleague, a team leader, a manager or even an outsider. In addition, it is also possible to gather extremely detailed feedback or data in anonymised formats to give a more generalised picture of how these workplace transgressions may be affecting staff productivity. It encourages sneaky behaviour on the part of employees and encourages a 9-to-5 mentality.. However, research shows workers whose employers have at-work social media policies spend less work time on social media for personal reasons. Employers also need to be aware of BeReal a current trending app with Gen Z, where images only last 24 hours but users are able to capture images of their laptop screens which may create a breach in confidentiality. The employee should be invited to an investigation meeting to discuss the alleged inappropriate conduct and the manage will gather all other evidence. "We recommend students recognize the negative . Employees can use social media for short mental breaks throughout the day. Social media plays an important role at work places. Employers are often interested in checking if the employees are doing a good job (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2011). 50% of employees already post about their company online. Reduces Employee Relations Negative Impact of Social Media on Business You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you In 2009, research by the University of Melbourne in Australia found that 70 percent of staff who used the internet for work engaged in Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing, but were nevertheless judged to be an average of 9 percent more productive than those staff who did not participate in such non-work activity. Based on Media Synchronization Theory and transformational framework, this study proposed a research model and examined how the social media' attributes impacting the work effectiveness through the work-oriented or social-oriented usage. Clearly there are risks associated with allowing your employees to use social media in the workplace. The Impact of Social Media within the Workplace. Moreover, using social networking sites in the workplace presents many advantages with creating social connections between employees and promotes 'informal networks' which lead to more open. Issues around social media in the workplace are becoming more prevalent and we have seen an increase in enquiries which include situations where employees have posted controversial content, where the companys name is linked to the employee in questions personal account. This helps decrease the potential impact of social media posts damaging the companys reputation. Using a systematic approach to analyse the literature, 37 Articles or studies have been selected for the review. Outline the consequences of breaching the policy. Yet these technologies have also reframed the workplace, and usually presented employees with an opportunity for small-scale private gain at their employers expense: a source of free pens, the chance to make and receive private phone calls, check on real-time sporting updates, and more. In addition to using social media as part of your business plan, there's also the matter of how employees use social media while in the workplace. Such corporate inertia may well have been exacerbated by the recent introduction of the GDPR and some sectors (e.g. Employers and managers should incorporate the companys social media policy into the induction process. WASHINGTON-The use of social media has become pervasive in today's workplace and, as a result, is having an impact on the enforcement of federal laws, a panel of experts told the U.S. Patel, J. However, there are two main problems facing any company: a) Ensuring continuous compliance with the relevant national (and/or international) regulations and legal frameworks; b) Pitching their governance of online private usage to achieve an optimum balance, i.e. Draconian measures to prevent private use of social media in the workplace may have a positive short-term effect on productivity, but they will harm employee retention in the long run. In fact, people often put off important work in order to like and share Facebook posts. Since women make a large number of corporate organizations these days, such social posts can stroke a feeling of jealousy and lead to formation of silos in the organization. This article provides an indepth understanding of the ways social media may be used and in some cases abused by patients and social workers. Organizations have their own web blogs, podcast and Facebook pages to convey messages to both externally and internally of their organization. It will help your employees focus and do some productive work. Social media gives people an escape into the digital world. Web. Individuals have a right to privacy, and there are legal provisions that protect this right. Interestingly, this study also shows that, where employers have an at-work social media policy, staff are 10% less likely to use social media for personal reasons while on the job, as well as 9% more likely to use social media to help solve work problems. Thus, this study conducted a literature review to identify the types of social media used by employees at the workplace and its impact on the employees' productivity at the workplace. Yale University. Here, individuals should understand the feelings and emotions of the recipients of the information. 5. Indeed, the negative effects of social media at work are many. The usage of social media in the recruitment and hiring process has had a big impact. By making use of computer networks in communication, social media plays an important role in helping organizations to communicate with their new employees (Sims, 2010, p.157). Limi. However, the use of social media in the workplace toes a fine line. info@ecla.eu The disadvantages of using social media at workplace are: Brings Down Productivity Spending too much time in social media or being addicted to social media has its own demerits. Moreover, it is important to convey substantial pieces of information; however, the privacy of employees and the company should be respected while using the sites. 50% of Facebook users log on everyday. screenshots or screen recordings of the posts in question. The expectations of the employee posting online alongside the companys dos and donts of posting on social media should be outlined. Using company resources for individual purposes is considered a good working condition that motivates employees. It may be a new piece of jewelry, a new house, a vehicle or leisure travel. Despite this, the benefits most likely outweigh the risks. Social Media is one of many workplace distractions. Obviously, the stakes are very high. Smart Policies for Workplace Technologies: Email, Blogs, Cell Phones & More. Such activity remains a feature of the modern working landscape in the digital age, where the primary issue has become online access for private purposes during working hours. A list of Social Networking Sites. Regulating an employee's private social media use should only apply if it has an impact on their employment or the organisation. Social media plays an important role in workplace communication. Whilst universally acknowledging an employer should be able to rely upon staff to honour their contractual obligations, and accepting employees have a right to some workplace privacies, different jurisdictions have invariably adopted their own nuanced perspectives when addressing the problems posed by social media access at work. for Monitoring and Record-keeping Purposes) Regulations (2018) and, of course, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)/Human Rights Act 1998. We do not spam. The Impact of Social Media in the Workplace . we find that: (1) social media are heterogeneous in terms of their technical features and affordances, and this heterogeneity has critical implications for the behavior and performance of employees, (2) work-oriented (dingtalk) and socialization-oriented (wechat) social media are complementary resources that generate synergies to improve team and However, companies need to protect themselves when employees posts content on social media which could be deemed inappropriate by the company. Establishing a pattern of frequent group interaction, fitness, sleep, and food is one of the most excellent methods of preventing anxiety and depression, and notice . Guerin, L. (2011). Therefore, an employer is entitled to access all such connections without notice and without seeking an employees permission. Privacy of the employees at a given workplace should be given priority when using social media. It should outline if employees are permitted to use social media in the workplace or not. If sensitively written, this will demonstrate that employers of choice really can offer an alternative to employee monitoring. Importantly, it is increasingly gaining popularity among different users as compared to other media like radio and television (Patel, 2010, p.60). People like to go through Facebook posts whenever they get some time. Social media is the broad term for internet-based tools used on PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones to help people make contact, keep in touch and interact. "The Impact of Social Media within the Workplace." 3 Social Media at Work Studies that have been carried out in relation to social media and the workplace have found mixed results. We utilize security vendors that protect and Their studyof 39,000 hourly workers found that employees who used 1 to 4 social networking sites on a weekly basis stayed at their jobs longer than their peers. Social networking's impact on your workplace 5 6. Florida International University, USA. must. So that's 7.5 hours a week, over 30 hours a month and 390 hours wasted a year! Avenue Louise 326, 1050 Brussels Long-Term Living: For the Continuing Care Professional, 59(10), 32-35. The first, a 2009 study of US companies conducted by Robert Half Technology, showed that 54 percent of employers imposed a total ban and only 10 percent permitted the unlimited and unrestricted personal use.. student. Some legal frameworks may not always reflect the extent to which inter-personal workplace communication is changing. A social media policy can be developed for inclusion in an employee handbook, which states the business stance on social media in the workplace. I'm lucky that I don't have to deal with a lot of company email or internet related distractions, except for between flights and even then it may be a . Some evidence of a shift in attitudes can be gleaned by comparing the outcomes of two surveys about private social media access in the workplace. However, an employer will have to show any monitoring is proportionate and legitimate. Looking to see who commented on social media posts can also engage employees and keep them up to date . This tends to breed jealousy. People lose track of their work and their attention is diverted to Facebook posts and other social media attractions. o To interact with clients and suppliers. Impact of Social Media on Work Performance at a Technopark in India - Srishti Babu, Hareendrakumar VR, Suresh Subramoniam, 2020 Skip to main content Social media in the workplace can help employees to bond by finding similar interests or hobbies from what employees post on their platforms. If an employee posts opinions online about a company, another employee, or a client in a negative manner this may impact on the companys reputation. ecla.eu. Social media has had a profound effect on recruitment and hiring. They indulge in posts that make people, especially colleagues, follow them. If employees post opinions that are found to be discriminatory and involve any of the protected characteristics, including race, disability, or religious beliefs this may be deemed as gross misconduct leading to dismissal. Image courtesy of bplanet at FreeDigitalPhotos.net. Social media had the smallest impact on the radicalization processes of far left and single-issue extremists in the PIRUS data. It was found that it was found that the social . Organizational Commitment & Job Performance. But men's fitness . It will strengthen their confidence and happiness and make them feel valued. Social media is pervasive. The use of both company devices and privately-owned smartphones, the blurred distinction between work and leisure time as well as the advent of more comprehensive privacy legislation have made it more difficult for employers to formulate an appropriate response. 5. Yet another study found that workers were spending, on average, 32 percent of their time on social media at work every day. However, some studies have shown negative effects of social media use in the workplace. And that's not taking into account other common distractions like co-workers, tea . Plus, you can employ a social media manager to check internet use at the workplace. But employee internet monitoring is an overboard reaction to the activities of a small percentage of employees. "The Impact of Social Media within the Workplace." For several years now, I have been working as a human resource manager in a multinational corporation. Many educational institutions currently use blogs, wikis, Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and podcasts as learning tools. Use of social media in workplace is common now days. By contrast, a 2014 review of global practice conducted by the law firm Proskauer found that 36 percent of employers still actively block access while 43 percent allowed all of their employees to access social media. In a test, heavy social media users found it more difficult to shift focus between tasks than those who used the platforms moderately. Indeed, all operating systems are vulnerable to such attacks (Yale University, 2009). The employers often expect that the employees will use their employer time doing the assigned duties. They allow people to create and market a personal brand. There may be a breach if an employee shares a picture of their laptop screen which has open documentation on social channels such as Instagram stories. Social Media can also lead people into spending too much time online which could eventually cause burnout such as stress levels increasing and feelings of depression intensifying. Our site uses cookies. Sims, D. (2010). A breach of confidentially can occur when an employee shares information such as the companys finances, client lists, or employees personal information on social media. In recent months, several US states have already enacted legislation which mirrors the GDPR. According to 2011 research from the International Association of Business Communicators, only 16% of companies used social media frequently to engage employees and foster productivity, while 23% do so occasionally, 28% rarely and 33% never. This may bring down productivity. Building. The Impact of Social Media within the Workplace. T+D, 64(7), p60-61. Unsolicited messages, morphed photographs, threats, disturbing phone calls et al. Federal law, in the shape of the National Labour Relations Act, plays a pivotal role in protecting employees workplace privacy, especially when engaging in rights-focused collective activities. Web. Simplifying business. So that in future employer can think to retain you. They try to repeat such posts and attract attention. Social media fulfills many roles within an organization's communications plan, including: Marketing. Employees are able to communicate more freely with co-workers and social media communication can go a long way to enable collaboration across departments. This is mostly true for those who are usually recluse and dont get much traction in real life. Social media in the workplace can also have a positive impact, check out the examples below; Showing staff appreciation and retention Recognising employees' work on social media helps them to feel valued and appreciated. Other ways to show appreciation include posting about employee achievements and work anniversaries. possessions of social media in the office, earlier hiring staffs in opposite of a. 80% of workers use social media on the job. It has now become an amazing and . Similarly, employees should be send proper and meaningful information. Just take a look at these stats: 98% of employees have social media for personal use. Additionally, social media use allows the employees to take short breaks throughout the day, which can actually boost productivity. 1. (2020) 'The Impact of Social Media within the Workplace'. On average those who are active on social media in the UK spend 2 hours and 36 minutes on social channels such as LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube videos. A survey from 2012 showed that employees spend an average of 1.5 hours a day at work, on social media. Here are some stats according to PW Research about employee's purpose of using social media at workplace : 34% of the employees use it to take a mental break from their job. Qualitative study of a large financial service firm in China. Such addiction has a telling effect on productivity. 1. Reduces Confidentiality and Image of the Company 4. Communication is essential in different settings including workplaces. It allows them to view anything they want to, without having to walk outside their office or go to the break room. This research explores how social media influence team and employee performance. The access to such information by unauthorized parties such as competitors of an organization would be very detrimental to the realization of the objectives of the company. Still, the vast majority use social media for their work. If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Unfortunately, this has resulted into misuse of the media, for instance, some users can express their ill motives or influence the public, or post information that they could not convey in a real life encounter. US court decision a warning for in-house lawyers, Swiss mulling on specifics of legal professional privilege for company lawyers, Amazon hoping for an agreement to stop competition law investigations, Brexit and Legal Professional Privilege in cross-border situations. She left a full-time communications job in 2017 to start her own business, Kelsey Jean Creations, and works closely with a number of clients, including media companies, associations, and websites, on their editorial, communications, and design needs. Managers and employers will need to establish the seriousness of the misuse of social media in relation to their social media policy and procedure. The employee handbook will indicate the seriousness of the misuse, many companies will include improper use of the internet or email facilities within gross misconduct, meaning the employee may be liable to dismissal if proven guilty. Importantly, organizations have private policies enacted to protect their operations. January 13, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-impact-of-social-media-within-the-workplace/. Observing the organizational values and codes of conduct will enable the employees to operate smartly towards the realization of the companys objectives. Diversity in the workplace: Boon or distraction? People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days work, and as a result, increased productivity, the studys author, Brent Coker, stated at the time. If negative opinions are shared online, when a company is going through a recruitment campaign it may lead to a potential candidate withdrawing or not applying for the job. (2020, January 13). 2. Abstract: Today, individuals communicate easier and faster due to accessibility of the Internet. Social media breeds a group of employees who become attention seekers. They might also begin to see their co-workers as friends, which can increase their satisfaction in coming to work every day. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. Some organizations may allow employees to access and use their personal social media accounts in the workplace during normal work hours or break-times. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy, The impact of social media at the workplace, the UKs Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). There is also a negative side of this when lesser social shares can degrade the overall business credibility by leading it to negative social proof. Social media could make you psychologically unhealthy. o To communicate information within the organization. - Reduction in employee productivity: Many surveys have been conducted to assess the impact of the social media behaviour of employees in the workplace, and almost all have returned with startling result that about two-thirds of the workforce uses social media platforms for personal purposes during their office hours. This is one of the most prominent negative effects of social media at work. Similarly, employees of an organization have the right to privacy of information. Similarly, non-profit organizations also have a lot of stuff to communicate to their stakeholders, while employees of such organizations also have a lot to share among themselves. A social media workplace policy outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of social media at work, as well as a social media code of conduct. Therefore, the organization should inform employees of the privacy policy, and that it has the right to monitor their activities while using the companys facility (Lyncheski, 2010, p.33). Recruiter Ajilon asked 2,000 people about their social media use at work, finding that 11 percent spent more than an hour on social media every day at work, outside of their lunch break. Social media for your company allows you to connect with your consumers or audience, enhance your brand, bring attention to your products or services and network with like-minded people, both locally and nationally. Required fields are marked *, ECLA Association Services SPRL These connections could lead to new client signs up or referrals. We promise, 304 S. Jones Blvd #1666, Las Vegas NV 89107 United States. According to social capital theories, social media facilitate knowledge transfer. We explore the impact of social media as a potential new form of voice, whilst looking at the positive and negative aspects of social media in the workplace. When claims of this nature have been made, strong evidence of misconduct is required i.e. Looking beyond the repercussions for a generation born on social media, these platforms remain an essential way for marketers to reach their audiences. Increased Risk of Cyber Threat 3. IvyPanda. Moreover, the use of a hardware-based firewall can also improve on the security (Yale University, 2009). The worst part is that people are not always aware that social media usage is the problem behind poor work performance. are uncalled for results of social media misadventures and carelessness. Responding to customer questions and complaints. If an employee posts negative comments about a customer or client online, this may damage the relationship between the company and their client/customer, who may opt to not use the companys services or products moving forward.