Write a Research paper about how social media affects a business in an ethical way. This
will be how social media affects business in two ways: the business’s social media page and
employee’s social media pages. Since social media has become a huge importance in
today’s society, businesses need to make sure they have a social media page and post
regularly in order to get more business and create a reputation. This also allows them to be
rated by customers. Employers also need to be aware of what their employees do on social
media, because this may cause an issue with the company’s reputation if they post bad
things.
Your paper must be 8–10 pages and double spaced, not including the title page, abstract,
and references pages. You must include 8–10 scholarly references in addition to the course
textbooks and the Bible.(Scholarly references are attached from the annotated
bibliography you wrote a couple weeks ago) Acceptable sources are journal articles from
peer-reviewed journals, theoretical texts, and the Bible. Citations must be in current APA
format. As this is a Research Paper, it must be written in third person.
Running Head: Social Media Ethics 1
How social media affects a business ethically; Annotated bibliography
Student:
Course:
Institution:
Social Media Ethics 2
How social media affects a business ethically; Annotated bibliography
Institute of business Ethics (2018 December). Business Ethics Briefing; The Ethical
Challenges of Social Media. Issue 22. Retrieved 12 April 2018, from
https://www.ibe.org.uk/userassets/briefings/ibe_briefing_22_the_ethical_challenges_
of_social_media.pdf
In her journal, Institute of Business Ethics endeavors to explain ethical challenges posed
by the manner in which a business or employees use social media platforms. The journal explains
the uniqueness of social media, that’s its low cost to use and how the audience which is global can
receive content instantaneously after publishing. Integrity is the main ethical challenge when
employees use social media either on behave of a business or their own. This because the decision
to post photos, videos and thoughts is a personal decision and once posted can never be reclaimed.
This material precisely addresses the subject matter of this research. Among other issues tackled
include advertising and marketing practices, recruitment practices, monitoring social media use
and guidance provision.
JURIŠOVÁ, E. (2013). The impact of social networking on business and business ethics.
Retrieved 12 April 2018, from
http://www.cutn.sk/Library/proceedings/mch_2013/editovane_prispevky/46.%20Jur
i%C5%A1ov%C3%A1.pdf
Erika in this article investigates the relationship between social media networks and
business ethics. He illustrates different types of social media that are used in the modern
businesses and employees. In this resource, you will find out how businesses are using social
media platforms to reach customers and the ethical issues surrounding networking marketing.
Social Media Ethics 3
Erika future outlines challenges facing social media advertising which include privacy issues and
identity. He explains how social media ethics influence brand following and business image. The
material provides detailed guidelines on social media code of ethics. This is a valuable document
to not only businesses and employees but also any individual that makes use of social media
pages.
Barnes, J. W. (2016). Social media ethics made easy: How to comply with FTC guidelines
Barnes who is a business and community leader and a lecturer in social media marketing
in this book takes a deep focus at the risks of digital, mobile and social media marketing where
there are no structured policies. He highlights that threats posed by the use of social media are not
only directed to ethics but also the law of the land and reputation. Barnes covers all types of
businesses ranging from profitable to non-profitable and government parastatals to educational
institutions. This book, therefore, attracts a wide audience based on the issues addressed. The main
objective that the book focuses on is to members of management and future leaders on compliance
to ethical laws in regard to social, mobile and digital media.
Hajli, N. (Ed.). (2015). Handbook of research on integrating social media into strategic
marketing. IGI Global.
This is an exhaustive book that has a broad and detailed scope of the use of social media.
The book is divided into chapters and addresses exhaustively covers areas such as creating brand
value through social media platform understanding the use of social media in business, social
media marketing, customer attitude towards social media among others. Hajli has illustrated
expertise on his understanding of the use of social media. His chronological and exhaustive
explanation and the relation of ethical issues attached to social media proves to be a key resource
Social Media Ethics 4
for this research. The book can be used as a reference material to business class, employers,
professors, and students.
Giuliani, E. (2016). Human rights and corporate social responsibility in developing
countries’ industrial clusters. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(1), 39-54.
Giuliani explains how human rights and ethics are impacted by the use of social media
platforms as man interacts across the globe. He notes that social media threatens business
enterprises as well as cultural and moral values of the society. According to Giuliani, profitable
social interactions will only be achieved where there is a good foundation of human
communication. He points out the use of pseudo social media accounts that gives individual and
business bad reputation since operators of these accounts disseminate wrong information. This
material is paramount is addressing pseudo accounts to members of public as business build on
their ethics.
Massotte, P. (2017). Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2: The Future and Changing
Paradigms. John Wiley & Sons.
This second volume of Ethics in Social Networking and Business, Massotte looks deep
into the changing trends in technology and the future in relation to ethics, and societal morality.
He acknowledges that ethics is a pressing issue given that social media platforms have enabled
man to interact with people of diverse cultures and origin. He gives the essence of managing social
media risks and monitoring of business ethics. This book if used and supplemented by ideas from
scholars, then it plays a great role in improving business ethics on social media and achieving a
good reputation for global businesses. This is a relevant material that future entrepreneurs should
consider reading to better their skills.
Social Media Ethics 5
Journal, W. S. (2014, October 23). Should Companies Monitor Their Employees' Social
Media? Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-
companies-monitor-their-employees-social-media-1399648685
Managers are often suspicious oh how their employees use social media at work and at
home, this has raised the question of whether they should monitor their employee social media
pages. In addressing this issue, this journal gives a report on a survey done in order to answer this
question. The journal states that employees don’t want to have social media pages monitored
whereas lawyers advocate for monitoring their pages. Interestingly, the journal outlines that a
survey conducted to know how employers hired their workers found out that 39% of employers
grilled social media pages before hiring them. This journal has much with regard to building social
media ethics and relevant to the research. Students need to read this journal between lines to
understand how their current use of social media may ruin their dream job.
Zgheib, P. W. (Ed.). (2014). Business Ethics and Diversity in the Modern Workplace. IGI
Global.
The modern working society is very dynamic and according to Zgheib, there has to be
established ethical framework in the modern work environment to better business ethics. The book
covers all ethical dilemmas that businesses face today social media ethics inclusive. Corporate
businesses are the most challenged in keeping ethics on their social media pages since they make
their important announcements on these pages. This is a resourceful book for both researchers,
learners, and corporate leaders. Zgheib gives straightforward corporate business ethics that if put
into practice then they will solve their social media ethical issues and ethics relating to the work
environment.
Social Media Ethics 6
References
Barnes, J. W. (2016). Social media ethics made easy: How to comply with FTC guidelines
Giuliani, E. (2016). Human rights and corporate social responsibility in developing countries’
industrial clusters. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(1), 39-54.
Hajli, N. (Ed.). (2015). Handbook of research on integrating social media into strategic marketing.
IGI Global.
Institute of business Ethics (2018 December). Business Ethics Briefing; The Ethical Challenges of
Social Media. Issue 22. Retrieved 12 April 2018, from
https://www.ibe.org.uk/userassets/briefings/ibe_briefing_22_the_ethical_challenges_of_soci
al_media.pdf
Journal, W. S. (2014, October 23). Should Companies Monitor Their Employees' Social Media?
Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-companies-monitor-
their-employees-social-media-1399648685
JURIŠOVÁ, E. (2013). The impact of social networking on business and business ethics.
Retrieved 12 April 2018, from
http://www.cutn.sk/Library/proceedings/mch_2013/editovane_prispevky/46.%20Juri%C5%
A1ov%C3%A1.pdf
Massotte, P. (2017). Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2: The Future and Changing
Paradigms. John Wiley & Sons.
Zgheib, P. W. (Ed.). (2014). Business Ethics and Diversity in the Modern Workplace. IGI Global.
Running Head: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 1
How Social Media Affects Business Ethically Outline
Abstract
Introduction
Integrity risks
Marketing and advertising malpractice
Recruitment malpractice
Conflicts of interest
Cyberbullying
Privacy violation
Legal issues
Image and opportunity loss
Recommendation and conclusion
References
Running Head: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 1
How Social Media Affects Business Ethically
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 2
How Social Media Affects Business Ethically
Abstract
Social networking is on a constant rise and the impacts of social media in any kind of
business are growing. Companies often use social media in brand marketing, creating awareness,
and gaining consumer feedback (Institute of Business Ethics, 2018). Through the media, firms
have been able to reach more clients globally while improving their connectedness. However, the
lack of properly managing and control of social media use has caused severe ethical issues to
business (Massotte, 2017). This paper seeks to investigate how social media use impacts
organizations ethically. It examines how the images, photos, or texts that employees post in their
individual profiles affect ethics of the business. Additionally, it evaluates the effects of remarks
that employers post on the organizational wall when it comes to business ethics. Firms that
structure their social media marketing effectively improve their overall marketing department
and enhance competitiveness.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 3
Introduction
Social media is a global phenomenon that is infiltrating each aspect of human life- both
professional and personal. It is hard to get away from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram,
WhatsApp, LinkedIn, etc. as they offer a high experience of connectedness, communication, and
interaction both in personal and professional level. Nowadays, organizations use social media in
marketing and creating awareness than ever. Through this platform, businesses can connect with
shareholders and customers and keep track of their employee behavior on the same media (Hajli,
2015). However, if not well managed, social media can ethically affect an organization. The
images, videos, or texts, that either employee's post in their personal or business accounts of any
social media form can land the company in legal problems, ethical issues, ruin business’
reputation or even make customers boycott the brand (Massotte, 2017).
Integrity risks
The leading ethical dilemma that the use of social media poses to the business is integrity
risk. An employee who irresponsibly posts a text, video, or image or gives reckless feedback on
Facebook pages, Instagram or Twitter handles, undermines the company’s devotion to ethical
practice (Jurišová, 2013). He or she exposes the organization to integrity risks. For instance,
many companies nowadays operate Fan Pages on Facebook, which aims to offer a platform
where the firm interacts with the public. In the same pages, the firm displays its products while
the customers give their reactions, feedback, and suggestions through likes and comments.
Employees should, therefore, demonstrate a high level of professionalism and maturity while
replying to comments or queries from any public member on a fan page. Emotional reactions
from employees have been negatively affecting business’s reputation while hurting the
company’s integrity. For example, in 2011, an administrator made an offensive comment on the
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 4
fan page in response to a fan’s negative remarks (Jurišová, 2013). This employee’s behavior did
violate not only the firm’s principle of integrity but also aroused a consumer backlash. The
member of public unanimously joined this fan page particularly to criticize the organization,
while campaigning for Nestle boycott.
Similarly, workers can recklessly or deliberately post wrong or offensive remarks or
pictures about the organization in their personal profiles within the social media. The effect of
this is no less. Friends and followers of such an employee will see these posts hence form a
negative opinion on the brand. At best, these people might boycott the product. At worst, they
may forward or repost the comments in their own walls. The cycle would tarnish the
organizational integrity aspiration everywhere. It is hard for a firm to control posts that
employees post on their private walls. It means, therefore, these comments have long-lasting
effects on a firm’s integrity. A survey established that over thirty percent of the employers in
America discipline at least one staff member for inappropriate social comments.
Marketing and advertising malpractice
Currently, the firms are using digital marketing to gain better connectedness with their
clients and reach the target market. Due to the interactive feature of social media, company’s use
social media to directly and quickly connect with customers each day and any time. The firms,
therefore, have to conform to them marketing ethical standards lest the trend land it to new
ethical concerns (Massotte, 2017).
The competitive nature of the global market has tricked companies to land to unethical
issues, thanks to social media. This occurs in ways. First, the firms act on behalf of the firms in
the social media may use the media unethically while representing the brand. The study shows
that many employees tend to discredit their rival’s reputation in an attempt to promote the brand
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 5
of their employer. This action amounts to a breach of the code of ethics. It is both illegal and
unethical to paint a bad picture on another brand (Barnes, 2016).
Second, some malicious individuals or companies might create fake profiles and portray
another brand wrongly. The report shows that the cases of fake accounts are on the rise it is the
basis of unfair competition. Therefore, to prevent misleading employees, customers or
shareholders, employees or companies should declare and demonstrate their interests in the
company.
Recruitment malpractice
Right to fairness and privacy are some of the critical issues that arise from the use of
social media during employee recruitment. Statistics reflect that approximately 80 percent of
professionals use more than one social network as a component of their assessment (Jurišová,
2013). Specialist organizations equally rely on the platform for hiring and screening of workers.
The action raises conflicts of interests regarding employee’s rights to fairness and privacy. It is
neither fair nor ethical for an employer to assess person’s ability to discharge his or her duties as
an employee based on the info about his or her life as it appears in media profiles. Some of this
information might not reflect the current status of the person. The info may be old and thus do
not correlate with the present job requirements. Research shows that some qualified people are
denied jobs for activities posted in their social accounts that are as old as 20 years.
To avoid any possible unethical conflicts, when an employer decides to use social media
during recruitment: assessment or screening of the candidates, he or she should communicate a
clear plan. Whether the professional or the firm is directly or indirectly relying on the social
media stuff, the company needs to devise a clear policy and communicate the same in an open
and unbiased manner.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 6
Conflicts of interest
A man is a social being and is inseparable from social media hence its use occasionally
cases blurring of work and personal life. The impact of this conflict lands on the business ethical
values. Social media often blurs the personal and work-life boundaries (Journal, 2014). When an
employee expresses own opinions on a social network wall (say a personal profile or an open
forum like general WhatsApp group) and touches on a company, an ethical challenge shows up.
It is next to impossible to prevent comments of this nature because the company has too little
control, if any, over the same.
Nevertheless, this blurring of work and personal life boundaries makes it hard for
businesses to execute their mandate of employee care. Social media has come up with a
challenge of monitoring cases of employee cyberbullying, mainly where a worker uses his or her
personal Facebook page or twitter account, etc.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying has led to not only legal issues to the business but also low employee
performance. Cyberbullying is the form of bullying which occurs in social media either on
Facebook pages, Instagram, twiner or any other social media arena. Employees have been
humiliated and embarrassed by their co-workers in these media. A report has it that ten percent
of UK working population ran cyberbullying among the most significant harms of social media
in business. Additionally, 20 percent of bosses have as reports illustrate have disciplined an
employee for commenting nasty things about a peer-worker (Jurišová, 2013). The same report
ranks harassment and bullying among the top five dangers of social media in the workplace.
Targets of bullies in a workplace often have low morale hence less productive. A victim
fully usually begins each week full of anxiety in his or her stomach. Bullies often steal
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 7
coworker’s credit or exclude, threaten, unfairly criticize, or berate a fellow worker.
Consequently, the motivation of the bullied employee drops. Cyberbullying also works against
team work and the overall organizational performance.
The grave challenge for firms lies in the identification of acceptable levels of tracking
workers use of private media networks. It is hard for the company to monitor employee’s
individual social media use without appearing to violate the employee freedom of expression.
Otherwise, monitoring workers use of personal accounts may bear to ethical and hence
legal issues (Zgheib, 2014). To avoid the same, organization that opt to watch workers’ private
use of social media must unequivocally communicate their policies the entire staff. This
communication helps the workers understand the practice and what it means for them as well as
its benefits at both personal and organizational levels.
Privacy violation
To enjoy the benefits of social media, businesses should be socially responsible besides
conforming to business ethics (Giuliani, 2016). It should be able to safeguard the privacy of
company, employees, and stakeholders. In using social media business environment, the question
of confidentiality, morals of identity, democracy, and cybercrime have risen more than in the
traditional marketing sphere (Institute of Business Ethics, 2018).
Various social media arena has been a victim of privacy violations due to scam and
identity theft as follows.
In Facebook, some innocuously seemingly questions, leisure activities, game options or
topical events may help intruders expose user’s personal information because they are usually
used for challenge questions or passwords for signing-in (Zgheib, 2014). This may encourage
identity theft.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 8
Other probable means of tricking users is through click-jacking and like-jacking. Famous
as "UI redressing,“ this mechanism tries to trick the user to disclose confidential info or even
gains control of the user’s computer as he or she clicks on seemingly innocent click buttons or
links. On the other hand, malicious IT geeks design survey scams to kid a user to install a
corrupted or an unwanted app from a spam link. Scammers aim at earning commission for every
completed survey. However, in the process, a firm might find itself having provided login
details to company’s private sites. This may make a company expose highly secretive business
info or details concerning client, stakeholders, or employees (Institute of Business Ethics, 2018).
In Twitter, shortened URLs cause the greatest threat. Scammers use these URLs to
redirect a user to a mischievous site. Just as in Facebook, Twitter scammers also furnish the user
with different alluring questions or click buttons to suspicious texts. If the user isn’t careful, he
or she ends up giving email addresses or other personal information, which is later used for scam
or phishing.
In LinkedIn, the shared data privacy issues lie in the data mining that causes spread-
phishing attacks. A spread-phisher often uses online directories to trace sensitive data. Moreover,
there are also dishonest LinkedIn invites that can redirect users to the installation of Zbot
malware (Institute of Business Ethics, 2018). It is thus advisable that when a person using social
media sees a link or new pages asking for Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter passwords, he or she
should immediately leave that page.
Legal issues
Reports depict that the use of social media has lately subjected business to legal
problems. Code of Ethics requires that companies and their employees must consider various
risks before publishing or using info on social media (Barnes, 2016). Companies may be liable
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY 9
for the info that their workers post in social networks or blogs. User participation or contribution
to a firm’s source might indirectly give birth to liability for infringing content on a business
website or defamatory. In a situation where the company competes, it should use social media in
conformity to the laws of competition games. Every company is legally liable for any info on
their websites and social media walls. Misleading marketing or deceitful adverts qualify to be a
negative form of advertising. Companies which find themselves in these issues face dear legal
fines.
Image and opportunity loss
Finally, a company that lacks the initiative to strategically discover, evaluate, plan, and
control its approach to social network use and it associated tool loses both numerous
opportunities that technology offer and the organization’s general image (Hajli, 2015). The firm
also faces many risks as well as business malpractice and activities that generally damage the
entire business. The clients and the society at large can receive misleading and lousy picture
about the company. This ruins the reputation of the business.
Recommendation and conclusion
Every business must consider at least three ways in which the use of social media may
impact its operations and profitability. First, it should address the manner employees utilize
social media for non-company use. Second, it needs to examine how workers use social media
for the firm’s business goals and objectives (Journal, 2014). Lastly, in the use of social media,
the company should consider setting responsibilities and rights for the non-employees it engages
to participate in social network forums.
Balancing the job applicants’, employees’, and employers ‘legitimate interests and
drawing an effective boundary between immoral and moral conduct regarding the use of social
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY
10
media is essential, though challenging. While an employer has the legal duty to manage their
organizations, an employee has genuine interests to have personal activities outside job.
From an employer’s lens, recruiting and maintaining qualified staffs who conform to boss’ social
media legitimate policy may appear to advance employer’s self-interest. This makes the exercise
a moral pursuant the ethical egoism (Massotte, 2017). Failure to hire individuals or to discharge
employees, who breach the firm’s policies and damage it, amounts to societal norm, making the
exercise a moral practice toward ethical relativism. All notwithstanding, a company should
always expect the social media to continuously change in technologies, use, and the way it
affects the business landscape.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS BUSINESS ETHICALLY
11
References
Barnes, J. W. (2016). Social media ethics made easy: How to comply with FTC guidelines
Giuliani, E. (2016). Human rights and corporate social responsibility in developing countries’
industrial clusters. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(1), 39-54.
Hajli, N. (Ed.). (2015). Handbook of research on integrating social media into strategic marketing.
IGI Global.
Institute of Business Ethics (2018 December). Business Ethics Briefing; The Ethical Challenges
of Social Media. Issue 22. Retrieved 12 April 2018, from
https://www.ibe.org.uk/userassets/briefings/ibe_briefing_22_the_ethical_challenges_of_s
ocial_media.pdf
Journal, W. S. (2014, October 23). Should Companies Monitor Their Employees' Social Media?
Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-companies-monitor-
their-employees-social-media-1399648685
Jurišová, E. (2013). The impact of social networking on business and business ethics. Retrieved
12 April 2018, from
http://www.cutn.sk/Library/proceedings/mch_2013/editovane_prispevky/46.%20Juri%C
5%A1ov%C3%A1.pdf
Massotte, P. (2017). Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2: The Future and Changing
Paradigms. John Wiley & Sons.
Zgheib, P. W. (Ed.). (2014). Business Ethics and Diversity in the Modern Workplace. IGI Global.
