see attached

M ichael Diercksen, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, mdiercksen600@ g.rwu.edu,401-254-3175

M atthew DiPlacido, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, mdiplacido951@ g.rwu.edu,401-254-3175

Diane Harvey, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, dharvey@ rwu.edu, 401-254-3175

Susan Bosco, Roger W illiams University, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI USA 02809, sbosco@ rwu.edu, 401-254-3175

ABSTRACT

This study examined the use of social media at work. Undergraduate students and professors were surveyed about their use of sites such as Facebook while working. W e also examined the effects of Facebook postings outside of work could jeopardize a position at work. The results from our survey and research concluded that social media is an increasing problem but that there is a growing expectation that monitoring of social media communications by employees will occur.

Keywords: social media, employee monitoring

INTRODUCTION

Today we cannot go about our everyday lives without encountering some form of social media. The popularity of social media has grown as a result of the rapid changes in technology as computers are now more mobile and can be used virtually anywhere. Companies are increasingly using social media as a new way to reach customers more effectively and to spread news of their activities more rapidly. The ubiquitous use of social media has also brought new challenges to

M illennial generation has to Facebook and other social media applications like Twitter and Instagram.

In this research project, we examined increasing social media use and its intersection with workplace activities, with a particular focus on the M illennial generation. The use of email and the internet have become more commonplace in organizations and many have enacted policies regarding their use/misuse at work. The use of social media during work hours, particularly when accessed via a personal cell phone, brings a new set of challenges to employers.

There are advantages to be gained by using social media for both prospective employees as well as employers. For example, new college graduates searching for work increasingly use sites such as LinkedIn to find potential employers, employers are utilizing social media to open their hiring pool to new applicants in new regions. One of the benefits of LinkedIn is the improved ability to find jobs anywhere in the country and in the world. On the downside, it makes the application process more competitive and adds new hurdles to the hiring process.

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SOCIAL M EDIA USE BY ORGANIZATIONS Social media can be considered a tremendous resource to the business world. For example, it has been credited with helping employees think outside the box [14]. Research has shown that employees who utilize social media are nine percent more productive in the workplace [3]. Sites

l together, for example, future wedding ideas) and Instagram (a site dedicated to taking pictures and allowing them to tell an entire story) allow members to instantly see the creative works of a friend and can help the user to brainstorm new ideas. These sites are a valuable resource that can really help spark new and exciting ideas for work.

Social media is not only helping employees become more productive; it is allowing them to stay current with market trends and issues important to consumers as well as the general public. By staying informed in these areas, employees are also better prepared to troubleshoot potential setbacks and are more likely to create good public relations through the work they are doing. By identifying the trends, they can then tailor their own work to incorporate them, providing consumers with the sense that they are buying from a company who is diligent in staying current.

Currently, about seventy percent of organizations around the world use social media [6]. Studies have found that firm s that incorporate social media as a part of their business operations are most likely to grow faster than the companies who have not yet used it [6]. The key benefit to social media is that it is free. There is no cost to usin

Social media is also amazing beneficial marketing tool and, if used properly, can boost a Twitter and more

than 1 billion users of Facebook (600 million of whom access it through smart phones) [10].It has been shown that consumers are more willing to buy when they have received consumer reviews and/or recommendations from friends/family; social m edia helps companies to take advantage of this phenomenon [11].

Employers can capitalize on this new market by having employees create company-related By

encouraging employees to utilize social media, an organization is not only marketing to a larger audience, but doing it in a way that is trusted and valued more than any other sort of advertisement [2].These sites are not to be taken lightly; there has been a significant power shift in favor of the consumer, as stated by Jonny Spindler (Innovations Director at Abbott M eade Vickers BBDO).

SOCIAL M EDIA USE BY EM PLOYEES AT W ORK

Asmore new and existing employees join social media networks it is apparent that, in general, organizations are still adjusting to and evaluating what they perceive to be the positive and negative aspects of social media. Some industries are further along in their understanding of the place of social media at work. For example, in the construction trades, there are concerns for safety [8].

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During a discussion with a local union pipe fitter, he explained that the union has already taken a stance against social media use during work hours because it introduces variables that put worker also stated that this new policy is an extension of the policy they have for cell phones on the job site (Personal communication, October 10, 2012).

Other industries are encountering different issues with social media use and have implemented policies that affect employee morale, rather than safety. KPM G International found that companies have become more open to the idea of allowing social media at the office and that there are greater costs to the organization for not adapting [6]. For example, one study found that employees are much happier with their employers when social media usage is allowed at work [6].

Social media can also help to establish strong bonds among workers by providing them with the ability to better understand those with whom they are working. This social connection could then help improve the working relationship. The improvement could include gaining a better understanding of what motivates the people around them, as well as allowing them to share what motivates them [5]. Having a better understanding of other employees is also important to creating a comfortable social environm ent at the workplace. Employees need to feel that the office can also be a social and fun environment [9]. If relationships are what drive a happy workplace, and increase job satisfaction, it is likely that companies may start to value the use of social media by employees. It is not out of the question that certain jobs may eventually require a certain number welcoming the potential employee may be [9]. And it is not only employees who are beginning to benefit from the implementation of social media, studies have shown that the software needed to sustain these sites is growing into a booming business, and companies are more than willing to purchase the necessary software (Fraser, 2012). Recent data from Forrester Research indicates that the sales of software used to run corporate social networks will grow 61 per cent a year and

[1][4].

One major concern that has arisen with regard to ocial media presence and their employers and that is invasion of privacy. An employer may claim that what is posted online is not private, but public information. As a result, employees lives outside work are under scrutiny more than ever because of easy access to what they m ay post on the Internet. The lack of privacy on social m edia sites also presents a threat to employees who use that forum to discuss their jobs. Employees who are careless about comments they make regarding the firms risk losing their jobs. For example, this past summer a designer at Nike was in trouble because he insulted Derrick Rose for not wearing Nike gear [7].This statement effectively ended future deals that Nike could have made with Derrick Rose that could have been valued in millions of dollars [7].

Another issue in the workplace related to social media use is its effect on productivity. According to Pavlina, social media use has a negative effect [13]. He calculates productivity using the equation: Productivity = Value / Time. Productivity can be increased by increasing value and decreasing time required to create that value. Social media however, adds time and takes away value. In 2009,a study found that in the U.K employees spend an average of 40 minutes per day on social media sites, or the equivalent of one whole week a year on social

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media[12]. The study also found 57percent of employees surveyedat1460 offices used the sites forpersonal use while at work. The total time usedcost the firms more than $2.25 billion.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

From reviewing the recent information regarding the use of social media by employees, we have developed the following research questions:

Research Question 1 Do more individuals consider the use of social media at work to be a distraction or provide a boost to productivity?

Research Question 2 Should employers discipline employees for material they post on their social media profiles?

M ETHODOLOGY

This study used a survey distributed via email and paper. It was approved by the Human Subjects Review Board of the organization. Respondents were solicited through snowball sampling.

RESULTS

There were a total of 115 responses, virtually all students. The gender breakdown was roughly equal with 52 percent male and 48 percent female. .The vast majority, 94 percent, use social media. Total weekly use of social media was reported as total hoursper week. Responses were broken down as follows:

1 to 3 hours - 39% 4 to 7 hours-36% 8 or more hours-25%

For our first Research Question, we asked a series of questions regarding use of social media behaviors and their impact on work. Responses are in Figure 1 below:

FIGURE 1

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Acceptable to be on Facebook at work

Is use of social media distracting at work

Do you have Facebook open while you complete work?

Do you believe social media helps you work more efficiently?

No

Yes

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Other questions addressed use of social media on phones and opinions about its use at work. Ninety-one of the 115 (79% ) respondents use social media on their cell phone. M ost of the respondents, 87.5 percent,who use social media more than eight hours a week fell into this category. Only five people, however, agreed that it isokay to use social media at work;although 90saidit could sometimes be used for emergencies only. As to whetherthey would accept a job that bans the use of social media at work, 89 of the participants said yes. Another 96 said that they could work nine hours a day without using social media.

Responses to questions related to Research Question Two indicated support for employer monitoring of social media use. The first asked whether an employeeshould be fired for excess use ofsocial media. The majority, 73 percent agreed that they should. The second asked whether employees should be judged by their employers on the basis of their social media activities. Again, the majority, 70 percent, found this acceptable.

DISCUSSION

Based on the data,indications arethat the more a person usessocial media, the less they feel it is a distraction and the reverse is also true. Some of the results are conflicting, especially as they relate to whether social media is a distraction at work. The great majority of respondents who are students in the M illennial generation, the heaviest users of social media, felt that its use was distracting at work, and that it isunacceptable to have Facebook open at work. Equal numbers indicated that they felt social media helped them to work more efficiently.It is difficult to determine whether some answers were driven by social response bias, for example, especially regarding the acceptability of being on Facebook at work.This dichotom y may also reveal awareness that the workplace is not yet a welcome venue for the use of social media, particularly for personal tasks, while acknowledging their inability to resist its use for a long time period during the day.

when one considers the often used claim by younger employees that their Facebook account, for example, is private. There is also an acknowledgment that employers have the ability to exercise some control over employee behaviors, even those that take place outside of office hours. It is difficult to determine whether this realization will translate into a change in the ways in which younger employees use social media.

RECOM M ENDATIONS

Social media use should be regarded as a privilegethat can be taken away An open dialogue should take place with employees, to discuss appropriate use of social media in the workplace. One possible solution would be for the organization to install software that does not block social media, but rather monitors the amount of time it is used. In this way employers can keep employees accountable, but give them some freedom as well. Employees who are on these sites for an excessive amount of timewould be subject to potential disciplinary action.

Businesses should begin to embrace social media in the workplace, rather than ban it. Employers can exercise some control over the use of social media at an organization by developing policies

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regarding its use and informing employees about these policies. This action is especially important as younger generations or workers join the employee ranks because they do not recognize social media use as problematic, so they will continue to use it until otherwise informed. Looking ahead,anew problem that the workforce willencounter as a result of increasing social media use is a decline in interpersonal skills. The impact is already seen in the younger generation of workers, who prefer to email colleagues instead of talking with them face-to-face. M ore individuals spend meeting times texting instead of contributing to the conversation in the room. The workforce continues to require people who have the interpersonal skills that enable them to communicate effectively with clients and coworkers. W hether employers will be able to develop these skills by default through restricting social media use remains to be seen.

The reality is that while at work, access to social media is nearly always available. The desire to ,

which was a common comment made by our respondents. Some firms block the sites, but this can actually addto the problem because the social media addict will spend time at work trying to get around the system. This is where the implementation of guidelines on social media etiquette in the work place would be beneficial[8].By addressing the problem and clearly illustrating what is and is not appropriate in the workplace, it will be easier for employees to understand what is expected of them and adjust their social media use accordingly.

REFERENCES

[1]Brown, V. R. & Vaughn, E. D. (2011).The writing on the (Facebook) wall: The use of social networking sites in hiring decisions. Journal of Business Psychology, 26 (2), 219-225.

[2]Consumers Trust Friends and Virtual Strangers the M ost (2013). Nielsen W ire. Retrieved from http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/global-advertising-consumers-trust-real- friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most/

[3]Fahm y, M iral. "Facebook, YouTube at work make better employees." Reuters. Yahoo Tech. April 2, 2009. Retrieved from http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090402/wr_nm/us_work_internet_tech_life

[4]Fraser, D. (2012, August 21). Social M edia in the W orkplace: M aking the M ost of "Social Business" Tools. Randstad Canada News Room.Retrieved October 15, 2012, from http://blog.randstad.ca/news/bid/210182/Social-M edia-in-the-W orkplace-M aking-the-M ost-of- Social-Business-Tools

[5]Griffin, C. (2011, November 16). How to Use Social M edia to Improve Your Relationship W ith Your Boss. M edia Bullseye. Retrieved from http://blog.customscoop.com/mb/2011/11/how-to-use-social-media-to-improve-your- relationship-with-your-boss.html

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[6]KPM G Study: Emerging M arkets Lead Social M edia Adoption . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/global/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/press- releases/pages/social-media-adoption.aspx

[7]NBA. (2012). Bleacher Report. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1165376- derrick-rose-injury-nike-must-punish-outspoken-employee-after-insensitive-tweet

[8]Orlando, B. (n.d.) W hat Are the Dangers of Using Cellular Phones on a Construction W ork Site? Retrieved from :http://www.ehow.com/list_6048795_dangers-phones-construction-work- site.html

[9]Quish, R. (2010). Social media: Creating richer relationships in the workplace. People and Strategy, 33(3), 7-8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/763403002?accountid=25133

[10]Smith, C. (2012, October 4). Digital M arketing Ramblings...Retrieved from http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/resource-how-many-people-use-the-top-social-media/

[11]Social Retail: Finding, Engaging & Cultivating Today's Connected Consumer. (2012, July 19).Search Engine W atch. Retrieved from http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2192745/Social- Retail-Finding-Engaging-Cultivating-Todays-Connected-Consumer

[12]Study:Facebook, Twitter use at work costs big bucks. (2009, Oct 27). Network W orld M iddle East, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/210992871?accountid=25133

[13]W hat Is Productivity? (2005). Retrieved from http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/what-is-productivity

[14]W inkler, S. (2009, July 2). Are social networks good for job productivity? How Stuff W orks. Retrieved from http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social- networking/information/social-networks-and-job-productivity.htm

This paper was funded by the at Roger W illiams University

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