Business Communication and Social Media Sites
Introduction
Communication is a critical process in any given business organization. Individuals and leaders in a firm should be in a position to share information and use it to improve operations. Successful companies go further to use this approach to inform potential customers about the existing services or products. Unfortunately, some barriers emerge in business organizations, thereby disorienting the transfer of ideas and exchange of crucial information. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss three unique challenges that occur under the category of social media sites. It goes further to describe how firms can consider such issues to implement superior models capable of delivering positive results.
Social Media Sites: Possible Problems
Modern technological developments are making it possible for companies to improve operations, transform their strategies, and meet the changing demands of their respective clients. The emergence of social media has become a powerful opportunity for organizations that want to achieve their aims within the shortest time possible (Wang 6). With many users and followers, such platforms are making possible for firms to communicate with their clients, identify their expectations, and revolutionize their models to deliver positive results. The use of different sites is something that continues to support the communication and performance goals of many companies, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. However, the challenges outlined below arise when organizations fail to guide their employees to use such platforms efficiently for internal operations only. Researching them for a business communication course can deliver evidence-based attributes and ideas for overcoming them and improving performance.
Potential Risks: Hacking and Information Access
While social media can make a significant different for many companies, it poses various challenges that require immediate solutions. The use of different platforms exposes organizations to potential risks, such as hacking, phishing, and access of information by unauthorized users (Abdulahi et al. 137). This problem can affect the future performance of every targeted company. This means that the information of a firm might be communicated to unauthorized users.
Unwarranted Employee Behavior
The second researchable problem under the selected category is the behavior of different employees. Wang indicates that many workers might use social media to pursue their personal social goals instead of using the existing platforms to communicate with their colleagues and clients (4). They can also use such sites to disorient existing communication channels or abuse their colleagues. The use of social media as a tool for promoting communication in an organization might fail to deliver positive results. Additionally, some employees have been observed to spend a lot of time chatting and communicating with their online friends.
Immediate and Constant Monitoring
Business firms that rely on social media platforms should hire competent employees to monitor the flow of information, follow customers’ reviews and complaints, and share the collected ideas with the relevant departments. This practice can be expensive and out of reach for both small and huge companies. Corporations have to allocate additional funds to support the maintenance of their social media platforms (Wang 7). Additionally, there is a need for leaders to monitor such sites and ensure that they support the implemented organizational communication strategy.
Evaluation of the Identified Problems
Addressable Problems
The challenges outlined above are researchable since they are common in businesses that are presently relying on the power of social media to achieve their goals. This means that such issues have been captured in many articles, books, and publications. Companies that encounter similar problems focus on the most appropriate strategies to deal with them (Park et al. 1598). A research study that targets the websites of such firms will deliver meaningful findings regarding the nature and intensity of these problems and how they disorient performance.
Many researchers have managed to present meaningful insights regarding the challenges many companies using online sites encounter. This is a clear indication that the intended research will be completed within the allocated time. The intended study will address each of the above three problems and understand how disorient the effectiveness of many companies. The research will also provide evidence-based ideas or concepts that business leaders can consider to overcome the above challenges and eventually make their respective firms competitive (Uddin et al. 7). Since each issue is unique, the most important thing is to examine how it affects performance and identify case studies of organizations that have managed to overcome it. The acquired information will ensure that a superior proposal is available to firms that want to overcome these challenges.
Real Problems
The three problems described above are real and capable of affecting the profitability of any given firm. For instance, cybercrime and cyberterrorism are unique challenges that make it impossible for government agencies and global corporations to record positive results. Business firms that embrace the use of social media are at risk of getting hacked (Park et al. 1603). The nature of such platforms explains why leaders can monitor the behaviors, information, and ideas associated with different employees. When the information of a given company is hacked, chances are high that it will lose sensitive data, become less competitive, and be unable to achieve its aims. Such an occurrence can also have negative impacts, including financial losses, data distortion, poor communication, and theft of product designs.
The second problem of negative employee behaviors or practices is a reality many companies are dealing with today. This is true since workers will use their companies’ time to pursue their personal interests or activities. Some might go further to rely on social media platforms to abuse their colleagues by posting unpleasant images or messages (Uddin et al. 4). Such occurrences will affect employees’ morale and eventually make it impossible for the company to achieve its business objectives. Failure to address this challenge can reduce workers’ contributions and performance.
The third issue is the fact that companies will need to hire specialists to monitor the responses and views received from different clients and potential customers. This procedure can be something challenging for firms that lack adequate resources. Uddin et al. go further to indicate that such a requirement becomes unsustainable for many organizations (5). This analysis indicates that each of these problems is real and requires evidence-based solutions.
Important and Worth Researching Problems
As described earlier, the identified problems are real and capable of undermining the organizational structure and culture of any given firm. The challenge of hacking and data leakage has become a true reality for both customers and organizations. There is a need to research this kind of predicament because the completed work can offer superior ideas for addressing it and ensuring that more companies are able to realize their potential (Abdulahi et al. 135). The study can offer new perspectives and concepts that organizational leaders should consider and implement in their respective companies. The ultimate objective is to improve security and develop better social media policies.
Similarly, the challenge of employee misbehavior becomes a critical issue that firms should never ignore. When individuals have access to fast Internet connection and resources, chances are high that they might decide to use social media to engage others, communicate with their online friends, or complete their personal activities or goals (Park et al. 1602). This kind of malpractice is linked to reduced organizational performance. This has become an important problem that business firms have to research. This initiative will offer meaningful insights and ideas for overcoming such misbehaviors and ensuring that all employees focus on the outlined business aims, vision, and mission.
The problem of constant monitoring is worth researching since it requires numerous financial investment and human resources. Studying this issue means that new concepts and ideas will emerge to guide companies planning to adopt the use of social media sites in a sustainable manner. Completing such a study means that firms will adopt superior strategies for meeting their customers’ social needs, minimizing chances of phishing, and promoting productivity (Abuhashesh 204). This analysis reveals that such a problem is important for many corporations across the world and worth researching. The presented results will be applied to transform internal communication in many corporations.
Narrow Problems
Each of the challenges described above are narrow enough and capable of benefiting from a thorough or detailed research study. For instance, the problem of hacking is something that focuses mainly on unauthorized access of data and confidential information. Any investigation targeting this issue will mainly revolve around hacking and how social media platforms have become key targets for cyberterrorists (Abuhashesh 206). Consequently, this narrowness will make it easier for scholars to understand the true nature of this problem and present appropriate solutions.
The behaviors of employees who utilize social media are issues that have attracted attention of many researchers in the field of organizational culture. This problem is not complex since it revolves around the code of conduct implemented in every organization. However, this narrow challenge can result in devastating implications if companies fail to address it (Abuhashesh 207). Since the predicament of constant and immediate monitoring of social media platforms is not complex, researchers can identify the most appropriate strategies to minimize costs and ensure that social media is utilized in a sustainable manner. Since this problem is narrow, chances of addressing it and ensuring that companies record positive outcomes remain high.
Implementing Recommended Actions
The completed study will offer evidence-based ideas and recommendations for tackling the three problems described above. Such solutions will empower leaders of companies to institute or implement appropriate changes that will transform the way employees and other stakeholders utilize such platforms to pursue the outlined goals. The first group of stakeholders who have to implement the suggested solutions is that of organizational managers. These professionals can consider their legitimate power to promote new changes and practices that will transform operations and behaviors in the targeted company (Abuhashesh 206). The second category is that of employees who benefit significantly from such sites. For instance, workers will be required to consider the role of different platforms and ensure that their main application is to pursue the intended communication goals.
The HR department will also be involved to implement superior code of ethics and communication models and compel individuals to avoid any form of social media misuse. Technologists and experts will also have to present or install superior systems and monitoring procedures that will reduce chances of hacking or phishing. Any other person in a given firm using the introduced social media platforms should consider the implications of such challenges and how they can affect organizational communication and productivity (Abuhashesh 207). The involvement of these stakeholders will eventually make it possible for many companies to achieve their goals and remain competitive in their respective sectors.
Adequate Resources
As indicated earlier, the outlined problems are valid and continue to affect the communication models existing in different companies. The nature of the outlined challenges indicates that a researcher can locate adequate resources and publications to deliver or propose superior solutions. This is possible since such issues have been considered or captured in past studies (Abdulahi et al. 139). The use of companies’ websites, journal articles, and books will ensure that evidence-based ideas are presented to leaders who want to address the issues affecting organizational communication.
Conclusion
The use of social media sites for communication is a common practice in many organizations today. Unfortunately, various problems emerge that have the potential to affect communication and increase chances of information theft or loss. When users are unable to follow the outlined policies, chances are high that hackers will target such platforms, thereby making it impossible for the affected firms to achieve their goals. Their use can also trigger inappropriate behaviors, damage established communication structures, and delay every intended goal. The proposed study will, therefore, analyze the nature of these problems and present evidence-based solutions to address them.
Works Cited
Abdulahi, Aida, et al. “A Study on the Negative Effects of Social Networking Sites Such as Facebook among Asia Pacific University Scholars in Malaysia.” International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 5, no. 10, 2014, pp. 133-145.
Abuhashesh, Mohammad Y. “Integration of Social Media in Businesses.” International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 5, no. 8, 2014, pp. 202-209.
Park, Joo Y., et al. “Does Social Media Use Influence Entrepreneurial Opportunity? A Review of its Moderating Role.” Sustainability, vol. 9, no. 9, 2017, pp. 1593-1608.
Uddin, Salah K., et al. “Problems and Prospects of Brand Communication through Social Media: Evidence in Bangladesh.” Global Journal of Management and Business Research: G Interdisciplinary, vol. 17, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-9.
Wang, Yuan. “Incorporating Social Media in Public Relations: A Synthesis of Social Media-Related Public Relations Research.” Public Relations Journal, vol. 9, no. 3, 2015, pp. 1-14.