Case Study.Communication and Social Media
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Southern New Hampshire University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
200
Subject
Communications
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by ProfSnakeMaster2864
Running head: CASE STUDY
1
Case Study: Communication and Social Media
Kirsten Frederick
Southern New Hampshire University
CASE STUDY
2
Case Study: Communication and Social Media
Social media is prevalent in society today and can be both positive and negative in professional environments. On the positive side, it can help promote new companies, market new products, bridge the gap between cultures, and connect people that otherwise might not ever
meet each other. In my line of work in Career Services, I have witnessed many benefits of communication through social media. It has opened up the lines of communication and provided
our company with another useful method of reaching our students and graduates. We are able to share information quickly and easily about employment opportunities, new campuses and programs, and upcoming events that would be beneficial to our audience. I have also seen firsthand the negative impacts of social media in my professional career. The most common challenge can be seen with employee productivity. I have seen employees terminated once it was determined that their performance was suffering as a result to too much personal time online. Computer viruses can also have a negative impact on an organization, and it appears that
social media is an easy way to deliver these devastating bugs. The biggest challenge to companies when dealing with social media is simply human behavior and the inability to control what other do with their time. When it comes to my social media and online presence, I tend to take a more private approach. I don’t really put that much information out there, and when I do, it is typically shared
with a select group of people. This may be a result of my upbringing and age since I grew up before the internet was born and most of the communication back then was done in person, over
CASE STUDY
3
the phone, or by pen and paper. I have found that social media has connected me with family and friends that I have lost touch with over the years. When I had my last two children, social media was also a way for me to easily share updates with those that are my “friends” online. Instead of making numerous phone calls, a simple post delivered the message to many at the same time.
In the incident that occurred with the conference attendees, the situation quickly got out of hand. The female developer was wrong in taking a picture of other attendees without their permission and then posting it online with negative assumptions of the content of the conversation. Even if the male attendees were making inappropriate comments, blasting it online is not the professional and appropriate way to handle the situation. The woman that made this initial post should have received a consequence from her actions, however I don’t necessarily agree with the termination of either employee. The key factor in this situation was that she was at this conference as a representative of her company. Her online actions not only reflect on herself, but they also reflect on her employer. The company could have asked her to take the post down, but they run the risk of looking like they are trying to hide something. I think the best option was to get in front of the situation and handle it online in a professional manner. Issuing a public statement or apology could have shown the audience that they, both companies, acknowledge the incident and take responsibility of any wrongdoing. There is not a lot that companies can do when it comes to the personal online presence of their employees. What people do outside of work should be their business and should only be questioned if it impacts the organization in any way. Any social media policy should be very clear and specific as to what would be acceptable or unacceptable online behavior. It should describe what is considered a violation of the policy and the consequences that one will endure
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
CASE STUDY
4
as a result. For example, employees are not able to post pictures or comments during work hours
and they cannot reference the company at any time without corporate approval. Companies do need to be able to protect the business and effectively handle any online presence that will bring their name to the limelight.
CASE STUDY
5
References
Bauer, T. (2019). Leadership and Team Building v3.0.1. Flat World Knowledge.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/978-1-4533-3446-1