Insights into user engagement on social media. Case study of a higher education institution

Orientation: The rapid development of information communication technology (ICT) has changed much of contemporary society. ICT’s influence extends to the working context with ramifications not only for employees but also for the entire organisation.Research purpose: The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the behavioural intention of a sample of employees at a traditional higher education institution to make use of social media within the workplace.Motivation for the study: Social media has become a common tool within society for communication and networking purposes. An understanding of the factors that influence behavioural intention to use social media within the workplace can assist the organisation to better manage social media usage within the workplace.Research design, approach and method: The research adopted the positivism paradigm with a quantitative research approach. The data were analysed making use of exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. A traditional higher education institution was chosen as the research site for the study, relying on a convenience sample (n = 134) and data gathered using the work-related social media scale and behavioural intention to use scale.Main findings: Although most employees make use of social media for problem-solving and communication purposes already in the workplace, organisations should allow their employees to help manage their reputation on social media.Practical and managerial implications: An understanding of the factors that influence behavioural intention to use social media within the workplace can serve as a useful precursor for both employee and organisational-specific interventions. This study has specific relevance to the use of ICT platforms, such as social media, in traditional higher education institutions in South Africa. The study’s results are therefore useful to both employees as end-users and managers as drivers of such interventions in the workplace.Contribution: This study is one of the first within a South African work context to investigate social media usage in a traditional higher education institution and proposes a workplace social media usage framework (WSMUF) that helps not only employees but also the entire organisation to predict intention to use social media in the workplace.

Download Full-text

How Social Media Tools are used in Research

Social Media and Networking ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8614-4.ch037 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 830-850

Author(s):

Anabela Mesquita ◽

Ana Ramalho Correia ◽

Diana Aguiar Vieira

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Social Media ◽

Education Institution ◽

Time And Space ◽

Higher Education Institution ◽

Social Media Tools ◽

Use Of Social Media ◽

Reasons For Use

Social media tools are being widely used. Every day we witness new tools appearing or new features being added to already existing tools. Their characteristics allow us to communicate and collaborate without time and space constraints. Moreover, they also help us in the development and creation of new content as well as in the sharing and publishing of it. Since they are so popular, can it be that researchers are also using them in the research workflow process? If they use them, what are the most commonly used tools and their reasons for use? These are some of the questions addressed in this chapter. The authors analyse responses given by a higher education institution to a questionnaire on the use of social media tools. These findings contribute to a greater understanding of the importance of these tools for research purposes.

Download Full-text

Information security model. Case study higher education institution

Journal of Physics Conference Series ◽

10.1088/1742-6596/1257/1/012014 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1257 ◽

pp. 012014

Author(s):

N A Aguilar Quintero ◽

T Velásquez Pérez ◽

H F Castro Silva

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Information Security ◽

Education Institution ◽

Security Model ◽

Higher Education Institution ◽

Model Case

Download Full-text

English instructors’ motivation levels in Islamic higher education

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/jarhe-07-2018-0147 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad Fauzan Ansyari ◽

Fabio Oliveira Coelho ◽

Kalayo Hasibuan ◽

Dodi Settiawan ◽

Masni Kamallia

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Foreign Language ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Education Institution ◽

Working Environment ◽

Higher Education Institution ◽

Content Type ◽

Schedule Flexibility ◽

Financial Benefits

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the motivation levels of non-permanent English instructors (lecturers) in a university language centre (LC) and the factors with regard to what elements sustain their motivation to teach English and to remain in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) profession at an Islamic higher education institution. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study with a purposive sampling technique was employed in this study. Ten instructors (seven females and three males) aged between 26 and 40 years old participated (M = 29.6 year olds). The selected participants in the sample were instructors who had taught between three to nine years at the LC (M = 3.9 years), and interviews were the tools used to collect data. Findings Overall, LC instructors’ motivation is not internalised or less internalised into their self-concept. This can be seen from the results that show, respectively, instructors’ levels of no internalisation (42 per cent), less internalisation (40.5 per cent), more internalisation (11 per cent) and full internalisation (6.5 per cent). In total, 11 factors were identified: the influence of others, financial benefits, professional development opportunities, schedule flexibility, supportive working environment, social status and acceptance, a stepping stone for career advancement, networking, dedication, challenge and teaching as a calling. In general, it has been found that instructors are more externally than internally regulated or motivated. Research limitations/implications This study only employed interview to collect data and had only ten respondents. Originality/value Data were collected at the LC of an Islamic institution of higher education institution where instructors are non-permanently employed. The LC is a TEFL environment serving about 12,000 students a year. This study, therefore, allows for an understanding of instructors’ motivation in such context.

Download Full-text

Dynamic capabilities, organizational learning and ambidexterity in a higher education institution

The Learning Organization ◽

10.1108/tlo-03-2018-0047 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 397-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carla Patricia da Silva Souza ◽

Adriana Roseli Wünsch Takahashi

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Organizational Learning ◽

Dynamic Capabilities ◽

Single Case ◽

Education Institution ◽

Research Strategy ◽

Observation Data ◽

Higher Education Institution ◽

Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to analyse how dynamic capabilities (DC) affect organizational learning (OL) in a Brazilian higher education institution (HEI) and how this relationship affects organisational ambidexterity (OA). Design/methodology/approach The research strategy involves a qualitative, single case study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, documentary research over a 15-year period and nonparticipant observation. Data were analysed using narrative analysis. Findings The results show that founders and managers influence the activities related to sensing, seizing and reconfiguring DC. They interpreted the new opportunities and shared them with other individuals. Gradually, a collective sense about the new ideas was constructed. New academic and administrative routines were created and an OL process took place at the HEI, which resulted in a valuable balance between exploration and exploitation (OA) for the organisation. Originality/value The study offers insight into how DC, OL and OA can be related. Although each construct has its own independent definition, there are similarities between them. The case study demonstrates how these theories were affected, and the research, therefore, makes a new methodological contribution regarding how to study DC, OL and OA as an integrative phenomenon.

Download Full-text