Virtuality at work and social media use among dispersed workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolis Tijunaitis ◽  
Debora Jeske ◽  
Kenneth S. Shultz
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Network Ties ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Workers ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Technology and globalization of services have facilitated the digitalization of many processes at work. However, their impact on social capital is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between virtuality in the workplace and social capital. Design/methodology/approach Using an online survey, the authors recruited 152 female student workers using an opportunity sampling approach. Findings Participants who used social media at work (n=112) reported higher social capital overall than participants who did not use any social media to communicate with colleagues at work (n=40). This difference also presented itself in terms of the social capital subscales (network ties, shared vision and trust). Mediation analysis conducted with users of social media at work revealed that social media use was a significant mediator in the relationship between virtuality at work and social capital overall (partial mediation). Subsequent analyses with the subscales for virtuality and social capital suggested full mediation of the relationship in most instances (with the exception of work practices). Originality/value This is the first study to examine the relationship between virtuality, social media and social capital at work. The result of this study suggests that social media use at work between colleagues can play a significant role in promoting social capital in workplaces that are heavily reliant on technological application to support interactions at work and feature geographical and temporal dispersion.

Social media use by first-generation college students and two forms of social capital: a revealed causal mapping approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuefei (Nancy) Deng ◽  
Yesenia Fernández ◽  
Meng Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Causal Mapping ◽  
Revealed Causal Mapping

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine social media use and its impacts on first generation students by answering the two questions: how do FGS use social media on college campuses, compared to their peers? How does the use of social media affect their academic experiences?Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study adopted social capital theory as a sensitizing framework for understanding the social media (SM) use and the resources valued by first-generation students (FGS) and used a revealed causal mapping method to analyze the narratives of 96 informants to identify key constructs and linkages on SM use and perceived outcomes.FindingsThe revealed causal mapping (RCM) analysis revealed nine key constructs that shaped the SM use and academic experience of FGS and their peers. The linkages among the nine constructs: three types of social capital (bridging, family bonding and friend bonding), three types of SM use (social, cognitive and hedonic) and three outcomes (academic support, emotional support and distraction to work) were different between FGS and their peers. Among FGS, SM use and perceptions differed by gender.Originality/valueLeveraging social media is critical for universities to enhance FGS persistence, yet knowledge remains limited. This study showed FGS differed from their counterparts in the SM use and perceptions. Among FGS, the SM use and perceptions differed by gender. The research contributions are: (1) SM technology can empower FGS by building social capital, impacting their academic experiences and psychological well-being and (2) the intersection of gender and student generation status is worth investigation. This paper enriches FGS research by proposing a model of SM use and social capital.

What motivates employees to use social media at work? A perspective of self-determination theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaobo Wei ◽  
Xiayu Chen ◽  
Chunli Liu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Social ◽  
Internal Social Media ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe authors develop a conceptual model to examine how three basic psychological needs (i.e. needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness) affect employee social media use (i.e. work- and social-related use). The authors propose that the need for autonomy positively moderates the relationship between need for competence and work-related use, whereas it negatively moderates that between need for relatedness and social-related use.Design/methodology/approachTo test the proposed model, 332 internal and 271 external social media users in the workplace were recruited.FindingsThe results indicate that needs for competence and autonomy and needs for relatedness and autonomy positively affect the work- and social-related use, respectively, of internal and external social media. Need for autonomy positively moderates the relationship between need for competence and work-related use of internal social media, and it negatively moderates that between need for relatedness and the social-related use of internal social media. Need for autonomy has no moderating effect on the relationship between need for competence and work-related use, whereas it negatively moderates the relationship between need for relatedness and the social-related use of external social media.Originality/valueFirst, the authors’ findings offer significant empirical support for the different social media uses, namely work and social related. Second, this study highlights the importance of psychological needs of employees in determining the form of social media use. Third, this study empirically demonstrates the differences in psychological needs and social media use between two different social media contexts.

Exploring the influence of social media on employee work performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiongfei Cao ◽  
Xitong Guo ◽  
Douglas Vogel ◽  
Xi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Network Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Synchronicity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of social media on employees’ work performance, as well as the underlying mechanism for how they create value at work. Design/methodology/approach – Based on media synchronicity and social capital theories, the authors propose that social media can foster employees’ social capital and subsequently facilitate knowledge transfer. Both social capital and knowledge transfer help promote work performance. Specifically, the authors adopt shared vision, network ties and trust to represent, respectively, the cognitive, structural and relational dimensions of social capital. The research model is tested using data collected from 379 Chinese working professionals. Findings – The empirical results reveal that social media can promote the formation of employees’ social capital indicated by network ties, shared vision and trust, which, in turn, can facilitate knowledge transfer. Shared vision and knowledge transfer positively influence work performance. Although network ties and trust do not have a direct impact on work performance, the influence is partially mediated by knowledge transfer. Practical implications – For organizations that wish to build knowledge networks in the workplace, connecting experts with various social media can effectively complement other knowledge management technology. Further, managers should encourage employees to consciously exploit the byproducts created via social media, e.g., social capital, to promote knowledge exchange. Originality/value – The integration of media synchronicity and social capital theories offers a new theoretical lens and reasonable explanations for investigating communication performance. The research offers empirical evidence regarding how the influence of social media on work performance is transmitted through social capital and knowledge transfer. The authors quantify social media’s benefits for organizations, providing managers an impetus to deploy them in the workplace with optimistic expectation.

Mobile Social Media Use and Trailing Parents’ Life Satisfaction: Social Capital and Social Integration Perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 009141502090554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhao ◽  
Changyong Liang ◽  
Dongxiao Gu
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Relationship

In recent years, a special group of elderly migrants emerged in some developing countries, namely “trailing parents,” who migrated with adult children in their later years. Lots of developing countries such as China have an increasing number of old people using mobile social media for social interaction, information, and entertainment. Based on social capital theory, we developed a research model and investigated the relationship between mobile social media use (MSMU) and social capital, social integration, and life satisfaction of trailing parents. We completed an empirical study by collecting 244 valid samples. The results show that MSMU has a positive impact on trailing parents’ life satisfaction, and bonding social capital, bridging social capital and social integration are all important predictors of trailing parents’ life satisfaction. Furthermore, social capital and social integration play an important chain mediation role in the relationship between MSMU and trailing parents’ life satisfaction.

Interplay of enterprise social media and learning at work: a qualitative investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anshu Sharma ◽  
Jyotsna Bhatnagar ◽  
Mahadeo Jaiswal ◽  
Mohan Thite
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Social Media ◽  
Employee Social Capital

PurposeThe study aims to understand enterprise social media usage at work and explore its impact on employee outcomes, particularly learning behaviors. The scope of the paper is limited to organizationally facilitated enterprise social media (ESM) used internally for workplace communication and draws upon ESM affordances highlighted by the theory of communication visibility.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a qualitative research design based on Miles and Huberman framework (1994) as the research question was exploratory in nature. Thematic analysis was conducted using QSR-NVivo to arrive at the dominant themes and to understand their relationship between enterprise social media use at work. Each emergent theme was generated from the behavioral indicators labelled as nodes. Drawing on qualitative data, the study explored the lived-in experiences of employees using enterprise social media for workplace interactions.FindingsThe thematic analysis using QSR-NVivo provided qualitative evidence for the phenomenon of enterprise social media use in the form of four emergent themes: patterns of enterprise social media usage by employees, employees' informal learning behaviors, employee social capital and organizational learning capability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides theoretical insights into the lived-in experiences of employees using ESM at work and unravel thematic behavioral impact on their learning, social capital and organizational learning capability. The findings of this study support recent research work on impact of ESM on knowledge sharing behaviors (see Sun et al., 2019) and other significant work on co-creation of knowledge (see Wagner et al., 2014). Thus, adding to the body of knowledge management literature.Practical implicationsThis study provides evidence for the role of enterprise social media in developing organizational learning capability by offering support and platform for employees' informal learning and building their social capital. Thus, organizations should leverage enterprise social media not only a social networking tool but more as a strategic learning resource. Hence, organizational leaders must encourage employees to be involved on such platforms in order to promote their informal learning. Also, this study captures the role of employee social capital in explaining the enterprise social media, informal learning and organizational learning capability relationship. This shows that enterprise social media can help employees to learn informally when they have good relationships. Hence, this study provides implications for both HR and IT managers and consultants who plan to implement technology for collaborative purposes, should not undermine the importance of building employee social capital. Only then can they utilize the potential of ESM as a learning tool. Last, this research may also influence the general attitude towards social media use at work and further impact the design and implementation of organizational social media policies.Originality/valueThe paper is novel as the qualitative investigation offers deeper insights into the impact of ESM usage on employee and organizational learning behaviors. The paper draws on theoretical underpinnings to present useful linkages between emergent concepts and makes valuable contribution to the literature on enterprise social media use and learning at work.

scholarly journals The relationship between family social capital, social media use and life satisfaction in adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-313
Author(s):  
Narjes Geraee ◽  
Ahmad Ali Eslami ◽  
Raheleh Soltani
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Family Social Capital ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Nowadays, two social phenomena are identified as factors that significantly influence life satisfaction among adolescents: family social capital and social media use. This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between family social capital and life satisfaction, and the possible mediating role of social media use between the variables among Iranian adolescents. Methods: In 2018, this cross-sectional study was carried out on 835 adolescents aged from 12to 19, in six high schools of Isfahan, Iran. Data were collected using a validated four-section questionnaire including demographic characteristics (3 items), life satisfaction (5 items), family social capital (31 items) and social media use (4 items) scales. IBM SPSS version 21 statistical software and AMOS version 24 were used to analyze the data. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the fit of model. The significance level of 0.05 was considered for all data analyses. Results: The findings indicated that family social capital and social media use explained 50%of the variance in life satisfaction. Social media use was found with a partial mediating role in the association between family social capital and life satisfaction. Family social capital was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction (β =0.681, P<0.001). The relationship between social media use and life satisfaction was also statistically significant (β =- 0.12, P<0.001). Conclusion: Social media use and family social capital should be considered while investigating the determinants of life satisfaction among adolescents.

scholarly journals Social Media, Citizens' Participation in Elections, and the Proverbial Dividends of Democracy in Nigeria's Fourth Republic

2021 ◽  
pp. 113-128
Author(s):  
David Imhonopi ◽  
Ugochukwu Moses Urim
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Fourth Republic ◽  
The Relationship

The objectives of this chapter are to examine social media and citizens' participation in elections in Nigeria's Fourth Republic; appraise social media and delivery of democratic dividends in Nigeria's Fourth Republic; and identify the relationship among social media, citizen participation in elections, and delivery of democratic dividends in Nigeria's Fourth Republic. The study was hinged on the social capital and democratic participant media theories and a review of relevant academic literature. The study finds that while social media facilitated citizen participation during elections in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, actual voter turnout was low. Also, the study shows that in spite of social media use by Nigerian citizens, democracy dividends are yet to be delivered to Nigerian citizens. And lastly, findings reveal that there appears to be a weak relationship between social media and citizens' participation in elections in Nigeria and that social media use by Nigerians has not delivered the dividends of democracy to the people.

Stress and Its Impact on Social Media Usage

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-245
Author(s):  
Bryan Denq ◽  
Wenchen Denq ◽  
Wenchin Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Habitual Behavior ◽  
The Relationship

This study examined the relationship between stress and social media usage, whether stress was an indicator of social media use, and tested moderators of the relationship between stress and social media use. Participants ( n = 201) were randomly assigned to a stress-inducing recall activity or a control task via an online survey. Next, they completed measures of stress, social media usage, social support, and habitual behavior. We found that seeking social support contributed to an increased usage of social media. In addition, increased usage of social media was related to greater frequency and strength of evoking habitual behavior.

Excessive social media use at work

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1091-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingling Yu ◽  
Xiongfei Cao ◽  
Zhiying Liu ◽  
Junkai Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Initial Attempt ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of excessive social media use on individual job performance and its exact mechanism. An extended stressor–strain–outcome research model is proposed to explain how excessive social media use at work influences individual job performance.Design/methodology/approachThe research model was empirically tested with an online survey study of 230 working professionals who use social media in organizations.FindingsThe results revealed that excessive social media use was a determinant of three types of social media overload (i.e. information, communication and social overload). Information and communication overload were significant stressors that influence social media exhaustion, while social overload was not a significant predictor of exhaustion. Furthermore, social media exhaustion significantly reduces individual job performance.Originality/valueTheory-driven investigation of the effects of excessive social media use on individual job performance is still relatively scarce, underscoring the need for theoretically-based research of excessive social media use at work. This paper enriches social media research by presenting an extended stressor–strain–outcome model to explore the exact mechanism of excessive use of social media at work, and identifying three components of social media-related overload, including information, communication and social overload. It is an initial attempt to systematically validate the casual relationships among excessive usage experience, overload, exhaustion and individual job performance based on the transactional theory of stress and coping.

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