Fact or Fiction
FACT! According to Alexa.com, a research website that tracks user activity via a browser toolbar in order to collect data on web trafficking for companies, two social networking sites and one video sharing website made the list of top 5:
1. Google
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Happy Holidays from Astron Solutions!
Our December 29th issue of Astronology will feature an article from the archives. We’ll be back with a brand new edition on January 12th. Everyone at Astron Solutions wishes you and your family a happy holiday season and start to the new year!
 Online Networking and the Workplace
Online Social Networking: Tech Savvy Communication and Networking? Simply put, the initial goal for social networking sites is to provide individuals and organizations the opportunity to participate in online communication and networking with other “wired” individuals and organizations. The key debate regarding social networking in the workplace centers on an organization’s desire to use the most effective communication devices and applications available while maintaining employee productivity. Many organizations have used these sites to their advantage, promoting their organizational goals, achievements, and even recruiting volunteers or employees via such websites. Other organizations have deemed such sites as distracting and a hindrance to production, as workers become preoccupied checking status updates instead of finishing a project or task. Organizations on both sides of the debate find themselves grappling with smaller, related issues. The Dilemma of Using Online Social Networking Organizations that allow open access to online social networking sites face unique dilemmas. A primary dilemma is the awkwardness of office friendliness. In research prepared by the University of Pennsylvania, Nancy describes a scenario: “What if your boss friends [request] you on Facebook? That’s a dilemma. How do you not accept that friend? What if you really are friends?” If workers are using a social networking account strictly for business purposes, this scenario is not problematic. However, if workers have a personal social networking account, this poses a problem. How close is too close? Many employees may find it invasive if employers, or even employees on the same work level, request “friend” or linked status in one’s personal network. In such cases, organizations may want to check with legal counsel for advice on developing Internet policies with respect to using social networking for organizational purposes. Spelling this information out in the policy can help manage the idea of closeness without invading. Another primary dilemma is online etiquette. Such websites allow 24-hour access to everyone, which in essence, allows employees to connect with work 24/7…creating boundary issues between work and home, and an overlap of worlds. According to Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard, “On the one hand it enables flexibility. In some ways, it makes you more effective. But it can also lead to burnout. In the long term, it may lead to conflict about how you feel towards your other life roles and your ability to be fully present in any one domain.” The balance between keeping work at the office and keeping home life at home can become uneven with constant overlapping. Within the etiquette dilemma is also the idea of censorship…primarily, the lack thereof. HR Guru created an article listing the top Twitter mistakes made by actual employees. Some of these mistakes include the following:
•
Lying on the Job.
To avoid such problems, consult legal counsel to create a policy, particularly if your organization is inclined to open access to such sites to your employees. The Dilemma of Not Using Online Social Networking At the same time, organizations that decide to deny access to such sites face losing potential promotional access and networking availability only found online. This can be particularly harmful for organizations whose target audience is in the demographic of frequent social network users. Using these communication devices is an inventive way to gain additional positive exposure with your target audience. Zappos.com, an online shoe retailer encourages their employees to use Twitter.com accounts to describe how they feel about work, and give insight about the company inside and out. By using social networking openly, Zappos.com gives an excellent example of how transparent communication can help an organization to grow. By banning employees from using these sites on work time, the organization may miss out on the opportunity to grow and develop an open, transparent, and communicative environment. While social networking is still in its primary stages, it holds the possibility of playing an integral role within the workplace. Will Facebook be as large in the future? Or will it be replaced by an as of yet unknown technology? While the tactical details are fuzzy, the strategic issue is clear. Many organizations find it worth the time to investigate social media with respect to the organizational benefits. Whether your final decision is “nay” or “yay” for online social networking, remember that other organizations across the globe are facing these same quandaries and may have unique solutions. By investigating how similar organizations approach the subject of online networking within the workplace, you can make a conscious decision as to how your organization can best approach the subject.
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