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Running Head: Social Media & Internal Communication
Employee’s Perspectives on Social Media Use in Organizations as a Form of Internal
Communication
__________________________
A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty in Communication and Leadership Studies
School of Professional Studies
Gonzaga University
__________________________
Under the Supervision of Nobuya Inagaki
Under the Mentorship of Kristine Hoover
__________________________
__________________________
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership Studies __________________________
By
Holly Harris
December 2011
2
SIGNATURE PAGE
3
ABSTRACT
Social media has become a common form of communication for many people and today’s
technology enables us to easily access these social media sites and tools. Joseph Walther's Social
Information Processing Theory was used as a basis in this study to look at social media as a way
to enhance communication in the workplace. This study used survey research to explore
employee’s perceptions towards social media use as a form of internal communication as well as
how employees are currently utilizing social media. The study found that although people
generally have a positive perception about social media, the majority of people not eager to use
these tools as a form of internal communication.
4
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………………………3
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………….5 Importance of the Study ………………………………………………………………......5 Statement of Purpose ……………………………………………………………………..5 Organization of Remaining Chapters ……………………………………………………..6
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………………..7 Philosophical Assumptions………………………………………………………………..8
Computer Mediated Communication ……………………………………………………..9 Social Media Use in Organizations ……………………………………………………...10 The Role of Effective Communication ……………………………………………….…12 Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………...14
CHAPTER 3 – SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY Scope ………………………………………………………………………………….…15 Methodology …………………………………………………………………………….15 Sample……………………………………………………………………………………16 Confidentiality …………………………………………………………………………..19
CHAPTER 4 – THE STUDY Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………20 Results of the Study ……………………………………………………………………..20 Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………… 27
CHAPTER 5 – SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Limitations of the Study …………………………………………………………………29 Recommendations for Further Study ……………………………………………………29 Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………...30
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………….31
APPENDICES
Survey Questionnaire ………………………………………………………………...….35 Letter to Possible Participants …………………………………………………………..36 Mentor Agreement Form ………………………………………………………………..45
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CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
Importance of the Study
Whether a person works for a large organization or a small organization, effective
internal communication is critical and can make a world of difference in how employees work
together. Today’s technology allows us to communicate with one another in a number of ways,
and it makes it convenient to do so. Not only can employees correspond with one another face-
to-face in their workplace, over the phone, through email and mail, but they can also
communicate with one another using social media tools such as blogs, status updates, instant
messaging, and more.
With all the social media sites and tools (status updates, blog posts, etc.) available for
communication, this researcher is interested in how employees can use these tools effectively to
enhance internal communication with other employees within their organizations.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of the study is to explore how employees are utilizing social media tools as
well as look at employee’s perceptions towards the idea of using these tools for internal
communication purposes to find out if this is something that they are open to, or whether or not
they will be willing and interested in learning more about and if they want to try utilizing these
tools in the future.
As more and more people are using social media in their daily lives, it is important to
look at these tools as an internal communication method as well. Wright (2008) believes that “as
people experience the benefits of social media in their lives outside the organization, the more
they will demand the same features inside” (p. 25). This is important to my study, as I will be
looking at employee’s perceptions about using social media as a form of internal communication.
6
Organization of Remaining Chapters
The remainder of this paper is broken down into chapters (2-5). Chapter 2 consists of a
literature review of relevant information pertaining to this study. In chapter 3, the scope and
research method of this study is laid out for the reader as well as how about the study ensured the
confidentiality of information gathered from participants. The results from this study are
explained in chapter 4 with a section on each of the research questions asked in this study.
Lastly, limitations of the study and recommendations for future studies will be discussed in
chapter 5, the final chapter.
7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
The following literature review helps us begin to understand how social media
networking tools can impact internal communication within organizations. It does this by
looking at literature from various scholars based on three foundational pillars: understanding
computer-mediated communication, social media use in the workplace, and finally, the role of
effective communication in organizations. In addition, this review will look at the Social
Information Processing Theory of Computer Mediated Communication, as this theory can help
tie all the information together.
Conceptual and Theoretical Framework
Joseph Walther developed the Social Information Processing Theory of Computer
Mediated Communication, which compares computer-mediated communication with face-to-
face communication. Walther’s theory suggests that computer mediated communication is just as
capable of creating interpersonal relationships as face-to-face communication; however, the
relationship may take longer to develop with computer-mediated communication (Thurlow et al.,
p. 51). Basically, his theory suggests that one’s desire to connect with people and one’s need for
bonding with others is still present when communicating through computer-mediated
communication (Thurlow et al., p. 51).
The Social Information Processing Theory of Computer Mediated Communication is
important to this study because every social media site and social media tool is a form of
computer mediated communication and it is important to understand whether or not employees
will be able to build the same type of relationships through computer-mediated communication
as they can when communicating face-to-face in their organizations. Though this theory does not
8
directly relate to this study, communication is a major part of building interpersonal
relationships, so this theory was used as a basis for the study.
Philosophical Assumptions
The Communicative Action Theory developed by Habermas (1984) can also help better
understand this topic. Habermas (1984) describes the communicative action as “the inter-action
of at least two subjects capable of speech and action who establish interpersonal relations
(whether by verbal or by extra-verbal means)” (p. 86). Habermas’s theory of communicative
action discusses the importance of creating a mutual understanding and reaching agreements
through discussion (Deflem, 1996, p. 2).
This theory is important to this study as the study addresses communication among
employees and being able to have thoughtful discussions and come to agreements is an important
part of communication in organizations. This study seeks to explore employee’s perceptions on
social media as a form of internal communication in organizations. This study was conducted
with the belief that because social media is used by so many as a form of communication, that it
can also be used as a way to enhance communication in the workplace as well, and that
employees would want to utilize these tools to communicate with co-workers.
Computer-Mediated Communication
Thurlow, Lengel, and Tomic (2004) define computer-mediated communication (CMC) as
“any human communication achieved through, or with the help of, computer technology” (p. 15).
Email, instant messaging, web cams, blogs, websites, and social media tools are all considered
types of computer-mediated communication and they are commonly used to connect with people
9
over the Internet. There are many different types of communication technologies for
communicating with one another and that they are evolving all emerging the time (Thurlow et
al., p. 31).
Studies on the subject have found that there are many benefits of computer-mediated
communication in the workplace. A survey conducted by Garrett and Danziger (2008) looked at
the affect that instant messaging, a form of computer-mediated-communication, has on
communication in the workplace and found that instant messaging actually reduces the number
of interruptions an employee faces at work (p. 38). In addition, they found that the quick
communication and information exchange that instant messaging offers actually enhanced
interactions among colleagues (Garrett & Danziger, 2008, p. 38). Similarly, a study conducted by
Young in 1995 found that participants believed that electronic communication technologies
allowed them to get technical information from co-workers quicker and that these technologies
were “more efficient than face-to-face communication” (Santra and Giri, 2009, p. 104).
One thing that is important to consider when looking at computer-mediated
communication is that people may have different goals for communicating depending on what
type of technology they are using (Thurlow et al., p. 32). For instance, how one communicates
with someone over email is likely to be very different than the way one communicates with that
person using a medium such as instant messaging or other another method (p. 32). This is
important to keep in mind when looking at social media as a form of internal communication
because although one social media tool might not be the best method for a specific purpose, it
may be a good option for another situation. In this study, we will be looking at social media tools
as a whole, not each one individually.
10
Social Media in the Workplace
Social media tools are all a form of computer-mediated communication. Boyd and
Ellison (2007) define social network sites as:
web-based services that allow individuals to; (1.) construct a public or semi-public profile
within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a
connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others
within the system. (p. 211)
The list of social media sites and tools that are available to users is very extensive, but
some of the more popular social media sites include FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Bebo, Friendster, etc (Social Media Today, 2010). Each of these sites and tools are slightly
different from one another and each provides a forum for people to communicate with one
another no matter where they live. The first social networking site, sixdegrees.com, was started
in 1997 (Boyd & Ellison, p. 214).
Social media has become a form of communication among many business professionals
and many are using it to connect and collaborate with others in their organizations (Bulmer &
DiMauro, 2009, p. 4) as well as for business and marketing strategies (Ganim & Mattson, 2009,
p. 71). The Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth found
that “forty-three percent of the 2009 Inc. 500 reported that social media was “very important” to
their business/marketing strategy” (Ganim & Mattson, 2009, p. 71).
A study conducted by Bulmer and DiMauro (2009) looked at how professional’s
decision-making process can be affected by social media (p. 3). Their findings show that
11
professionals highly trusted information they acquired from online networks (Bulmer &
DiMauro, 2009, p.4).
According to Williams (2011), more and more organizations are beginning to use social
intranets. A social intranet is defined as “intranets that use social media tools” (2011, p. 28).
According to a study from Prescient Digital media, 90 percent of intranets in organizations used
some sort of social media tool such as “blogs, wikis, status updates, comments and rankings”
(Williams, 2011, p. 28).
Marc Wright (2008) believes that there are many benefits of social media use in
organizations as part of internal communication efforts (p. 1). Some of the benefits are: many
people are already using social media sites and tools in their personal lives so they know how to
use them, the coding is already written, there is little to no cost and, finally the information is
always up-to-date (p. 23). Additionally, “one irresistible benefit of social media is that you can
create an online forum for your company’s user groups” (2008, p. 24). This way, you can get
feedback from your user groups without having to arrange for a conference (p. 24).
Steve Crescenzo (2009) believes that social media can also help enhance communication
in organizations. In his article, Crescenzo (2009) describes a time when gathering information
was not nearly as easy as it is now in the workforce. Social media, the Internet, and email has
now made communicating easier as a person now longer has to wait for someone to return their
call, or wait to actually get a chance to see a person that you needed information from (p. 10).
This literature review has discussed how social media can help foster communication in
organizations, and now will look at why this is so important in organizations.
12
The Role of Effective Communication in Organizations
Internal communication is crucial in the workplace and it can make a world of difference
in how people perform within their organizations. Whether you are talking about
communication between management or leadership and employees, or just communication
among colleagues, there is no doubt that it is communication that helps things run smoothly in an
organization. In addition, effective communication among employees impacts the organization’s
success and performance as well (Trahant, 1995, p.1). By understanding the importance of
effective communication, we can begin to understand how we can use these tools to improve
communication and collaboration in our organizations.
Effective communication can be defined multiple ways and what is considered effective
may be different for everyone as each organization is unique. Gray and Robertson (2005) define
effective communication as “how well we all successfully connect with and engage others every
day, taking them on our personal journey of ideas” (2005, p.2). Bill Trahant (1995) believes an
organization with effective communication is one that
• engages employees in its business,
• employs managers who exhibit strong leadership during times of
organizational change,
• educates employees about the organization’s culture and values,
• gives employees information on the value of their compensation programs,
• aligns employees’ behavior with the needs of customers,
• integrates new employees into the organization, and
• effectively explains and promotes new programs to employees. ( p. 1)
13
A study conducted by Watson Wyatt looks at the differences between high-performing
and low-performing companies and they have found that effective communication is an
important part of the organizations performance because it improves employee commitment,
morale, and behavior (Trahant, 1995, p. 1). Specifically, they have found that the success of high
performing organizations is “due to the increased productivity generated by effectively
communicating business goals to employees, strategically linking rewards to job performance,
and making employees feel connected to their organization and its goals and values” (Trahant, p.
2).
Effective communication is not only important for organization performance, but also for
job satisfaction (Caputo et al., 2002, p 266). The communication climate, or “interpersonal tone
in an organization” (Caputo et al., p. 265), can make a big difference in how well an employee
likes their job (p. 265). According to Redding (1972), communication climate is based on
employee’s perceptions in the organization (as cited in Caputo et al., p. 265). The
communication climate in an organization may be more important to employees than anything
else because employees want to feel like they are respected and their opinions are valued
(Caputo et al., p. 266).
Communication between leadership and employees in the organization is also particularly
important in organizations, as executives are the ones who set the tone in the organization (Gray
& Robertson, 2005, p. 1). Gray and Robertson (2005) have found in their research that many
employees in organizations are not happy with the communication from senior executives (p. 1).
An audit that was performed showed that only 23 percent of employees believed that executives
communicated well (Gray & Robertson, p. 1). It is important for these organizations to enhance
their communication between employees and executives because, according to Gray and
14
Robertson, “research reveals that improving the communication of senior executives, especially
the CEO, may be the most cost-effective way to improve employees’ satisfaction with
communication in their organizations (2005, p. 1).
Summary of the Literature
This literature review discussed computer-mediated communication, social media use in
organizations, and the role effective internal communication. The literature from these scholars
explains how research shows how important effective communication is in organizations not
only for the success of the company, but also for employee satisfaction. The literature also
discusses how social media can enhance communication in organizations. There is not a lot of
research that discusses employee’s perceptions on social media as a form of internal
communication.
Walther’s Social Information Processing Theory, as discussed in the literature, suggests
that computer-mediated-communication is capable of building relationships similar to those that
are built with face-to-face communication. With that said, the purpose of this thesis is to use this
theory as the framework and to explore employees perceptions towards social media as a form of
internal communication and to determine how open employees are to exploring new methods of
communication as well as look into how they may already be utilizing these tools in their
organizations.
15
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
Scope
The purpose of the study was to explore employee’s perceptions towards the idea of social
media in the workplace as a way to enhance internal communication efforts. The goal was to
find out if this is something that employees are open to, or whether or not they are currently
utilizing these tools. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to find out:
1. How employees are currently utilizing social media networking sites and tools in the
workplace as a form of internal communication,
2. Whether or not employees view social media tools as user friendly,
3. If employees believe social media use can help with enhancing communication in the
workplace, and finally
4. How open employees are to the idea of trying new methods for internal communication
in their organizations.
Methodology
In order to obtain this information, this study used survey research to review employee’s
perceptions. This method was chosen for this study this because it allowed the researcher to seek
answers from employees on questions in several different categories including: behavior,
attitudes/beliefs/opinions, characteristics, expectations, self-classification, and knowledge
(Neuman, 2005, p. 273) in a way that is convenient for them to participate. In addition, this
method allowed for a wide-range of organizations and employees to be included in the study.
The survey was distributed to employees from various organizations and included a
diverse group of people. This included both younger employees and older employees, people
16
who are computer savvy and individuals who are not comfortable using new technology, people
who hold lower level positions and people with top jobs, etc.
The survey questions gathered information such as: how employees currently
communicate with one another, how familiar they are with social media tools, how
technologically savvy they are, how open they are to trying new things, whether or not they feel
that social media tools can enrich their communication in their organizations, etc. The survey
began with the confidentiality statement (see section below), and followed with questions to help
understand more about their perceptions and beliefs around the idea of using social media tools
for internal communication efforts. The survey concluded with basic questions about participant
such as gender, age, industry, etc.
The survey was mainly conducted online and was mostly sent out to participants via
email. In addition to this, a paper format of the survey was created as well for individuals who
are not tech savvy, or did not have access to a computer to complete the survey at work. Both
surveys (online and paper copy) were identical and included questions that were carefully
thought out so that participants understood what was being asked (Nueman, p. 277). See
appendix B for paper format of the survey.
Sample
Sequential sampling was used to conduct this research. Sequential sampling is defined by
Neuman (2005) as “a nonrandom sample in which a researcher tries to find as many relevant
cases as possible, until time, financial resources, or his or her energy is exhausted, or until there
is no new information or diversity from the cases” (p. 224). This method of sampling was chosen
because it was important to interview a diverse group of people within not just one, but several
organizations in order to really understand the employee’s perceptions about the impact that
17
social media can have on workplace communication. Neuman explains that with sequential
sampling, “the principle is to get every case possible” (2005, p. 224). Although this survey did
not get every case possible, it aimed to do just that. Every worker in an organization is unique
and has different opinions, abilities, etc., so it was important to collect data from each type of
employee in order to understand employee’s beliefs as a whole, not just one particular
demographic.
Neuman suggests that surveying respondents with diverse backgrounds can be difficult
because how questions are worded may be interpreted differently (2005, p 277). This survey was
distributed to a diverse group of people with different backgrounds, as previously mentioned, so
questions were written in a way that participants could easily understand. The researcher
attempted to follow Neuman’s (2005) 10 principals for writing survey questions:
1. Avoid jargon, slang, and abbreviations
2. Avoid ambiguity, confusion, and vagueness
3. Avoid emotional language and prestige bias
4. Avoid double-barreled questions
5. Avoid leading questions
6. Avoid asking questions that are beyond respondents’ capabilities
7. Avoid false premises
8. Avoid asking about distant future intentions
9. Avoid double negatives
10. Avoid overlapping or unbalanced response categories. (p. 271-281)
Nine organizations were selected as possible participants for this study based on the size
of their organization and the type of organization in order to cover a wide range of people who
18
work in different industries. The goal was to survey both small and large organizations and to
reach people with different backgrounds. For instance, the survey was sent to teachers,
employees of a lumber company, employees of a trucking company, real estate agents,
employees in the healthcare field, etc.
The survey was also sent out to students currently enrolled in both the Communication
and Leadership Studies program and Organizational Leadership program at Gonzaga University.
The researcher chose to send it out to these students because both programs have a diverse group
of students.
Possible participants were contacted via phone and email, depending on what was most
convenient for them. Contact information for possible participants was gathered by identifying
one person in each organization to serve as the point person. This person either provided contact
information for others, or agreed to forward the electronic version of the survey on to other
employees. The email addresses for students enrolled in the two programs through Gonzaga
University was provided through the school’s Black Board site.
This survey was created using a surveymonkey.com. This online site allows for the
survey to be created and taken online as well as the online version to be printed and filled out by
the participant with a pen or pencil.
The goal for this study was to survey approximately 300 individuals. The study ran from
Thursday, November 10th to Monday, November 21st and had 242 participants. Of the 242 total
participants, 234 took the survey online while only 8 took part in the survey by filling out a paper
format. The 8 participants who filled out the paper format did so because they did not have
access to a computer at work. Even though 242 people participated, several surveys were not
19
used to gather information in this study because they were invalid. These surveys were invalid
due to the fact that they answered some one-answer questions with more than one answer. After
the invalid survey responses were deleted, 225 surveys were analyzed.
Confidentiality and/or Anonymity
All of the information gathered from these surveys is confidential and participation was
voluntary by employees. Employees were informed that the information they provide is
confidential and they will remain anonymous. Participants were informed of this by a
confidentiality statement at the beginning of the survey. The statement indicated that the
information gathered from the survey will only be used for the purpose of collecting information
for this study. See appendix B for confidentiality statement.
20
CHAPTER 4: THE STUDY
Results of the Study
Data Analysis
After surveys were completed, a quantitative analysis of the information was conducted.
The researcher put together statistics gathered from participant’s answers to the questions to find
out what percentages of people are currently using social media tools in both their personal
activities and at work, what percentage of people believe these tools can enhance their internal
communication, etc. This analysis was done through Survey Monkey, the same website where
the survey was created. This site allows the researcher to view the data in several ways including
in an excel spreadsheet, by individual response, etc., which makes it very convenient to analyze
the data These findings are broken down for the reader in this chapter based on the research
questions.
Participants
The participants in this study included a varied group of individuals among a wide range
of different industries, ages, etc. Among those participating, 22 percent of them were 29 or
younger, 32.1 percent of participants were between the ages of 30 and 39, 21.6 percent were
between the ages of 40 and 49, 18.8 percent were between the ages of 50 and 59 and finally, 5.5
percent of the people who took part in this study were 60 years of age or older (Figure A).
21
Figure A:
How Employees are Currently Utilizing Social Media
This study revealed that 90.6 percent of participants in this study either use or have used
social media tools at some point in their personal activities to communicate with their peers,
while only 9.4 percent reported that they have never used social media tools for personal
activities (Figure B). When asked how often employees visit social media networking sites in
their personal activities, 29.3 percent of participants stated that they access these sites all the
time, 32.4 percent confirmed that they use these often, 24 percent said they only access these
sites occasionally, 8 percent reported that they almost never access these sites, and finally, 6.2
percent stated that they never access social media networking sites for personal use.
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22
Figure B:
The number of people using social media tools as a form of internal communication in
their organizations was much less than the number of people who reported using these tools and
sites in their personal activities. According to the results, 46.2 percent of employees use social
media tools to communicate with their co-workers, and the other 53.8 percent of participants
have never used social media tools as part of internal communication efforts (Figure C).
Figure C:
This study also found that the 46.2 percent of participants who have used these tools as a
form of internal communication are not utilizing them often. When participants were asked how
frequently they use social media tools as part of communication efforts among employees, only 4
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23
percent of employees who have used social media for internal communication purposes reported
using these tools all the time, 34 percent reported using these tools often, 35 percent were
neutral, 22 percent reported they almost never use these tools and finally 5 percent reported that
though they have tried these tools for internal communication, they never really use them.
Furthermore, only 5.9 percent of employees who use(d) these tools for internal
communication purposes reported using them as one of their primary forms of communication.
The majority of employees using social media tools selected email and face-to-face
communication as their primary source of communication.
Employee’s Perceptions on Social Media Tools
Responses from the survey indicated that the majority of participants seem to have a
positive perception about social media networking sites and tools in general. The survey found
that 31. 7 percent of employees who have used social media tools in their personal activities
strongly agreed that these tools help(ed) enhance communication with their peers in their
personal activities, 42.1 percent agreed, 15.3 slightly agreed, 6.9 percent indicated that they
neither agreed nor disagreed and only 2 percent disagreed slightly, 1.5 percent disagreed, and
finally only 0.5 percent of employees strongly disagreed that social media tools help(ed) enhance
communication efforts. The responses from individuals who have used these tools as a form of
internal communication were similar. When asked whether or not they believe these tools helped
enhance communication in their organization, 22.1 percent said they strongly agreed, 38.5
percent said they agreed, 26.9 percent said they slightly agreed, 1.9 percent of respondents
neither agreed nor disagreed, 6.7 percent slightly disagreed, 2.9 percent disagree and finally, only
1 percent strongly disagreed that these tools helped enhance communication within their
organization. All participants, whether they have tried these tools or not, were also asked
24
whether or not they believe these tools have the ability to enhance communication among
employees’ in an organization and 19.2 percent strongly agreed, 26.5 percent agreed, 16 percent
neither agreed nor disagreed, 6.8 percent disagreed slightly, 6.8 percent disagreed, and only 3.2
percent strongly disagreed. Additionally, the majority of participants who have used social media
tools at some point in their lives, whether at work or in their personal activities, generally believe
that these tools are user friendly. More specifically, 18.6 percent of these participants strongly
agree that social media tools are user friendly, 48.2 percent agree, 20 percent agree slightly, 5.9
percent neither agree nor disagree, 5.9 percent disagree slightly, and finally, 1.4 percent disagree.
There were no participants who use these tools that strongly disagree with the statement that
these tools are user friendly. These results show a generally positive perception of social media
tools; however, when it came to how employee’s perceptions on actually utilizing these tools, the
results were not as positive as expected.
When those individuals who have not used these tools for internal communication
purposes were asked whether or not they would like to try these tools as a form of internal
communication in the future, only 23.6 percent said yes, they would like to try it in the future,
33.5 percent reported they may want to try it, 23.1 percent were unsure, and 19.8 percent said
that no, they do not wish to try using social media tools in the future as a form of internal
communication (Figure D).
25
Figure D:
Additionally, participants were asked what methods they prefer to use in their organizations and
only 7.8 percent of those who use social media tools in their organizations for internal
communication actually prefer this method over others. The majority of these participants prefer
to converse with their co-workers via email or face-to-face.
Open to New Ideas
The study found that the majority of participants are open to trying new methods of
communication in their organizations. Overall, 40.6 percent were completely open to the idea,
53.5 were open to the idea, 3.7 percent reported being neutral, only 2.3 percent reported they
were somewhat open to the idea. There were no participants who were not open to the idea at all
(Figure E).
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Figure E:
The fact that employees are open to trying new methods of communication may in part
be because the majority of participants believe there is room for improvement when it comes to
the flow of communication in their organizations. When participants were asked how satisfied
they are with the flow of communication in their organizations. Only 8.9 percent of employees
reported that they were completely satisfied. This shows that 91 percent of employees believe
that there is at least a little room for improvement in the flow of communication within their
organization. More specifically, 49.1 percent reported that they were satisfied, 17.9 percent
reported being neutral, 19.2 percent reported being not satisfied, and finally, 4.9 percent of
employees are not satisfied at all.
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27
Discussion
This study helped better understand how employees are currently utilizing social media
tools both at work and in their personal activities. It also gave insight into employee’s
perceptions towards social media in general, as well as their thoughts about these tools as a form
of internal communication.
As discussed in chapter 2, studies show that there are many benefits of using computer-
mediated communication in the work place. Among these benefits were enhancing
communication, getting information quicker, people are already familiar with these sites and
tools, etc. The diverse group of people who participated in this study generally have a positive
outlook on social media tools and sites and their perspectives were similar to studies discussed in
Chapter 2. Most participants indicated that they have used these tools and sites, whether at work
or in their personal activities and the study revealed that these participants believe these tools are
user friendly and believe that these sites and tools can help enhance communication. The positive
perception from participants about social media in general also relates to Josephs Walther’s
Social Information Processing Theory of Computer-Mediated Communication, which was
discussed in Chapter 2.
Even though participants appeared to have a positive perception towards social media
networking sites and tools, there were not many participants who reported using these tools as
their primary form of communication and there were not many who reported that they preferred
using these tools for communication with other employees over other methods. Additionally,
because only approximately 23 percent of employees who are utilizing these tools already
28
reported wanting to try using these tools for internal communication purposes in the future, the
researcher believes the majority of participants included in this study generally are not
enthusiastic about social media use as a form of internal communication in their organizations,
even though most have a positive perception about social media.
29
CHAPTER 5 – SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Study Limitations
The major limitation of the study was the limitation of time. More time would have
allowed the opportunity to contact more potential participants, and would have allowed those
who were contacted more time to respond to the survey request. Furthermore, more time and
resources would have allowed the researcher to dig further into the research questions proposed
in this study to find out more detailed information.
This study surveyed over 200 people with diverse backgrounds and skills in order to
understand how employees are currently utilizing social media in the workplace as well as find
out what their perceptions are on social media use as a form of internal communication. The
information gathered from this survey is very useful; however, the study could have benefited
greatly from a larger group of participants. The findings from this study may have been
significantly different if there was a larger group of participants involved as every employee is
unique and is going to have different perspectives
Implications for Further Research
This focus of this study was on internal communication. Further research in this area may
also want look at social media use as a way to help employees work more collaboratively
together as well. These tools have the potential to help create a more collaborative work
environment and this was not discussed in this study.
Another topic for further research could explore why employees are not utilizing these
tools more often in their organizations. The study showed that although a significant amount of
30
people have tried these tools for internal communication purposes, and they seem to have a
positive perception about them, they are still not utilizing these tools frequently to communicate
with other employees and they do not prefer to use these methods over others.
Additionally, because only 23.6 percent of the participants who are not using these tools said
they would like to use them in the future for communicating with their peers, future studies could
dig a lot deeper into the reason behind this finding.
Conclusion
This study used survey research to look into employee’s perceptions on social media use
in organizations as well as how employees are currently utilizing social media. The literature
review showed that there were many benefits of using computer-mediated-communication for
internal communication purposes and that it can help enhance communication among employees.
It appears that the majority of participants utilize social media in their personal lives and many
are using these tools in their workplaces as well. These participants have a positive perception of
social media and the effect that it can have on communication similar to the findings in chapter
2; however, there seems to still be apprehension about using these tools as a form of internal
communication because participants are not utilizing them for internal communication very
often.
Even though participants believe that social media helps enhance communication and
they do believe these sites and tools are user friendly, for some reason they are not utilizing these
tools very often in the workplace. Furthermore, study did not find a significant number of people
that are eager to utilizing these tools that aren’t already doing so, even though they reported
being open to trying new forms of communication.
31
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35
Appendix A: Letter to Prospective Participants in Organizations
Dear (Name),
I am a student in the Masters in Communication and Leadership Studies program through Gonzaga University and am currently working on my thesis. My topic is focused on social media use in organizations as a form of internal communications. In order to gather the information for my study, I am conducting a survey and was wondering if you and your staff would be willing to participate? I am hoping to have a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and skills participate in the survey. The survey should take no more than 5 to 10 minutes to complete. If you would like to take part in this survey, you can do so by clicking on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8T37BKB. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. Your participation would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Holly Harris
36
Appendix B: Survey
Confidentiality Statement:
Participation in this study is completely voluntary. If you would like to participate, information gathered from your completed survey will be used only for the purpose of gathering information for this study on employee’s perceptions towards social media use in organizations for internal
communication and collaboration efforts.
Thank you in advance for your willingness to participate.
1. Have you ever used a social media tool as a form of communication in your personal
activities? Social media tools may include blogs, wiki’s photo sharing tools, etc.
a. yes
b. no
2. If you use(d) social media tools in your personal activities, how much do you agree
with the following statement? “These tools help(ed) enhance communication with
others in my personal activities.”
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. agree slightly
d. neither agree nor disagree
e. disagree slightly
f. disagree
g. strongly disagree
37
3. How often do you visit social media networking sites in your personal activities?
Social media networking sites may include FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.
a. all the time
b. often
c. occasionally
d. almost never
e. never
4. Have you ever used a social media tool as a form of internal communication in your
organization?
a. yes
b. no
5. If you use(d) social media tools in your organization, how much do you agree with
the following statement? “ These tools help(ed) enhance the flow of communication
in my organization.”
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. agree slightly
d. neither agree nor disagree
e. disagree slightly
f. disagree
g. strongly disagree
6. How often do you visit social media networking sites as a part of internal
communication efforts?
38
a. all the time
b. often
c. occasionally
d. almost never
e. never
7. If you are not using social media as a form of internal communication in your
organization, would you like to in the future?
a. yes
b. maybe
c. unsure
d. no
8. Which method do you use most often in your organization to communicate
internally?
a. face-to-face
b. phone
c. email
d. social media tools
e. Other ________________________
9. Which method do you prefer for communicating internally in your organization?
a. face-to-face
b. phone
c. email
d. social media tools
39
e. other _________________________
10. How often do you use each of the following communication methods in your
organization?
a. face-to-face
i. all the time
ii. often
iii. neutral
iv. almost never
v. never
b. email
i. all the time
ii. often
iii. neutral
iv. almost never
v. never
c. phone
i. all the time
ii. often
iii. neutral
iv. almost never
v. never
d. social media tools
i. all the time
40
ii. often
iii. neutral
iv. almost never
v. never
11. How satisfied are you with the following communication methods in your
organization?
a. face-to-face
i. completely satisfied
ii. satisfied
iii. neutral
iv. not satisfied
v. not satisfied at all
b. email
i. completely satisfied
ii. satisfied
iii. neutral
iv. not satisfied
c. phone
i. completely satisfied
ii. satisfied
iii. neutral
iv. not satisfied
d. social media tools
41
i. completely satisfied
ii. satisfied
iii. neutral
iv. not satisfied
12. Overall, how satisfied are you with the flow of communication in your organization?
a. very satisfied
b. satisfied
c. neutral
d. not satisfied
e. not satisfied at all
13. How technologically savvy do you believe you are?
a. very savvy
b. savvy
c. neutral
d. not savvy
e. not savvy at all
14. How open are you to trying new methods of communication in your organization?
a. completely open to the idea
b. open to the idea
c. neutral
d. somewhat open to the idea
e. not open to the idea
42
15. How much do you agree with the following statement? “ I believe social media tools
can help enhance internal communication in my organization.”
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. agree slightly
d. neither agree nor disagree
e. disagree slightly
f. disagree
g. strongly disagree
16. If you have ever used social media tools, how much do you agree with the following
statement? “ Social media tools are user friendly.”
a. strongly agree
b. agree
c. agree slightly
d. neither agree nor disagree
e. disagree slightly
f. disagree
g. strongly disagree
17. If you have ever accessed a social media networking site, how much do you agree
with the following statement? “ In general, social media networking sites are user
friendly.”
a. strongly agree
b. agree
43
c. agree slightly
d. neither agree nor disagree
e. disagree slightly
f. disagree
g. strongly disagree
18. Which age category are you in?
a. 29 or younger
b. 30-39
c. 40-49
d. 50-59
e. 60 or older
19. Which of the following industries most closely relates to your work?
a. healthcare
b. government services
c. tourism
d. real estate
e. food & beverage
f. entertainment
g. hospitality
h. technology
i. agriculture
j. natural resources
k. retail
44
l. transportation
m. education
n. construction
o. other ____________________________________
20. Approximately how many people work within your organization?
a. under 30
b. 31-60
c. 61-150
d. 150 – 250
e. 250 or more
21. What position do you currently hold in your organization?
_________________________________________________
