Impact Of Effective Social Networking In Achieving Organizational Goals

Introduction

1.1 Background of the study

Communication is at the heart of managing relations with their publics. Organization should develop the relationships with their publics. Organizations, inform customers about new products and prices that remind them of their existing products and attempting to make a positive impact on their perception of using different communication tools. Also organizations communicate with various other stakeholders such as employees, government, suppliers, brokers and investors in their efforts to manage relationships for mutual benefit. Until recently, the nature of the message tended mainly to be clear.

A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for analyzing the structure of whole social entities as well as a variety of theories explaining the patterns observed in these structures. The study of these structures uses social network analysis to identify local and global patterns, locate influential entities, and examine network dynamics.

Some authors classify social networks studies as a sub field of complexity theory because researchers try to explain nonlinear organisational value of the living systems by examining interactions between nodes (Hammond and Glenn, 2004). These main scientific fields of inquiry have generated some tools to understand structure, organisational value and change of the networks.

Social network theory has taken the attention of a considerable number of theorists, researchers and several individuals who deal with the pragmatic aspects of the theory. The research on the interactions patterns between the elements is a major field of study in natural sciences. The efforts to explain organisational value of sub atomic particles (quantum physics), genetic studies, neurology and the field of ecology all focus on the networks which emerge from the relationships between different elements. Complexity theory as a new version of general systems theory mainly focuses on how the interactions lead to emergence and self-organization of micro and macro level living systems (Holland, 1995).

Social network impact focuses on the data which come from the interactions of the actors instead of using a collection of data from independent organisational values of the actors (Parkhe, Wasserman and Ralston., 2006: 561). The relationships of the actors with each other are very important in social network impact, because these patterns define the communication paths which transfer the information between individuals, groups and organisational value (Monge and Contractor, 2001:441-442).

The social network is a theoretical construct useful to study relationships between individuals, groups, organizations, or even entire societies (social units, see differentiation).

Much of the work that gets done in organizations is done through informal networks as well. Networks serve three important functions. First, they deliver private information. Second, they allow individuals to gain access to diverse skills sets. Third, they can help create power.

Organizations can conduct a social network analysis (SNA), a systematic effort to examine the structure of social relationships in a group. Their purpose is to uncover the informal connections between people. SNA dates back to 1934 when Joseph Moreno introduced the tools of sociometry.

Interactions of staffs in an organization goes a long way to enhance their level of productivity. When employees maintain good and cordial inter-personal relationships with fellow staffs, they tend to communicate values, help each other in their daily task and seek means of making sure that the day-to-day running of the firm is achieved and this necessitates the achievement of the organizational goals.

From a social networking stance to establish social relationships among intelligent objects, a new paradigm, social internet of things (SIoT), is recently proposed. By improving the level of trust between objects that are “friends” with each other, objects can start new acquaintances, exchange information, exploit other objects’ capabilities and collaborate toward a common objective (Atzori et al., 2014; Kang et al., 2014). Although the vision of SIoT is appealing, as a new concept, many of the feathers, benefits and challenges of SIoT are not well understood. Fortunately, most of SIoT characteristics are similar to those observed in social networks of humans (Atzori et al., 2012). Work-related advantages focus on strengthening professional and personal ties, promoting knowledge sharing and resource locating. Prior studies have provided exploratory insights into the capability of social network. However, their adoption in the workplace remains controversial.

Most organizations have ignored the potency of communication among staffs and has made the office environment to be to officious that employees hardly interact with each other in unofficially in the working environment. This in-turn has affected their after work life-style where they hardly relate with their superiors in a casual way sometimes. The negligence of social networking in organizations has led to many skilled employees with strategies that could help the organization to hide behind the bar and only keep repeating routine of working from Monday to Friday weekly without bringing up new ideas that will help take the organization to a greater height, due to there was no room for ideas-sharing and communication among staffs. Bureaucracy has taken over the operation of organizations that an employee will always find it difficult to relate his/her ideas to the superiors due to the processes involved to do so. With proper social networking in an organization, workers will find room to relate with their superiors properly during and after working hours.

1.2 Statement Of Problem

Social media is a platform through which people connect or collaborate with one another inside and outside the organizations (Daowd, 2016, p. 33). Social media not only provides a complete knowledge management but also provides very simple and flexible tools to the management (Cao & Ali, 2018, p. 70). Currently, the available social media applications (e.g. Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn) are playing an important role in human interaction within organizations. Employees use online applications at workplace because these applications brings efficiency in operations.

Social media has become an important need for organizational design in this competitive environment (Kane, 2017a). Organizations may face opportunities, threats, weaknesses and strengths owing to use of social media (Kane, 2017a; Tajudeen, Jaafar, &Ainin, 2018). For instance, social media provides opportunity in terms of uploaded information may be beneficial for the organization. On the other hand, it may become a threat, competitors may use shared information. Similarly, social media can be weakness for the organizations when it negatively affects its productivity. Social media may become the strength for the organization when it is used to develop a relationship and used to build the capacity of the employees. Even though social media plays an important role on an employees’ job performance, minor importance was given to the use of social media at workplace.

Social media usage at the workplace increases the capacity of the employees (Fusi& Feeney, 2016). Since employees use social media for their personal and official activities at workplace; they get more knowledge and increase their ability related to their work by using social media. Furthermore, integrated social media at workplace reduces the workload and increases the usefulness of social media (Fusi& Feeney, 2016, p. 6). This advantage drives the organizations to develop a deeper understanding of social media platforms and use it effectively (Betsy A. Pudliner, Eric T. Brey, &Hyeong-Gyu Choi, 2015, p. 406) The effects of organizational structure on organizational effectiveness are the degree to which an organization achieves its objectives (Tran & Tian, 2013). Literature concludes that a formal structure is shaped in a dynamic environment which negatively affects organizational effectiveness (ibid). Companies that do not have the resources to invest in a large-scale for technology infrastructure, now have the opportunity to leverage multiple social media applications to participate in community building activities (Young, 2017, p. 45).

Although the concepts of social media, job performance and organizational structure have wider implications within the organizations, there is no conclusive evidence from previous research identifying the relationship among these variables. Therefore, this research aimed to fulfil the identified gap and provides practical implications to the practitioners. Hence, this study seeks to investigate the impact of Effective Social Networking in Achieving Organizational Goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The primary objective of this study is to examine the Impact of Effective Social Networking in Achieving Organizational Goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja. Specifically, the study seeks to:

Examine the level of awareness and utilization of social networking in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja.

Examine employers’ perception towards the use of social networking in achieving organizational goals

1.4 Research Hypothesis

The following hypothesis was formulated;

HO1: There is no significant impact of effective social networking on achieving organizational goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja

1.5 Significance Of Study

In its current form, internet is primarily a source of communication, information and entertainment, but increasingly, it also acts as a vehicle for commercial transactions. Since the explosion of the web as a business medium, one of its primary uses has been for marketing. Soon, the web could become a critical distribution channel for the majority of successful enterprises. One among them is marketing and spreading brand communication through Social networking sites (Thompson, 2002).

Social networking websites are online communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. They typically provide a variety of ways for users to interact, through chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file-sharing, blogging and discussion groups. As World Wide Web grew in popularity, social networking moved to web-based applications. In 2002, social networking era really started. In 2006, anyone with an email address could sign up in social networking sites (Zarrella, 2010).

Now advertisers target more over to these media due to high rush in varsity of audiences. So they hire this as the ideal platform to communicate their brand and create an effective brand identity through highly effective and interactive communication strategy. Most of the advertisers present their ads in interactive form so that people tend more to check them and gain a little knowledge about the product. There are various forms of brand communication available in social networking sites.The effective way of brand communication present in these networking sites would be significant and beneficial to companies and other social entities.