Using Social Media for Workplace Communication: A Digital Resource Analysis

This digital resource analysis explores the use of social media for workplace communication through a review of 10 articles. The analysis covers the benefits and limitations of using social media, factors influencing its use, and its impact on employee relationships. Findings can be used to enhance communication strategies in organizations like Amazon.

Running head: DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS
use of social media for workplace communication

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 1
Table of Contents
Article 1.................................................................................................................................................2
Article 2.................................................................................................................................................3
Article 3.................................................................................................................................................4
Article 4.................................................................................................................................................5
Article 5.................................................................................................................................................6
Article 6.................................................................................................................................................7
Article 7.................................................................................................................................................8
Article 8:................................................................................................................................................9
Article 9...............................................................................................................................................10
Article 10.............................................................................................................................................11

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 2
Article 1
Key Words:
Social media, social networking, social business, team collaboration.
Citation:
Cardon, P. W., & Marshall, B. (2015). The hype and reality of social media use for work
collaboration and team communication. International Journal of Business
Communication, 52(3), 273-293.
Introduction:
This article describes the growing trend of an enterprise of adopting the social media to
increase the collaboration and positive communication among the team members.
Aims and Research Methods:
The author aims to understand the increasing adoption of social media networking platforms
in order to create a transparent work environment and enhance levels of overall
communication in the business.
Scope:
This article covers all the national and international level organizations who want to make use
of social media for improving communication system among the employees.
Usefulness:
The findings of this articles can be used by the researchers and practitioners for carrying out
the advanced research.
Limitations:
The limitations of the study include a vast inconsistency between the social media platforms
used by the professionals
Conclusions:
The findings of the analysis proved that traditional forms of communication were still more
prevalent. A vast majority preferred face to face scheduled meetings (89.4%) and phone calls

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 3
on their mobile phones (72.0%) over social media. The major skepticism towards the use of
social media platforms is indicative of cultural barriers.
Reflection:
This article is appropriate to find out the effect of using the social media at the workplace by
Amazon.
Article 2
Key Words:
Social media, Workplace, Attitudes.
Citation:
Andreassen, C. S., Torsheim, T., & Pallesen, S. (2014). Predictors of use of social
network sites at the work-a specific type of cyberloafing. Journal of Computer-
Mediated Communication, 19(4), 906-921.
Introduction:
This paper describes the change in employee's behavior due to the use of social networking
sites and other social media at during the working hours.
Aim and Research Methods:
The article is aimed at understanding if demographics, personality, and work-related
variables can explain a variance in attitude towards the use of social media in the workplace.
A survey of 1108 employees was conducted.
Scope:
This article covers the all the aspects of social media which affects the behavior of
individuals.
Usefulness:
The findings can be used by the management f Amazon to find the reason of decreasing or
poor performance of the workforce.
Limitations:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 4
The limitation of the study is that there are various other aspects to an individual’s
personality besides their demographics. These have not been considered.
Conclusion:
The paper concludes that excessive use of social media decreases the performance of the
employees and the level of job satisfaction.
Reflection:
The article can be used by the Amazon to enhance the use of social media for work
communication by making less stringent policies.
Article 3
Key Words:
Citation:
Treem, J. W., Dailey, S. L., Pierce, C. S., & Leonardi, P. M. (2015). Bringing
technological frames to work: How previous experience with social media shapes the
technology's meaning in an organization. Journal of Communication, 65(2), 396-422.
Introduction:
This research examines worker’s expectations regarding the use of enterprise social media.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author conducted interviews with 58 employees in an organization. Their views
regarding ESMs were evaluated as opposed to traditional communication channels. The study
was conducted in an American financial company.
Scope:
Findings included a lot of acceptance towards the use of ESMs within the workplace.
Usefulness:
From the article, Amazon can be recommended to use different communication channels for
different purposes.
Limitations:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 5
The research was limited to a small sample and hence the results may not be applicable to
employees from another industry.
Conclusions:
The article concludes that interpretations of the technology can be shifted over the time in
different ways for a number of individuals.
Reflection:
The article is based on the primary research which increases the reliability of the information
provided related to the topic.
Article 4
Key Words:
Motivation, Enterprise Resources, Social Media Engagement.
Citation:
Razmerita, L., Kirchner, K., & Nielsen, P. (2016). What factors influence knowledge
sharing in organizations? A social dilemma perspective of social media communication.
Journal of Knowledge Management, 20(6), 1225-1246.
Introduction:
The article includes the information about the factors includes in the process of knowledge
sharing.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author aims to identify the factors which influence knowledge sharing in an organization.
Author has conducted a literature review for secondary research and a survey of 114
participants have been conducted for primary research.
Scope:
The report is limited to the study of medium level organizations.
Usefulness:
Amazon must create a culture of sharing information within the workplace and propagate the
use of ESMs.

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 6
Limitations:
There is a lack of analysis of the literature review and theories of the organization in this
regard.
Conclusion:
The research concludes that drivers of sharing information within the workplace are
contentment towards helping others, monetary rewards, management support, encouragement
and inculcation of a knowledge sharing culture in the workplace
Reflection:
The article suggests a different type of approaches to overcome form the ethical dilemma of
using social media.
Article 5
Key Words:
Social media, International Union Communications.
Citation:
Panagiotopoulos, P., & Barnett, J. (2015). Social Media in Union Communications: An
International Study with UNI Global Union Affiliates. British Journal of Industrial
Relations, 53(3), 508-532.
Introduction:
This article assesses the use of social media in union communications.
Aim and Research Methods:
A survey with of 149 respondents has been conducted. All of these 149 unions are affiliated
by the UNI global union.
Scope:
The article contains the information about international organizations which increase the
scope of the application of the findings.
Usefulness:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 7
Amazon’s C-level leadership would have to put increasing efforts in order to create a culture
which propagates the use of social media for internal communication.
Limitations:
The study limits the small level organizations to adopt such strategies.
Conclusion:
The article concludes that there are high expectations from unions towards modernization.
Leaders also pressurize the use of social media for internal communication. Advantages such
as openness in communication and transparent sharing of knowledge were witnessed with the
use of social media.
Reflection:
This article is directly linked to the topic as this is based on the study of Global Union
organizations.
Article 6
Key Words:
Enterprise Social Network, a professional services firm, usage, enablers.
Citation:
Chin, C. P. Y., Evans, N., & Choo, K. K. R. (2015). Exploring factors influencing the use
of enterprise social networks in multinational professional service firms. Journal of
Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 25(3), 289-315.
Introduction:
The research focuses on the factors which influence the employees to use Social media at the
time of work.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author aims to identify the factors influencing employee's decisions to use ESN in their
workplace. Case studies from two multinational firms have been analyzed and primary
research has been conducted
Scope:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 8
The report covers all the departments and the number of influences at all the levels.
Usefulness:
On the basis of the findings, Amazon must also foster the use of ENS and encourage healthy
discussions on social media platforms.
Limitations:
The article is based only in the analyses of the two companies.
Conclusion:
The factors that predominantly influence the use of ESN depends on the leadership attitude,
technological understanding of the employees and openness of communication. Over 85% of
the employees agreed that they prefer ESNs when they need to discuss something.
Reflection:
This article is appropriate for the management of Amazon to find out the organizational
forces for using the social media at the workplace.
Article 7
Key Words:
Enterprise social network sites, social media, affordances.
Citation:
Ellison, N. B., Gibbs, J. L., & Weber, M. S. (2015). The use of enterprise social network
sites for knowledge sharing in distributed organizations: The role of organizational
affordances. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(1), 103-123.
Introduction:
The article describes the future of ENS in context with the present conditions in the
international organizations.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author aims to identify the future potential of ENS in the workplace. Managers and
leaders were interviewed from 32 organizations in Australia.

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 9
Scope:
The article covers all the potential areas of using ENS in near future.
Usefulness:
Amazon must also focus on introducing newer strategies to use social media within the
business.
Limitations:
The article limits the reader’s ability to think more about the present implications of ENS.
Conclusion:
The article concludes that the use of ENS can largely be used to communicate not just within
the organization but also with other stakeholders of the business
Reflection:
The article is useful in developing an understanding of the effective use of ENS.
Article 8:
Key Words:
Communication, social media, twitter.
Citation:
Enli, G. (2017). Twitter as arena for the authentic outsider: exploring the social media
campaigns within organizations. European Journal of Communication, 32(1), 50-61.
Introduction:
The article describes the role of Twitter in context with the use of social media at the
workplace.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author aims to understand the importance as well as the use of Twitter in the workplace.
A literature review was conducted through case studies of three organizations and primary
research was conducted by interviewing 75 employees.
Scope:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 10
The scope is limited to the study of three organizations only.
Usefulness:
Amazon too can use Twitter and the hashtag culture in order to introduce and foster internal
campaigns.
Limitations:
The research is limited to Twitter and does not identify the contribution of other factors
behind these campaigns.
Conclusion:
The findings depicted that various social, technological and even political campaigns have
been introduced and have gone viral within organizations.
Reflection:
The research also indicates that such campaigns helped in improving organizational culture
and enhancing unity among employees.
Article 9
Key Words:
Employee relationships, conflicts, social media.
Citation:
McDonald, P., & Thompson, P. (2016). Social media meditation and the reshaping of
public/private boundaries in employment relations. International Journal of
Management Reviews, 18(1), 69-84.
Introduction:
This article emphasis on identifying the changing relationships due to the use of social media.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author aims to understand the impact of social media meditation on employee relations.
This article has been written after conducting a thorough literature review about the ill effects
of social media.
Scope:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 11
The article covers all the aspects of social media that influence the relations of employees at
the workplace.
Usefulness:
The leaders of organizations like Amazon, can monitor ENS communications and ensure that
the platform is being used to conduct positive communication.
Limitations:
The study is not capable to judge the negative impacts of such concept.
Conclusion:
The findings conclude that using social media for communication within the workplace
creates conflicts and disrupts employee relationships.
Reflection:
The paper states that excessive use of social media in business disrupts employee
relationships and leads to internal conflicts.
Article 10
Key Words:
Professional, personal, experiences, learnings.
Citation:
Donelan, H. (2016). Social media for professional development and networking
opportunities in academia. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 40(5), 706-729.
Introduction:
This article provides the benefits of using social media in the professional as well as the
personal lives of the employees.
Aim and Research Methods:
The author tries to understand the use of social media for personal learning, networking, and
professional development. A survey of 150 people was conducted and the results were
analyzed.
Scope:

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 12
The article covers the opinions of the employees from different sectors which increases the
reliability of the results.
Usefulness:
The findings can be used to analyze the need for using social media in the organizations.
Limitations:
The survey was conducted among the professionals only and not includes the opinions of
their family members.
Conclusion:
The findings conclude that over 82% of people felt that social media has enhanced their
professional network and has helped them improve their abilities. 67% of people feel that
their presence on social media keeps them more aware.
Reflection:
Amazon too can enhance its social media presence and recommend employees to connect
with stakeholders on social media platforms in order to enhance their connections.

DIGITAL RESOURCE ANALYSIS 13