Business Communication Report: Digital Communication Strategy Analysis

This report delves into the realm of business communication, focusing on the effective implementation of digital communication strategies within organizations. The report begins with an introduction that highlights the importance of digital communication in modern workplaces, emphasizing the need for efficient information sharing and decision-making processes. It explores the use of social media as a key component of a digital communication strategy, detailing how platforms can improve internal communication, foster employee engagement, and facilitate knowledge sharing. The report also examines various communication tools, such as social intranet software, private messaging, and issue-tracking software, and their impact on workplace motivation and collaboration. Through an analysis of academic sources, the report underscores the significance of integrating these tools to overcome organizational barriers and enhance overall business performance. The conclusion synthesizes the findings, advocating for the strategic adoption of digital communication strategies, particularly social media, to drive positive outcomes such as improved workforce efficiency and higher employee engagement.

Running head: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Business communication
Name of student
Name of University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Use of social media to communicate within the workplace............................................................3
Communication tools.......................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The report is prepared to discuss about the various aspects of enabling digital
communication and implementing an effective digital communication strategy to foster the
communication process and manage sharing and exchange of information and messages
conveniently. There are various sources that will be assessed including multiple articles,
documents and academic journals to ensure that the digital communication is implemented
within the organization to improve the flow of information and make effective decisions for
achieving long term success in business (Leftheriotis & Giannakos, 2014). Various strategies
will be assessed, while only one proper strategy considering the use of social media in the
workplace can be the most useful for managing communication within the workplace.
Use of social media to communicate within the workplace
According to Collins, Shiffman & Rock (2016), the social media usage has brought huge
changes in the way communication process is managed at the organization along with how it has
improved the sharing and exchange of information and messages among people within the
organization. The social interaction is managed with the use of various software and internet
technologies to enable usage of mobile phone based text messaging and expand the scope for
customers to get attracted towards the business products and services (Collins, Shiffman & Rock,
2016). Collins, Shiffman & Rock (2016) also stated that the websites consisting of the social
networking components have been dominating the way of managing communication within the
workplace, which has also made the clients feel interested and knowledgeable about the products

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and services as well as share their useful views and opinions with others to influence their
purchasing behaviors too (Oliveira & Welch, 2013).
Cao et al. (2012) argued that due to changes in social interactions, the industry analysts
and business marketers have adopted this change or transformation to operate within the
competitive marketplace at present and in future as well. It has been found that the social media
platforms are used by organizations to improve the internal communication process and manage
social interaction by focusing on a issue and making consultations regarding it through chat
messages delivered through the social networks (Cao et al., 2012). As stated by Leonardi,
Huysman & Steinfield (2013), the web based platforms have enabled the employees to
communicate their messages and information to the coworkers and even broadcast those
messages to make everyone know about the various activities in business (Leonardi, Huysman &
Steinfield, 2013). The users could post, edit or even manage files linked with the business
aspects ad at the same time, spread those messages and information to a wider group of audience.
Gikas & Grant (2013) argued that the business organizations utilize the social networking
websites and also the micro blogging to enable service innovation achieved through social media
marketing and for fulfilling the sales service purpose. This has allowed the social networking
websites to manage the business web pages and improved the abilities of employees to interact
with each other within the workplace via public social media (Gikas & Grant, 2013). According
to Leonardi, Huysman & Steinfield (2013), the increase usage of online social networking by the
employees has helped in learning about the new staffs appointed though there are certain
restrictions as well such as the tensions created with the use of these sites and there might be
chances of leaking information , which could create complexity while maintaining the

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hierarchical structure and create boundary issues too. As stated by Treem & Leonardi (2013), the
social media utilization within the workplace has enhanced the scopes for gaining better
visibility, persistence and association between the workers, which are responsible for the creation
of value at work. The social media channels and networking websites have promoted better work
performance through the establishment of trust and loyalty among the employees by managing
proper communication between them via social networks (Treem & Leonardi, 2013). The
transfer of knowledge and information has been facilitated by trust and gaining positive mindset,
which improved the transfer of implicit knowledge rather than the transfer or exchange of
explicit knowledge.
Based on the statements made by Huang, Baptista & Galliers (2013), the social media has
created a positive impact on the internal communications by accomplishing the tasks collectively
by utilizing the strengths and capabilities of social media integrated within the enterprise system.
The social media technologies have mediated the presence of ES users and shaped the ways
users communication with each other and obtain relevant information about the impact of virtual
presence on the ES users (Huang, Baptista & Galliers, 2013). Subramaniam, Nandhakumar &
Baptista (2013), on the other hand, explored the various concepts of social network interactions
in the enterprise system, which has not only created a virtual presence, but also has enhanced the
level of interaction. It created ways or approaches by which the knowledge sharing has been
managed with the consideration of social capital dynamics, context collapse, network
interactions and support relationship development between the workers (Subramaniam,
Nandhakumar & Baptista, 2013).

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Communication tools
Often the organization’s workplace is bound to face certain barriers, which are needed to
be overcome with the use of various social media channels to overcome the challenges of
incorporating enterprise system in the daily work activities. The enterprise system mainly
integrates own logic and thinking with the organizational strategy, structure and culture, which
often neglects the actual work practices managed by the users (O’Meara, 2013). The differences
in work practices may result due to the lack of alignment with the way enterprise system has
been configured, which could also give rise to structural constraints and inappropriate working
styles. According to Oliveira & Welch (2013), the social media tools and techniques are
responsible for delivering interactive platforms through which the individuals working within the
organization and the communities can share information and messages, make discussions and
modify the user generated content for creating better users’ availability for managing the
communication within the workplace (Oliveira & Welch, 2013). As stated by Leftheriotis &
Giannakos (2014), the use of social media for obtaining personal benefits could make the
individuals lose a lot of time whereas within the workplace, with its proper utilization, the
performance of the workforce would improve. It has been found that the social media
transformed the entire way of managing changes in human actions and empowered individuals to
make innovation and share their skills, knowledge and expertise and work as an unit. The social
networks have improved and this has transformed the patterns of communication between
employees, thereby facilitated the user interactions enforced by the system and created scopes for
undertaking any collective action (Ellison, Gibbs & Weber, 2015). The use the digital social
media has helped in supporting dynamic interpersonal connections to accomplish the tasks and
business goals with ease and efficiency.

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Leonardi, Huysman & Steinfield (2013) also stated about the most innovative
communication tools responsible for enhancing the level of workplace motivation and keep
employees engaged altogether. The social intranet software could be beneficial, as stated by
Huang, Baptista & Galliers (2013), because of its reliability in breaking down the
communication aspects between employees and various departments consisting of the
employees. The private, group messaging and chat tools are used as collaboration tools and
techniques to bring teams together and create convenient ways of keeping track of the progress
(Leonardi, Huysman & Steinfield, 2013). The issue tracking software is another tool that has
gained rapid usage at present, because of its extensive features of managing internal
communications and has allowed the employees to submit a ticket required to be assigned to the
employees so that the issue is resolved within quick time (Caudill, 2015). The internal blogs are
considered as useful for processing the visual information and messages at a faster rate,
furthermore gain more traction and form engagement of employees to work collaboratively
within the workplace. The blogs are managed to provide info-graphics that are suited for the
marketing departments to make the employees understand about the business activities and with
the visual appeal, it can communicate information and messages more deliberately and
effectively (O’Meara, 2013).
Conclusion
The report was prepared to evaluate the various concepts of business communication
considering the various approaches that could be useful for managing proper communication and
increase the level of employee engagement within the workplace. The most important thing
considered here was the use of social media to manage communication among the employee

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within the workplace. There were other tools and techniques too such as the use of innovative
communication tools that could enhance the visual appeal through spreading information and
messages among the employees via blogs and forums for easy accessibility. The social intranet
also facilitated the internal process of communication, still the most effective had though been
the social media usage. This had not only enabled users to remain connected with each others,
but also improved the workforce efficiency through higher employee engagement and
accomplishment of tasks at a faster rate. Thus, it could be believed that the social media usage
could be the most effective communication strategy that should e implemented for improving the
communication process efficiency and ensure brining positive outcomes through enhanced
workforce performance.

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References
Cao, X., Vogel, D. R., Guo, X., Liu, H., & Gu, J. (2012, January). Understanding the influence
of social media in the workplace: An integration of media synchronicity and social
capital theories. In 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp.
3938-3947). IEEE.
Caudill, J. G. (2015). Employee Motivations for Workplace Learning and the Role of Elearning
in the Workplace. Internet Learning, 4(2), 4.
Collins, K., Shiffman, D., & Rock, J. (2016). How are scientists using social media in the
workplace?. PLoS One, 11(10), e0162680.
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.
Gikas, J., & Grant, M. M. (2013). Mobile computing devices in higher education: Student
perspectives on learning with cellphones, smartphones & social media. The Internet and
Higher Education, 19, 18-26.

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Huang, J., Baptista, J., & Galliers, R. D. (2013). Reconceptualizing rhetorical practices in
organizations: The impact of social media on internal communications. Information &
Management, 50(2-3), 112-124.
Leftheriotis, I., & Giannakos, M. N. (2014). Using social media for work: Losing your time or
improving your work?. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 134-142.
Leonardi, P. M., Huysman, M., & Steinfield, C. (2013). Enterprise social media: Definition,
history, and prospects for the study of social technologies in organizations. Journal of
Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(1), 1-19.
O’Meara, K. (2013). Research on faculty motivations for service learning and community
engagement. Research on service learning: Conceptual frameworks and assessment, 2,
215-243.
Oliveira, G. H. M., & Welch, E. W. (2013). Social media use in local government: Linkage of
technology, task, and organizational context. Government Information Quarterly, 30(4),
397-405.
Subramaniam, N., Nandhakumar, J., & Baptista, J. (2013). Exploring social network interactions
in enterprise systems: the role of virtual co‐presence. Information Systems Journal, 23(6),
475-499.
Treem, J. W., & Leonardi, P. M. (2013). Social media use in organizations: Exploring the
affordances of visibility, editability, persistence, and association. Annals of the
International Communication Association, 36(1), 143-189.

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