Seminar: Dan Smith, "Organizational Climate and Social Media Use" (4/2/2009)

     This research (1) gathered data from a sample of employees on their social media practices and the social media policies of their employers and (2); investigated how blogging and other social media added to a model of organizational climate that promotes (a) knowledge sharing and exchange, cooperation, and (b) trust in peers and management. The research integrated theories of social capital, trust, organizational climate, and knowledge sharing to test claims that social media add value to firms in social dimensions above and beyond knowledge sharing.  Modest but statistically significant associations of social media use, trustworthiness of employees and management, cooperation, and knowledge sharing were found.  An hypothesis that social media use would fit a specific model incorporating organizational climate and knowledge sharing and combination was not supported.  The overwhelming effect of trust in organizational climate was reaffirmed.

       Even employees who had very little social media use recognized the benefits from social networking related to work.  The sample of respondents came from a wide range of industries and not specifically from socially media active firms so the findings may be robust. Some evidence was found that the length of time in years that an organization has had social media correlates with better organizational climate ratings. Guidance on the practice of social media use in companies:  A little goes a long way.