Recent empirical evidence has shown how social media has a place in business affairs. The utility of LinkedIn as an enabler of free movement in the labor market is quite well known. LinkedIn is a straightforward case, for it was designed to function as a professional networking site. The value to businesses of Twitter and Facebook are not that clear cut, in fact they were first perceived to be detrimental to the bottom line. But in recent years more number of CEOs has an active Twitter account, just as every company of note sees it as mandatory to have a professionally managed Facebook page. These developments suggest that social media has decidedly grown up and gone to work. A salient question at this point is if it has benign consequences for R&D and innovation within the organization.
The educational philosophy of constructivism:
There is a general consensus among trainers and managers are to embrace social media whole heartedly. For those leaders who are still undecided on taking the plunge, they can consider the following rationale. For example, if the training department is part of an industry that typically lags behind in the use of technology, social media may present an even larger opportunity for learning professionals to take leadership roles. The decision makers can look at the situation in terms of the philosophy of constructivism. In simple terms, constructivism
“allows an instructor to guide students toward multiple sources of knowledge, rather than acting as the only source of knowledge. It also acknowledges that adult students often come to an educational environment having already accumulated a significant amount of knowledge. Allowing students to apply concepts and technologies in vitro will enhance the class and provide learner-to-learner interaction. Online interactions can take place after the formal learning experience and are a practical and ongoing way to apply constructivism in technical training.” (Bixby, 2010)
Conclusion:
Hence, in today’s competitive business environment, it is imperative for mutli-national companies to adopt social media strategies for external and internal communication. These communication avenues can play a pivotal part in overall business development, as their utility extends far beyond marketing products and services. Within the organization, the social capital is enhanced by integrating social media into conventional channels of communication, as this boosts morale and solidarity around the company’s vision, brand and purpose. (Naslund, 2010)
References
- Bender, D., & Genson, J. (2012). Connect, Network, Create, Share, and Be Productive with Social Media Tools. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 85(1), 19+.
- Bixby, D. W. (2010, July). To Be Continued: Using Social Media for Training Conversations: Entering the Unchartered Frontier of Social Networking Can Be Unnerving. Follow These Simple Steps to Use Social Media as the Tool to Continue Learning Conversations in Your Organization. T&D, 64(7), 30+.
- Brydon, D. (2010). Social Media’s Research Potential. English Studies in Canada, 36(4), 22+.
- Naslund, A. (2010, September-October). Social Media from the Inside Out: Building Internal Networks for Employees Can Improve Processes, Generate New Ideas and Create a Greater Sense of Community. Communication World, 27(5), 36+.
- The Revolution Will Be Shared: Social Media and Innovation. (2011). Research-Technology Management, 54(1), 64+.
- Zielinski, D. (2012, May). Group Learning: Use Social Media to Engage Employees in Knowledge Sharing. HRMagazine, 57(5), 49+.