Title: The role of social media in supporting knowledge integration: A social capital analysis
Authors: Xiongfei Cao & Xitong Guo & Hefu Liu & Jibao Gu
Day: 23
Month: November
Year: 2013
Introduction:
The present study by author elucidates that next generation of internet centered information architecture is grounded upon Internet of things. And IOT to intensify in IT sector knowledge integration is very vital. The author writes how the social media can be beneficial in knowledge integration. From social capital outlook, how social media can be supportive in knowledge sharing. Social capital is the association among individuals to social networks (McDonnell, 2004). Social networks on the internet springs Social internet of things. SIoT and social network of smart objects is relatively same (Kowshalya, & Valarmathi, 2017). Information technology is not the only source to manage the knowledge, but it also influenced by the human behavior. Humans are also accountable for knowledge management and knowledge integration with the help of social capital. Benefit of investing in social capital is that it extends our viewpoint (Madara, 2012). The context in which this research has been made is to proof the hypothesis that social media plays a vital role in knowledge enhancement and social media is a knowledge management system. The study done shows the positive perception of social capitalism.
Summary:
Knowledge cannot be operative un till it is essentially applied. The core of knowledge application is the integration of the knowledge. It is enlightened that social media is a knowledge management system. The study is based upon the Social capital theory that what is its influence on knowledge management.
Social networking is the mechanism used for knowledge integration. Knowledge growth is dependent upon the trust between the people who interact, shared language and social networking. It is stated that how social media at work helps to increase interactions between same mindsets. Social media is the medium to increase social networking. As stated by Lin, Le, Khalil, & Cheng, (2012) online activities like social networking are getting popular around the globe these days. Social networking and knowledge sharing are the medium to create stronger ties amongst the employees. As per Oktavia, Warnars, & Adi, (2017) “Sharing represents the extent to which users exchange, distribute, and receive object”. Organizations can facilitate the knowledge sharing process with the help of social media. (Oktavia, Warnars, & Adi, 2017).
The first leg of hypothesis model reflects the bond between social media use at work, trust, networking via social media and communal language and how social media at work insinuation varies with aforementioned variables. The writer has used trust, shared language and social networking as variables to determine if they have positive or negative relation with the knowledge integration. The model has been justified with the aid of data collected and backed up with the help of stats. Trust is the main factor in social internet of things as SIoT theory is based upon Social capital which is founded on Social media and social media is in proportion with knowledge sharing management and interactions. Behavior of the objects is driven by the social trust levels. The calculation of social trust is based on friendship, community of people with similar interests, reputation and similarity. (Kowshalya, & Valarmathi, 2017). It is suggested that shared language upsurges the interaction and social media boosts the shared language hypothesis. Social networking is reliant on trust and shared language.
The second leg of hypothesis divulges if the mediated variables have positive or negative relation with knowledge integration.
Free flow of valid information among the colleagues is serious operation in an organization. (Rutten, Blaas-Franken, & Martin, 2016). Free flow of information implies to the trust between co-workers and trust levels add to the integration of information. Writer has also shown a positive relation between knowledge integration and trust. Trust deficiency among colleagues may hamper business processes as it may lead to bogus information handover among each other (Rutten, (2016). As mentioned by Tamjidyamcholo, Bin Baba, Tamjid, & Gholipour., (2013). Participant’s ability to assimilate the fragments of information they have collected via social mediums and acquaintances can be increase via shared language. Similar thoughts have been shared in the study that shared language adds to knowledge integration.
Analysis and results:
The measurements of Variables (Trust, knowledge management systems, shared language, social media etc) have been derived from multiple models as referenced in the article and data was collected based on questionnaire survey. The participants involved were of different age groups experience and positions that determines the integrity of the data collected. The results drawn out of the stats are offered objectively and are in accordance with the subject of study. The aim was to prove the hypothesis (Explained above) with the help of physical data collection. To measure the results Composite reliability and cronbach’s alpha techniques are used to draw the results which are to measure internal consistency of items related as a group. Data composed has been mapped to the measurement model and the results are shared with the facts.
Analysis shows that social networking does not adds to knowledge integration while shared languages are strongest to do so. The Results proves that common language is of utmost importance in business continuity as it functions as a medium though with people interact, discuss and handshake information (Nahapiet, & Ghoshal, 1998).
As per Rutten, (2016) low trust means low amount if information shared as compared to high trust which means high amount of information is sahred. Results show that trust is also a very strong factor that plays a vital role in social networking and knowledge integration.
Conclusion:
Social media it not deemed to be a medium of knowledge management however the study reveals that it has the potential to support knowledge integration. Social networking is depicted to be a medium to know other person better thus social networking also has positive relation with knowledge integration. However as per Kühnel, Vahle-Hinz, De Bloom, & Syrek, (2017) Social media usage in work environment is usually considered not to be a productive behavior and can squeeze the productivity however it helps employees to cope work-non work balance. Lin et al,. (2012) controverts this and states that social media creates problems in workplaces. Similar thoughts have been shared by Cao, Guo, Vogel, & Zhang, (2016) That Social media add to the reduction of efficiency and increases disturbance.
Understanding becomes informal where common language comes into the picture.
As cited by Tamjidyamcholo, Bin Baba, Tamjid, & Gholipour., (2013) in his article that
A communal language incorporates perceptions and ideas, which are wider than the language itself. (Lesser & Storck, 2001)
Trust is also the imperative factor for social collaborations on social media and has proved to be a knowledge integration tool.
References
Cao, X., Guo, X., Vogel, D., & Zhang, X. (2016). Exploring the influence of social media on employee work performance. Internet Research, 26(2), 529-545.
Kowshalya, A., & Valarmathi, M. (2017). Trust Management in the Social Internet of Things. Wireless Personal Communications, 96(2), 2681-2691. doi:10.1007/s11277-017-4319-8
Kühnel, J., Vahle-Hinz, T., De Bloom, J., & Syrek, C. (2017). Staying in touch while at work: Relationships between personal social media use at work and work-nonwork balance and creativity. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1-27. doi:10.1080/09585192.2017.1396551
Lin, J., Le, A., Khalil, S., & Cheng, J. (2012). SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AND WORK VALUES: THE EXAMPLE OF FACEBOOK IN TAIWAN. Social Behavior and Personality, 40(2), 195-200.
Madara, J. (2012). Social Capital. Juniata Voices, 12, 145-148.
McDonnell, B. (2004). What is social capital. Sociology Review, 13(3), 29-31.
Nahapiet, J., & Ghoshal, S. (1998). Social capital, intellectual capital, and the organizational advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(2), 242-266.
Oktavia, T., Warnars, H., & Adi, S. (2017). Integration Model of Knowledge Management and Social Media for Higher Education. TELKOMNIKA, 15(2), 678-685. doi:10.12928/TELKOMNIKA.v15i2.3491
Rutten, W., Blaas-Franken, J., & Martin, H. (2016). The impact of (low) trust on knowledge sharing. Journal of Knowledge Management, 20(2), 199-214. doi:10.1108/JKM-10-2015-0391
Tamjidyamcholo, Bin Baba, Tamjid, & Gholipour. (2013). Information security – Professional perceptions of knowledge-sharing intention under self-efficacy, trust, reciprocity, and shared-language. Computers & Education, 68, 223-232. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.05.010
Azhar's blog 