Administrating social media: The significance of managers

Abstract

As social media and online communities of practice are becoming significant organizational arenas in the public service, it is important to study content uploaded to these communities, the dynamics of conversations that they host, and their perceived effect. Much literature about such communities describes them as environments based on user-generated content, while the role of their management is frequently overlooked. This study shifts the focus from community members to managers, and demonstrates the centrality of managers in terms of content production, initiation of and contribution to discussions, requesting and providing information and assistance. The discussion justifies a novel and more nuanced view of communities of practice not as arenas of user-generated content, but rather as environments based on interplay and interactions between members and managers.