Internal business communication through social media: A case study of a university specialized in business education

Abstract

In present era, usage of social media is very common. This study used interview questionnaire to explore employees’ behaviors and beliefs towards usage of social media and further its role and importance as an internal communication tool in Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China. Ten employees of university from different departments were interviewed about their views regarding different factors related to use of social media and further its role as an internal communication tool. It was found that the most frequently used social media were WeChat and QQ. ZJGSU University employees believed that social media were convenient, instant medium for communication (sharing pictures and videos) and they may enhance flow and effectiveness of internal communication in ZJGSU. The study found that although employees generally have a good perception about social media but there is need for improvement for either adopting a proper enterprise social media or proper utilization of WeChat for effective internal communication. As the sample size in this study was small so it limits generalization and external validity of the findings, yet its focus on the different factors and benefits of using social media integrates to its originality with the thought that social media may help enhance the flow and effectiveness of internal communication in an organization.