The role of enterprise social networking in the measurement and management of competences

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine how enterprise social networking (ESN) measures and manages competences and the impact of this on the development of a holistic performance management and measurement system (PMMS).Design/methodology/approachA multiple-case methodology was used to carry out a qualitative meta-analysis on published case studies from 32 multinational companies.FindingsIt was found that the use of ESN was supportive in the development of a holistic PMMS based on high maturity in performance measurement and democratic and participative approach in performance management.Practical implicationsThe study shows ways in which ESN implementation can be used in PMMS to transform individual competences into firm-specific competences, thus improving outcomes for the success of a business.Social implicationsThis study shows that ESN can be of value to the workforce in social terms by giving them an outlet for self-expression to promote their well-being.Originality/valueThis paper shows originality, in that it contributes to the research in support of the role of ESN in performance management and measurement and the effective inclusion of competences in a holistic PMMS.