The Use of Enterprise Social Networks in Organizations from the Perspective of Generation Y in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The article presents the views of the Czech Generation Y on the use of enterprise social networks and their expectations and ideas about the use of communication methods or tools in the context of communication and collaboration in an organization. Emphasis is placed on the possibility of using enterprise social networks in the organizational context. The questionnaire survey that was conducted (838 respondents) completes the view of Czech managers on communication in organizations examined in the European Communication Monitor 2014. This research highlights the different ideas of representatives of Generation Y on personal and professional communication. The distinction lies between the communication methods they commonly use in private life or in the course of their studies and their perception of what methods are or will be used in organizational context for internal communication. Finally, the article discusses institutional resistance in implementing enterprise social networking in an organization. It follows from a broader discussion that an important determinant of success in implementing enterprise social networks is not only the willingness of ordinary employees to use them, but also that of managers. On the one hand, they want enterprise social networks to be used by their employees, but on the other hand, they do not want to use them themselves.