Enterprise Social Media Research Articles

Unraveling the psychological and behavioral consequences of using enterprise social media (ESM) in mitigating the cyberslacking

Our study addresses the understudied impact of enterprise social media (ESM) on employee productivity and performance. We explore the relationship between ESM use, interruption overload, psychological transitions, cyberslacking behavior, and work performance. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we hypothesize that frequent ESM use leads to interruption overload and subsequent psychological transitions, resulting in increased cyberslacking behavior and decreased work performance. We investigate the moderating role of ready-to-resume as a contextual intervention. Using multi-wave data (N = 349) and structural equation modeling, we test our hypotheses. Surprisingly, we find no significant association between psychological transitions and cyberslacking, warranting further exploration. However, we do observe a positive link between cyberslacking behavior and employee performance, highlighting its importance for organizations. We uncover a significant moderating effect of ready-to-resume, indicating that a clear pathway to resume interrupted tasks weakens the relationship between ESM use and interruption overload. Our study offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of ESM use, interruption overload, psychological transitions, cyberslacking behavior, and work performance. The paradoxical results open avenues for further investigation. For managers, our findings emphasize the need for a supportive work environment and strategies to facilitate prompt task resumption to manage cyberslacking effectively.

How enterprise social media affordances affect employee agility: a self-determination theory perspective

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate whether and how enterprise social media (ESM) affordances affect employee agility.Design/methodology/approachAdopting self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines a model in which the four ESM affordances (i.e. visibility, association, editability and persistence) impact employee agility through the three basic psychological needs satisfaction (i.e. perceived autonomy, perceived relatedness and perceived competence) of employees. Mplus 7.4 was used to analyze survey data gathered from 304 employees who used ESM in the workplace.FindingsThe authors’ findings show that all four ESM affordances contribute to perceived relatedness and perceived competence; visibility and association affordances also have positive impacts on perceived autonomy; and all three psychological needs satisfaction positively impact employee agility.Originality/valueFirst, this study adapted SDT to explore how ESM influences employee agility. Second, this study enriches the relevant research on the antecedents of employee agility and also provides new evidence and theoretical support for employee agility. Third, this study effectively expands the antecedents and outcomes of employee basic psychological needs satisfaction in the domain of ESM and agility.

Can Customer Participation Promote Supplier Green Innovation in the Social Media Environment? The Mediating Role of Green Dynamic Capability and the Moderating Role of Social Media Use

ABSTRACT Purpose The existing literature has emphasized the significance of guiding customers’ participation in innovation as a means for supplier enterprises to obtain innovation resources and enhance innovation performance. However, in the context of enterprise green innovation, there remains a need to investigate the impact of different forms of customer participation on supplier green innovation. Additionally, with the advent of Internet technology, numerous B2B enterprises are utilizing social media to engage with customers and foster enterprise innovation. However, the role of social media use in the relationship between customer participation and supplier green innovation has not been fully answered. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influence mechanism of customer participation on supplier enterprise green innovation in the social media environment, and to test the moderating effect of social media use. Methodology/Approach To achieve the research goals, a total of 500 survey questionnaires were distributed to the Chinese manufacturing enterprises industry in five province, and 338 valid questionnaires were collected. Data was analyzed using PLS-SEM modeling. Findings Among the three forms of customer participation, interactive information provision and online participation creation have a positive impact on enterprise green innovation. Compared with interactive information provision, the impact of online participation creation on green innovation is stronger, while user independent innovation has no significant impact on green innovation. In addition, in terms of mediating effect, green dynamic capability had a partial mediating role in the relationship between customer interactive information provision and green innovation and online participation creation and green innovation. In terms of the moderating effect, enterprise social media use had a positive moderating role in the relationship between interactive information provision and green dynamic capability and online participation creation and green dynamic capability. Originality/Value/Contribution This research made some important contributions. Firstly, customer participation in the social media environment is divided into three dimensions: interactive information provision, online participation creation and user independent innovation. The influence mechanism of customer participation on green innovation is further studied, and relevant literature on customer participation in innovation is enriched. Secondly, this paper empirically examines the mediating role of green dynamic capability in the relationship between customer participation and green innovation, which has received little attention in previous studies. Thirdly, the moderating effect of social media use on the influence mechanism of customer participation on green innovation is considered for the first time. On the one hand, the application of social media in the field of customer participation in innovation is promoted, and on the other hand, the understanding of the boundary mechanism between customer participation and green innovation is enhanced. Practical implications Enterprises should attach importance to the popularization and application of social media, and actively improve the functions of social media, guiding customers to participate in the process of enterprise green innovation by using social media platform, especially guiding customers to interactive information provision and online participation creation. In addition, in the process of guiding customer participation, enterprises should strive to cultivate their green dynamic capability, so as to make it a bridge connecting customer participation and enterprise green innovation.

Enterprise social media usage and social cyberloafing: an empirical investigation using the JD-R model

PurposeOne of the most important challenges confronting enterprise managers is that of controlling employees' social cyberloafing. The use of enterprise social media entails opportunities for cyberloafing. However, previous research on how enterprise social media use affects cyberloafing is rather limited. Using the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this paper proposes a research model to investigate the relationship between enterprise social media usage and employees' social cyberloafing behavior.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was performed to test the research model and hypotheses. Surveys were conducted in an online platform in China, generating 510 employees' data for analysis.FindingsFirst, both public social media and private social media used for work-related and social-related purposes have a positive effect on employees' job engagement. Further, job engagement has a negative effect on employees' social cyberloafing. Second, the use of public social media for work-related and social-related purposes has no effect on employees' emotional exhaustion. However, work-related private social media usage has a negative effect on employees' emotional exhaustion, and social-related private social media usage has a positive effect on employees' emotional exhaustion. Further, employees' emotional exhaustion has a positive effect on employees' social cyberloafing. Third, there are significant differences in the effects of enterprise social media on employees' social cyberloafing between male and female employees.Originality/valueFirst, this paper contributes to the social cyberloafing literature by establishing a relationship between enterprise social media usage and social cyberloafing in relation to the dual influence mechanism. Second, it contributes to the JD-R model by clarifying how the use of enterprise social media with different motivations affects social cyberloafing through a mediation mechanism, namely, an enabling mechanism and a burden mechanism. Third, this paper also contributes to the social cyberloafing literature by revealing the boundary condition, namely gender, between enterprise social media use and employees' social cyberloafing.

How do enterprise social media affordances affect knowledge sharing within project teams: the social cognitive theory view

PurposeThe use of enterprise social media (ESM) can promote knowledge sharing within project teams. However, the potential mechanism of ESM affordances influencing knowledge sharing has not been fully studied. This paper aims to develop a theoretical model to explore how individual psychological cognition and environmental factors affect ESM affordances.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical research using ESM applications was conducted in China, and 214 valid responses were collected for data analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling method was performed to test the theoretical model and hypotheses.FindingsThe results suggest the following implications: (1) the visibility, persistence, editability and association of ESM affordances all have a positive effect on the effectiveness of knowledge sharing in project teams. (2) The psychological safety and psychological empowerment of team members have a significant positive influence on ESM affordances. (3) The project task complexity positively moderates the positive effects which the visibility and association have on the effectiveness of knowledge sharing, and negatively moderates the positive relationship between the editability and knowledge sharing.Originality/valueBased on the social cognitive theory, this paper highlights the roles of psychological cognitive factors and project task context in the effect of ESM affordances having on knowledge sharing within project teams. Moreover, it provides valuable suggestions for project managers in project and knowledge management.

Investigating challenge and hindrance appraisals of enterprise social media use among hospitality employees: A technostress perspective

The enterprise social media (ESM) serves as a crucial means to enhance coordination within the organization. However, the impact of ESM is not always beneficial. This study examines the double-edged sword effect of ESM through investigating the impact of ESM technostressors on hospitality employees' post-adoption behaviors. Adopting a mixed-methods design, this study firstly identified five dimensions of ESM technostressors, and then empirically examined how and why ESM technostressors influence hospitality employees' routine use and innovative use behaviors of ESM. The effect of management support as the boundary condition is also investigated. Findings suggest that the persistence, work connectivity, and visibility of ESM promote hospitality employees' routine use and innovative use by facilitating challenge technostress appraisal, while role conflict and emotion interruption of ESM negatively influence hospitality employees’ routine use through enhancing hindrance technostress appraisal. Furthermore, management support can help mitigate the negative impacts of ESM technostressors.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Enterprise Social Media in Digital Economy: Research Hotspots and Trends

With the rise of the digital economy, new business models have expedited the progress of corporate digital transformation. The mobile internet era has made enterprise social media a popular tool for employee communication. Summarizing the development and trends of enterprise social media research is beneficial for identifying future research topics. This paper analyzes the literature from the Web of Science core collection database and employs CiteSpace software to develop a scientific knowledge map, providing a visual analysis of the literature on enterprise social media in the context of the digital economy. The paper presents the research hotspots and evolutionary paths of enterprise social media, thereby clarifying the future development trends in this field. The study reveals that there is a relatively limited amount of literature on this topic, and collaboration among authors is not strong. Most research is conducted by higher education institutions in China and the United States. The research hotspots revolve around the theme of enterprise social media, covering topics such as knowledge sharing, communication, and performance. The research themes have undergone a transition from singularity to diversity. Finally, this paper proposes future research prospects in three areas: the human–computer collaborative model against the backdrop of artificial intelligence, user privacy disclosure and protection, and the impact of enterprise social media usage on the mental and physical health of employees. These prospects aim to provide valuable insights for subsequent research endeavors.

The impact of enterprise social media usage on employee creativity: a self-regulation perspective

PurposeOrganizations have widely adopted enterprise social media (ESM) to improve employees' creativity. This study applies self-regulation theory to explore the role of feedback seeking in mediating the effects of work-oriented and social-oriented ESM usage on employee creativity.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was conducted on 219 working professionals in China – professionals that use ESM in respective organizations.FindingsResults show that both work-oriented and social-oriented ESM usage are positively associated with employee feedback inquiry and, subsequently, increased employee creativity. The findings also suggest that social-oriented ESM usage is positively related to employee monitoring, whereas employee feedback monitoring is not related to employee creativity.Research limitations/implicationsPractitioners and/or managers need to pay greater attention to the impact of work-oriented and social-oriented ESM usage on employee feedback seeking strategies and creativity. The low response rate is one of the limitations in this study, although the results of the test suggest that non-response bias is not a critical issue in this study.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the knowledge of feedback inquiry in explaining the effect of work-oriented and social-oriented ESM usage on employee creativity. The current study helps to extend the intervening mechanism in the relationship between ESM usage and employee creativity.

Motivations to use multifunctional public goods in organizations: using agent-based modeling to explore differential uses of enterprise social media

Abstract This work conceptualizes enterprise social media (ESM) as a multifunctional public good that both supports communication that connects users directly and allows users to contribute or access communal information. We show how differing motivations to use an ESM—connective or communal goals—interact with individuals’ perceptions of activity on a platform, and the consequences this has for individual participation decisions and the viability of the digital space. We begin with a case study of the adoption of an ESM platform within a single organization. We then apply findings from this case study, combined with broader theories of technology adoption, to create agent-based simulations. We show that the connective and communal aspects of an ESM complement each other and can spur adoption; we also identify the importance of information decay as a variable influencing collective adoption. We end with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of our results.

Employees’ proactiveness on enterprise social media and social consequences: An integrated perspective of social network and social exchange theories

This study delves into how employee proactiveness on enterprise social media can influence social outcomes at work, both positively and negatively. Drawing on social network and social exchange theories, we develop a model to understand how virtual proactiveness is perceived by leaders and coworkers. Using a round-robin design, we collected data from 281 respondents in 56 teams across three waves. The results show that affiliative and challenging proactiveness positively relate to leader-member and team-member exchanges. However, challenging proactiveness negatively affects team-member exchange, potentially leading to coworker envy. These findings shed light on the intricate social dynamics in remote working environments.

The impact of task characteristics on online group participation behavior: a study using information processing theory

PurposeIn the digital age, enterprise social media (ESM) use is becoming more prevalent in the workplace. The “group” function is a very important part in the use of ESM. This paper explores how the characteristics of employees' task requirements affect their group participation behaviors on the ESM.Design/methodology/approachBased on information processing theory, the authors establish a two-stage research model to explore the impact of task characteristics on employees' online group participation behavior in the context of ESM. Data were collected using a survey of 341 Chinese employees.FindingsThe results indicate that (1) task interdependence was positively correlated with participation in small closed groups; (2) task complexity was positively correlated with participation in small groups, large closed groups and open professional groups and (3) task non-routineness was positively correlated with participation in small groups, large closed groups and open professional groups.Originality/valueThis study builds on the literature on task characteristics, information processing theory and employees' online group participation behavior, contributing to the research on ESM in the field of information systems and providing guidance for enterprise practice.

Platforms for Expression: Enterprise Social Media and its Role in Employee Voicing Behaviors

Platforms for Expression: Enterprise Social Media and its Role in Employee Voicing Behaviors

How social networking ties mediate the associations between enterprise social media affordances and employee agility?

The rising diffusion of enterprise social media (ESM) platforms worldwide necessitates a deeper understanding of how specific ESM affordances impact contemporary performance parameters such as employee agility. Drawing motivation from the propositions of the affordance theory, social network theory, and the extended scholarly work on ESM, agility, and networking, we conceptualized a sequential model to determine how three ESM affordances—self-expression via microblogging, recognition via paralinguistic digital affordances (PDAs), and network externality—associate with two types of social networking ties (instrumental and expressive) and how these ties further associate with employee agility—measured through proactivity, adaptability, and resilience. Analysis of data collected from 318 Chinese professionals with experience using ESM in their workplaces revealed the following positive relationships: (a) PDAs and externality are associated with both instrumental and expressive ties, while microblogging is associated with expressive ties only; (b) instrumental ties are associated with proactivity, adaptability, and resilience, while expressive ties are associated with proactivity and resilience only; (c) instrumental ties mediate the relationships between PDAs and all agility dimensions, as well as between externality on the one hand and proactivity and resilience on the other; and (d) expressive ties mediate the relationships between the affordances and both proactivity and resilience. These findings yield valuable theoretical and practical insights.

Curvilinear relationship between social media use and job performance: a media synchronicity perspective

ABSTRACT An increasing number of employees are using social media for their daily work. But the relationship between social media use and job performance is controversial. To address this issue, this study explores the impact of different social media platform usage on job performance based on different usage purposes. The media synchronicity theory provides the theoretical foundation. Surveys were conducted in an Internet commerce company in China, generating 301 valid responses for analysis. The results showed that both work-related and social-related use of enterprise social media had a U-shape effect on job performance. Also, work-related use of general social media had a U-shape effect on job performance, whereas social-related use of general social media had no effect on job performance. These results offer insights about how organisations may guide their employees in their use of social media to improve job performance.

How Enterprise Social Media Shapes Employee Job Performance: A Technology Affordance Lens

The widespread permeation of social media platforms into organizations is changing the way employees communicate and work. To understand the role of enterprise social media in shaping employee job performance, we adopted the technology affordance lens to examine how various affordances of enterprise social media impact employee job performance. By conducting a multi-wave multi-source survey, we found that the association and visibility affordances of enterprise social media can enhance job performance via psychological empowerment, while the editability and persistence affordances of enterprise social media can improve job performance via structural empowerment. This study contributes new insights into the influence of enterprise social media on worker outcomes. The findings suggest that to achieve effective regulation and utilization of enterprise social media in the workplace, managers should pay more attention to its key affordances, besides the usage frequency and usage purpose of enterprise social media.

Does enterprise social media use in the post-acceptance stage improve employee autonomy? An information processing perspective

PurposeWith the prevalence of enterprise social media (ESM), this study examines how the innovative and routine ESM use behaviors in the post-acceptance stage influence the quality and quantity dimensions of information processing (i.e. information equality and information overload), subsequently affecting employee autonomy grounded in the digital information management theoretical (DIMT) framework. This study further explores the moderating effects of communication visibility on the relationships between employee autonomy and each of the two information processing factors.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed theoretical model was empirically validated using survey data of 266 knowledge workers that use ESM in a hybrid working context.FindingsThe results demonstrate that innovative and routine ESM use have different impacts on the quality and quantity dimensions of information processing, and information equality (quality dimension) improves employee autonomy as expected, but, surprisingly, information overloads (quantity dimension) as well. ESM communication visibility positively moderates the relationship between employee autonomy and each dimension of information processing.Originality/valuePrior studies on ESM use widely focused on ESM's positive and negative outcomes and the mechanisms from the perspectives of employees' psychological and cognitive reactions. How ESM use behaviors in the post-acceptance stage empower employee autonomy and allow organizations to leverage the organizations' information technology (IT) investments remains unclear. Drawing on the information processing perspective, this study provides a novel angle to examine how to leverage IT values that stem from ESM use by considering the complementary roles of active and passive information processing.

Analyzing the Impact of Enterprise Social Media on Employees’ Competency through the Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing

The research study examines the impact of enterprise social media (ESM) on employees’ competence through the mediating role of knowledge sharing and the moderating influence of information relevance. The study was conducted with 272 respondents working in various educational institutions in Multan City, Pakistan, using a structured questionnaire to collect data. The research findings indicate that enterprise social media positively affects employees’ competencies, and knowledge sharing plays a significant role in mediating this effect. The study also suggests that information relevance moderates the relationship between ESM and employees’ competencies, indicating that the association is stronger when information relevance is high. The research is based on the social capital theory, which proposes that trust, shared vision, and network ties can enhance employee competence and knowledge sharing. This theoretical framework emphasizes the importance of building organizational social connections to promote knowledge sharing and employee competence. The study highlights the potential benefits of using ESM in organizations to enhance employees’ competencies through improved knowledge sharing. It also emphasizes the importance of information relevance in determining the effectiveness of ESM in promoting employee competence. The findings of this study have practical implications for organizations seeking to leverage ESM to improve their employees’ skills and knowledge.

Building relational confidence in remote and hybrid work arrangements: novel ways to use digital technologies to foster knowledge sharing

Abstract Remote and hybrid workers know fewer of their colleagues and have fewer strong workplace relationships. If strong relationships support knowledge sharing, workers will have a harder time getting knowledge they need. Prior research shows that digital communication technologies increase workers’ network-level knowledge of “who knows what” and “who knows who.” Yet, knowledge seekers may be hesitant to ask for knowledge, particularly when they have concerns that their relationship with a knowledge source is too distant. We conduct a dyad-level study of 141 instances of knowledge seeking among employees of a South American telecommunications company employing a hybrid work arrangement and using an enterprise social media called Chatter. We find that specific uses of the technology help develop what we call “relational confidence,” or the confidence that one has a close enough relationship to a colleague to ask and get needed knowledge. With greater relational confidence, knowledge sharing is more successful.

Consequences of Enterprise Social Media Network Positions for Employees

AbstractEmployees often use enterprise social media (ESM) for communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, leading to ESM networks–that is, social networks of interrelated employees based on ESM. Many organizations possess ESM networks, and there is increasing research on their consequences for employees depending on how these employees are positioned in such networks. ESM network research is complex and consists of various interrelated dimensions. However, a synthesis of the abovementioned studies is lacking. Therefore, the current body of knowledge may obfuscate how the different dimensions interrelate, impeding a more holistic understanding of the consequences that employees may experience depending on their network positions. Moreover, there is little understanding of which research topics in this area have been addressed to date and where further research is needed. This paper addresses these gaps by means of a literature review and research agenda that synthesizes past studies. The results emphasize that whether ESM are beneficial for and exert a positive influence on employees largely depends on the employees’ positions in the underlying networks.

Readiness for Enterprise Social Media: A Multi-Country Investigation of User Cultural Values and Intention to Use

ABSTRACT Enterprise Social Media (ESM) empowers connections throughout an organization in real-time. However, research reveals that enterprise-wide adoption is a challenge for businesses. Research indicates that culture is one of the impediments to enterprise-wide adoption. Thus, a deeper understanding of the cultural influence on organizational readiness will help organizations plan more effectively. Schwartz’s cultural framework was used in a quantitative study to investigate the intention to use ESM at various levels in multiple countries. The participants’ responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling, including multiple group analysis. The test results suggest significant effects of autonomy and egalitarianism on individuals’ intention to adopt ESM. However, contrary to previous research, the effects of egalitarianism were found to be negative. This study emphasizes the importance of cultural values in shaping individuals’ intentions to use ESM, which contributes to organizational readiness for ESM adoption. The findings of this study provide organizations with awareness of cultural influences on intention to use ESM and can help organizations identify potential barriers to ESM adoption readiness.