Enterprise Social Networks Research Articles

Bright and dark side of knowledge management practices in firms using information systems: examining different moderating impacts

PurposeThis research aims to find out the impact of knowledge sharing (KS) and knowledge hiding (KH) on employee creativity (EC) and eventually on firm innovativeness (FI). The study also investigates the moderating roles of incentive focus, preventive focus and enterprise social networking (ESN) adoption on EC and FI.Design/methodology/approachThe study used an empirical research approach and created a research model using resource-based view theory and literature. The model was validated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique to analyze data from 347 respondents from Indian firms.FindingsThe authors found that there is a considerable moderating impact of all three moderators on EC and firms’ innovativeness. KS has a positive impact and KH has a negative impact on EC.Research limitations/implicationsKnowledge can be shared within a firm by using an ESN tool. KS is the brighter side of the knowledge management process, whereas KH is the darker side of it. The study presents insights into and prescriptions for the bright and dark sides of knowledge management. The study results also imply that the firm managers must try to properly integrate the knowledge acquired from various stakeholders such as institutions, customers, competitors and suppliers as well as to focus on the tacit, precious and distinctive knowledge helpful to sustain long-term relationships with the valued external sources. The study empirically validates the model with the respondents from Indian firms, and thus the proposed model cannot be generalized.Originality/valueFew research studies have examined both the bright and dark sides of the knowledge management process. There is a growing interest among researchers and practitioners to explore these sides of the knowledge management process using information systems and knowledge risk. Moreover, the proposed theoretical model has a high explanative power that makes the model effective and unique.

Social Media Platforms and Public Relations for Brand Promotion

Throughout a half century’s evolvement, public relations have become a bridge that extends the idea of organizations to the public mind. One of the challenges public relations meets is getting customers’ attention to the advertisement. In the current world, online social media gradually substitute conventional media to serve as a communication channel. They are a variety of online platforms, including business networks, collaborative projects, enterprise social networks, microblogs, photo and video sharing, products review, social bookmarking, and virtual worlds. Unlike traditional media, which is one-way communication, consumers only receive messages delivered to them without giving feedback to spreaders. Social media software is two-way communication, meaning that customers are supported to give feedback on goods and services. The social media platform is expected to be a new way of advertising, while it encourages dynamic communication between marketers and consumers. Because of this, the application of social networks plays a crucial role in promoting public relations activities. This study targets to analyse how public relations practitioners find it possible to depend on different social media platforms to gain customers’ attention for the organizations or brands they serve. The natures of platforms, influencers, and followers will be the objectives of starting this research.

What role does enterprise social network play? A study on enterprise social network use, knowledge acquisition and innovation performance

PurposeIn order to explore the role of enterprise social network (ESN), this study examines how the different dimensions of ESN use – within teams and across teams – facilitate knowledge acquisition in organizations and how knowledge acquisition, in turn, impacts exploitative and exploratory innovation performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study applied the survey approach to collect a valid sample of 150 Chinese companies that had innovation activities and were using ESN. The partial least squares (PLS) technique was used for data analysis to test the research model and hypotheses.FindingsESN use within teams has a positive impact on knowledge depth and knowledge breadth, and ESN use across teams has a positive impact on knowledge depth. Knowledge depth and knowledge breadth are both beneficial for innovation performance. The two types of ESN use have different impacts on knowledge depth and knowledge breadth; moreover, knowledge depth and knowledge breadth have different impacts on innovation performance. Specifically, the impacts of ESN use within teams and across teams on exploitative innovation performance are mediated by knowledge depth; the impact of ESN use within teams on exploratory innovation performance is mediated by knowledge breadth.Originality/valueThis paper can enhance the understanding of the importance of ESN use and ESN's role in facilitating knowledge acquisition and innovation performance.

The Great Resignation: the great knowledge exodus or the onset of the Great Knowledge Revolution?

PurposeThe purpose of this Real Impact Viewpoint Article is to analyze the phenomenon of the Great Resignation from the knowledge management perspective.Design/methodology/approachIt applies the knowledge-based view of the firm to the notion of the Great Resignation, reviews the extant literature and relies on secondary data.FindingsThe Great Resignation has created numerous knowledge-related impacts on the individual, organizational and national levels. On the individual level, because of an accelerating adoption of freelancing, the future may witness an expansion of the category of the knowledge worker and a growing need for personal knowledge management methods and information technologies. Organizational effects include knowledge loss, reduced business process efficiency, damaged intra-organizational knowledge flows, lower relational capital, lost informal friendship networks, difficulty attracting the best human capital, undermined knowledge transfer processes and knowledge leakage to competition. Countries may also witness the depletion of national human capital.Practical implicationsManagers should learn how to use the available human capital more efficiently; realize the importance of universal succession planning programs; automate knowledge-centric business processes; facilitate knowledge-based IT initiatives by implementing self-functioning virtual communities, including enterprise social networks; restructure organizations to optimize intra-organizational knowledge flows; adjust strategies, products and target markets based on the available human capital; and create telecommuting conditions for people with disabilities who cannot be physically present. Knowledge management scholars are presented with a unique opportunity to convert the numerous theoretical insights accumulated within the boundaries of their discipline into practical application to facilitate the Great Knowledge Revolution.Originality/valueThis viewpoint offers managerial recommendations and inspires future Great Resignation investigations.

Virtual Communities of Practice for Research Postgraduate Students: Determining Needs and Reducing Isolation

Postgraduate research is considered a lonely endeavour with students frequently experiencing social and intellectual isolation. Research offices in many higher education institutions have developed programmes to support supervisors and students undertaking research studies and supervision. These programmes include instruction on research techniques and methodologies but are often lacking in community-based approaches such as creating support and peer groups where students can share information and ideas directly. This study explores the use of online communities of practice as a support tool for postgraduate researchers in a university in Ireland. The research questions seek to determine the antecedents for successful implementation, the dominant problems associated with using online communities, and the motivators for, and barriers to, participation in communities of practice in this context. The study facilitates student collaboration by implementing a community of practice on an enterprise social network (ESN) platform. These platforms are increasingly used in industry to facilitate online community groups that collaborate professionally and socially. Professionally, ESN can be used as a platform to host virtual communities of practice (vCoP), where members can engage in sharing knowledge of their practice domains and experiences. The promotion of ESN and vCoP for this study is a joint initiative of the Research Support Office, the Students' Union, and the Postgraduate Society, who advocate for a strong peer to peer support system for postgraduate students. The study adopts an Action Research design and a mixed-methods approach, and data collection includes system use metrics, surveys, focus groups and interviews. The practical objective of the project is to manage the implementation of the virtual community as a peer-to-peer support environment, and success is determined primarily from usage statistics. This may lead to developing a framework for implementation that is generalisable to other higher education institutions.

Negative effects of enterprise social networks (ESNs) and technostress: empirical evidence from R&D centres operating in India

PurposeNowadays, technostress is a common problem for many organisations. The purpose of this research is to investigate the underlying mechanisms under which enterprise social networks (ESNs) leads to technostress and their consequences.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from 242 employees working in research and development (R&D) centres in India and analysed the data using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe findings of the study contribute to the growing body of knowledge in “dark side of social media research” by researching the phenomenon of higher use of ESNs in organisations and the consequences while theoretically delineating the effect of social, hedonic and cognitive use of ESNs in organisations on technostress, thus extending prior research on adverse impact of social media and technostress research. The results revealed that both ESNs’ need and technostress is adversely related to mental health, performance and greater turnover intention, and perceived organisation support (POS) played a moderating role in this relationship such that with higher POS, employee turnover intention reduces. By uncovering the role of POS as a potential moderator, the findings provide empirical evidence for POS and technostress in organisations, thus offering practical implications for the ESNs strategists, managers and practitioners to develop ESNs’ usage policies to avoid adverse outcomes of technostress in organisations.Research limitations/implicationsThis research advances theoretical understanding of the relationship between ESNs, technostress, mental health, performance and turnover” intention while contributing extensively to the technostress literature and to the scholarship of ESNs. In addition, by uncovering the role of perceived organisational support as a potential moderator, this study contributes to the existing literature on POS.Practical implicationsThe empirically tested model delivered by this research will enable organisations to understand different excessive usage patterns of ESNs at work, which contribute to negative outcomes for organisations and employees. The findings support the maintenance of social life at work affecting better employee mental health, and the application of cognitive use of ESNs can reduce technostress. Hence, organisational strategies should implement employee policies and interventions that facilitate better work–social life and well-being, simultaneously encouraging usage of ESNs largely for work-related information transmission and sharing within the organisations.Originality/valueThis study constructed a moderated-mediation model by introducing the potential mediating effect of technostress, mental health and performance and the moderating effect of POS to reveal the mechanism through which ESNs related to technostress, mental health, performance and turnover intention in the Indian context.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on knowledge sharing in UK higher education

PurposeThe paper aims to explore “content” factors influencing consumptive and contributive use of enterprise social networking within UK higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology uses genre analysis and grounded theory to analyse empirical data from posts obtained through Microsoft Yammer and a focus group.FindingsThe findings reveal the motivators-outcomes-strategies and the barriers-outcomes-strategies of users. Motivators (M) include feature value, Information value, organizational requirement and adequate organizational and technical support. Barriers (B) include six factors, including resisting engagement on the online platform, emotional anxiety, loss of knowledge, the lack of organizational pressure, lack of content quality and lack of time. An Outcomes (O) framework reveals benefits and dis-benefits and strategies (S) relating to improving user engagement.Practical implicationsThe research method and resultant model may serve as guidelines to higher educational establishments interested in motivating their staff and scholars around the use of enterprise social network (ESN) systems, especially during face-to-face restrictions.Originality/valueThis research study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic which provides a unique setting to examine consumptive and contributive user behaviour of ESN’s. Furthermore, the study develops a greater understanding of “content” factors leading to the benefits or dis-benefits of ESN use, drawing on user motivators, barriers and strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in UK education.

Global talent management by multinational enterprises post‐COVID‐19: The role of enterprise social networking and senior leadership

AbstractMultinational enterprises' (MNEs') workforce is made up of people from diverse backgrounds and different locations around the globe. The cross‐border transfer of knowledge, skills, and best practices among MNE employees is important to maintain global standards and competitiveness. In the post‐COVID‐19 period, there is a greater need to exchange knowledge in the changing business environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the issues related to MNEs' global talent management, post‐COVID‐19. The study investigates the use of enterprise social networking applications for better knowledge exchange and tries to understand the moderating role of senior leadership team support in facilitating the usage of enterprise social networks for cross‐border collaboration and talent management. After reviewing the literature and relevant theories, we developed a conceptual model, which is then validated using the SEM technique with 347 respondents from 12 MNEs. The study reveals the importance of using enterprise social networks for cross‐border knowledge exchange in the post‐COVID‐19 period.

Communication patterns in engineering enterprise social networks: an exploratory analysis using short text topic modelling

Abstract Enterprise social network messaging sites are becoming increasingly popular for team communication in engineering and product design. These digital communication platforms capture detailed messages between members of the design team and are an appealing data set for researchers who seek to better understand communication in design. This exploratory study investigates whether we can use enterprise social network messages to model communication patterns throughout the product design process. We apply short text topic modelling (STTM) to a data set comprising 250,000 messages sent by 32 teams enrolled in a 3-month intensive product design course. Many researchers describe the engineering design process as a series of convergent and divergent thinking stages, such as the popular double diamond model, and we use this theory as a case study in this work. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of STTM results reveals several trends, such as it is indeed possible to see evidence of cyclical convergence and divergence of topics in team communication; within the convergence–divergence pattern, strong teams have fewer topics in their topic models than weaker teams; and teams show characteristics of product, project, course, and other themes within each topic. We provide evidence that the analysis of enterprise social networking messages, with advanced topic modelling techniques, can uncover insights into design processes and can identify the communication patterns of successful teams.

New architecture of enterprise social networks for knowledge sharing within engineering school

New architecture of enterprise social networks for knowledge sharing within engineering school

Examining The Impact Of Enterprise Social Networking Systems (Esns) On Knowledge Management And Organisational Learning

The purpose of the research is to identify how organisations are using the enterprise social networking system for managing knowledge and improving the organisation learning procedures.  KM is an inevitable domain in the present scenario for organisations because of pandemic. The ongoing present globalisation is also affecting business performance throughout the globe in every industry. The secondary data collection process is selected for the completion of the research. A qualitative data analysis method has been selected to analyse data. Thematic analysis has been performed to analyse the qualitative data. The non-probability sampling method is a selected and deductive the research approach that has been followed to test the hypothesis. The finding suggested that employing ESNS is effective for improving the knowledge management and organisational learning of companies which makes the organisation more flexible to the dynamic environment in the business market in the present scenario. ESNS are the software used by the organisation inside the boundary of the company for the purpose of providing necessary support to the social networking site for posting comments, updating status and so on. Analysing the characteristics of the market is an important domain in business that can be performed by using the software. Understanding the trained in social media is one of the relevant concepts for companies at present to sustain in the market and the main competitive advantage by providing products with desired characteristics of customers prior to competitors is a key factor for gaining competitive advantage from the market

New architecture of enterprise social networks for knowledge sharing within engineering school

New architecture of enterprise social networks for knowledge sharing within engineering school

How does enterprise social network affects open innovation performance? From the dual perspective of inter- and intra-organisation

ABSTRACT Over the last decades, open innovation has received considerable attention. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence mechanism of enterprise social networks on open innovation performance from the dual perspective of inter- and intra-organisation. Structural equation model was used to test on a sample of 311 enterprises from Mainland China. Results show that external social network exerts a positive effect on open innovation performance through the mediation of external knowledge management capability. Internal social network positively affects open innovation performance via the mediating role of internal knowledge management capability. The interaction of external and internal social network enhances open innovation performance through the dual mediating effects of external and internal knowledge management capability. Furthermore, inter-organisational contract control plays a moderating role in the relationship between external knowledge management capability and open innovation performance. Intra-organisational professional control exhibits a moderating effect on the relationship between internal knowledge management capability and open innovation performance.

Leveraging enterprise social network technology: understanding the roles of compatibility and intrinsic motivation

PurposeThis study explores the factors influencing the value of enterprise social media (ESM) from the perspective of compatibility. Establishing a theoretical model based on compatibility theory, the authors examine the effects of two dimensions of compatibility and the mediating effects of employees' intrinsic motivations. ESM is an important tool that helps companies to enhance knowledge sharing and cross-department collaboration. Thus, it is important to understand factors that can facilitate the role of ESM in improving enterprise operating performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a survey among 353 users of a leading ESM platform and empirically investigated how compatibility influences ESM value through employees' intrinsic motivations. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to study the relationship among compatibility, employees' intrinsic motivations and ESM value.FindingsThe empirical research results indicate that compatibility of self-interest with group interest influences the value of ESM, and intrinsic motivations toward collaboration and toward knowledge management partially mediate the effects of the two dimensions of compatibility on ESM value.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the empirical analysis relies on data from surveying employees of Chinese companies. Therefore, one direction for future research is to reexamine the model using data from other countries. Second, the effects of compatibility identified in the study may vary among different ESM platforms. In addition, the findings may change for organizations having different sizes.Practical implicationsThis finding suggests that managers should pay close attention to potential conflicts of interest when implementing ESM to enhance group communication and collaboration. This study also highlights the importance of compatibility of new working processes with experience in practice. In addition, intrinsic motivations towards both cooperation and knowledge management in ESM are important factors influencing the value creation of ESM. Therefore, to cultivate employees' intrinsic motivation, managers and organizations need to facilitate the formation of a collaborative atmosphere and habits of cooperative adoption.Originality/valueAlthough previous studies show that compatibility is a strong belief salient to technology acceptance and continuance usage behavior, the operational definition of compatibility developed by prior studies has generally been limited to the technology perspective and the individual level. However, the primary benefit of ESM is enabling online team collaboration and knowledge sharing across various departments. Thus, the level of compatibility between employees' self-interests and group interests may influence their intrinsic motivations toward ESM usage. From this perspective of individual–group interest conflicts, the authors propose a conceptual research model based on the theory of compatibility in innovation diffusion.

Exploring the dark-side of E-HRM: a study of social networking sites and deviant workplace behavior

PurposeRapid technological advancements and the ever-increasing demand for Internet and social networking sites worldwide have increased the opportunity for extensive use and misuse of these platforms. Research and practice have typically focused on the brighter side of social networking sites due to the adoption of EHRM (Electronic Human Resource Management). However, less is known about the dark side of EHRM, especially the drawbacks associated with the use of social networking (SNs) platforms in organisations. In addition, most of such studies have primarily involved the western country context, and in an emerging country scenario, these kinds of studies are limited. Hence, the study aims to investigate the complexities of the use of SNs as an e-HRM strategy in organisations in an emerging country context.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on 26 in-depth interviews of HR practitioners and analysing their narratives surrounding employees' use of social networking (both enterprise social networks [ESNs] and social networking sites [SNSs]), this study illuminates the dark or the adverse side of EHRM. Specifically, it focuses on the link between employees' deviant workplace behaviour and their usage of social networking (SN) platforms in organisations (i.e. SNs at workplaces influencing employee's unethical behaviour at work).FindingsThe empirical findings reveal the subtle intentional and unintentional indulgence of employees via SNs in various types of deviant behaviours such as sharing confidential information, bullying, harassment, breaching colleagues' privacy, etc., at the workplace in the emerging market context of India. Utilising the social networking perspective and the 4Ps of deviant theory, this article describes deviance behaviours in detail and explains the inadvertent complexities of leveraging SNs as an EHRM tool at the workplace. These insights then provide a starting point for discussing the theoretical and managerial implications of the research findings.Research limitations/implicationsDerived from the current research, this model offers an integrative frame-work for understanding DWBs in SNs platforms in general. This also shows that use of SNs at workplace often leads the employee engaging in non-productive activity. Hence future studies can explore the application of this framework in organizations in detail, thus further highlighting the usefulness of EHRM to understand the employee behaviours at the workplace by the organisations.Practical implicationsThe research offers several managerial implications concerning the use of SNs as EHRM strategy at the workplace, which is perceived as a global challenge nowadays. Primarily it offers suggestions for the social media professionals and HR practitioners regarding the use of SNs in organisations.Originality/valueThe study's findings highlight the complex process that explains how SNs as an EHRM strategy affect employee deviance behaviours in the workplace. Till date, no known study has considered the possible effect of SNs on deviance behavior at the workplace in an emerging country context.

An Enterprise Social Analytics Dashboard to Support Competence Valorization and Diversity Management

This paper describes an Enterprise Social Analytics Dashboard (ESAD) to support human capital management, competence valorization, diversity management, and early detection of potential problems within large, networked organizations. The system can be used by managers for career promotion, team building, and diversity management, as well as by company’s social analysts, to monitor social behaviors and information flow in the workplace. Toward this end, we defined a measure of informal leadership which draws on organization theory and on a computational model based on multiplex networks. This model, along with a social network analysis toolkit developed in the context of the present study, enabled the systematic empirical analysis of social behaviors in a three-year dataset of message threads exchanged within a large multinational enterprise, as a function of gender, time, roles, and discussed topics. The results of our empirical analysis demonstrate the power of social analytics in organizations as a tool for human capital management, competence valorization, and early detection of potential problems. Our study clearly shows that Enterprise Social Networks are a favorable environment to highlight women’s leadership qualities and intermediary abilities. The ESAD offers innovative features, such as a sociologically motivated leadership model based on multiplex networks, text mining, and text classification techniques, to extract relevant discussion topics.

Organizational members' use of online social networks and their job satisfaction: a social cognitive perspective

PurposeThis study utilized “social cognitive theory” to compare the impacts of organizational members' hedonic and work-related use of public social networks (SNs) and enterprise social networks (ESNs) on job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe participants comprised 240 employees who were able to simultaneously use SNs and ESNs in the workplace with regard to both hedonic and work-related motives. The measurement and structural models were evaluated using partial least squares structural equations modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results show that organizational members' hedonic and work-related use of public SNs enhances job satisfaction. However, the hedonic and work-related use of ESNs has negative and positive impacts on job satisfaction respectively.Originality/valueThe main theoretical contribution of this study lies in showing that employees' use of social networks does not necessarily entail detrimental or beneficial consequences and depending on different factors the outcomes are different. Following a comprehensive review of the literature, users' incentives and platforms emerged as two different factors contributing to the outcomes arising from the use of social networks in the workplace. Although a few studies have explored the impacts of organizational members' use of social networks on job satisfaction, none have done so in relation to different user incentives and platforms.

Assemblage of Social Technologies and Informal Knowledge Sharing

This study focuses on the ways in which social technologies as a whole facilitate informal knowledge sharing in the workplace. Social technologies include both common technologies such as email, phone and instant messenger and emerging social networking technologies, often known as social media or Web 2.0, such as blogs, wikis, public social networking sites (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), enterprise social networking technologies, etc. To understand the role of social technologies in informal knowledge practices, we pursue a field study of knowledge workers in consulting firms to investigate the role of social technologies in their informal knowledge sharing practices. Findings highlight five knowledge practices motivated by different knowledge problems and supported by the use of multiple social technologies.

Linking transparency and privacy to the impact of Enterprise Social Networks

Despite widespread diffusion of Enterprise Social Networks, research about such technologies’ impact on employee performance remains limited. While most of the research has focused on how ENS’s communication visibility increases knowledge about coworker’s knowledge leading to better performance, the research has highly overlooked the role of privacy at the workplace. Furthermore, most online privacy research has been performed in consumer settings. So, we don’t have a clear idea of how privacy will affect information sharing in the enterprise context. In this research, I answer how information privacy concerns from workers regarding ESN affect individual metaknowledge accumulation? I extend on Communication Visibility Theory by including elements of a behavioral theory of privacy and transparency. I explain how ESN’s implementation at the organization might lead to a higher awareness of being watched by others, triggering hidden behaviors based on privacy concerns. Consequently, I propose a multi-level explanation of how privacy affects the returns individuals can get for ESN usage. First, individual privacy concerns decrease ESN usage, decreasing their opportunities to take advantage of its potential. Second, as privacy concerns are serious and shared within a team, the accuracy of information provided on the ESN might decrease, decreasing individuals’ chances of getting accurate metaknowledge to improve their performance. This research expands current knowledge about the impact of ESN at the workplace, by bringing understanding to the role of privacy on the impact of Enterprise Social Networks. And it highlights the importance of clarifying how privacy and transparency jointly affect human behavior in the workplace.

Investigating the Impact of Critical Factors on Continuous Usage Intention towards Enterprise Social Networks: An Integrated Model of IS Success and TTF

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many people have to accept remote working. However, as COVID-19 has been effectively controlled in China, remote office services provided by enterprise social networks (ESNs) is no longer a necessary choice of users. There has not yet been any referential research for ESN enterprises concerning how to encourage users willing to use ESNs continuously. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the critical factors of ESN continuous usage intention to make up the research gap of ESN continuous usage intention and to help enterprises address the issue of sustained growth. This research combines elements of the task technology fit (TTF) model and D&M information systems success (ISS) model, explaining the continuous usage intention of ESN users. The empirical analysis results are based on the sample data of 668 Chinese respondents with experience in ESNs use and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results show that task technology fit, performance expectancy and the satisfaction degree have a significant influence on continuous usage intention of ESNs. The research findings can provide the theoretical basis for sustained development and follow-up research of the ESN industry.