INF80040 | Role of Social Media in Promoting Knowledge

Currently, social media is not something to be ignored or excluded from consideration. Devices such as LinkedIn, YouTube or Facebook have moved the world to a totally different level. The use of social media nowadays has changed the individual relationships, by allowing persons to participate in a number of things which created chances and difficulties in facilitating relationships. Asrar-ul-Haq and Anwar (2016 p 112) organisations are required not only to focus on innovation of modifying their products and services but also they are required to focus on ensuring there is effective sharing of important information which can contribute in the development or success of the organization.

The unrealized advantage of adopting and implementing the use of social media is extraordinary .though the social media interest is rising, the managers and knowledge workers are also waiting to participate in a partnership globe, since they may emotionally feel unmotivated or unaware of the benefits of employing such devices for the purposes of work. Again the companies might not feel comfortable in allowing their workers to employ the use of social media in information sharing and information transfer due to maybe the risks and outcome of misuse.

Bharati et al. (2015 p 56) Any organization that is focused on competing effectively, striving to succeed and even to participate in this changing surrounding must base on knowledge development in the organization since the sharing of knowledge is key when it comes to management of knowledge. The challenged maybe that organizations might face is how to get this knowledge share across the globe.

The Internet has been the most important development when it comes to technology for the last many decades. Kwahk and Park (2016 p. 826) it allows the people to network, partner, and a portion knowledge, data, photos, videos and documents among many repeatedly across the globe to anyone any time. Besides, the individuals can make use of social media devices to raise range likewise richness of their connection, collect data, and currently, the organization is searching for ways to integrate social media in their business process.

Sharing of knowledge

Sharing can be said to be an ordinary activity, through sharing of knowledge internally or inside the organization or externally is a detailed and difficult issue. The procedure by which the individual's knowledge is transformed into a way which can be well understood and utilized by other persons is called knowledge sharing. Leonardi (2017 p. 47) knowledge sharing can be influenced by a number of issues. For instance, the nature of the type of knowledge. Knowledge can take different forms like tacit which are found in the minds of individual and cannot be shared, or knowledge can be in the form of explicit meaning very clear in the organization routine and can be shared through social media. Motivation is another factor that can affect the sharing of knowledge.

How the organization perceives this aspect of knowledge sharing within or outside an organization can either motivate or demotivate employees from sharing their information. Opportunity can be the other factor when it comes to collaboration, developing training programs and in terms of technology advanced system or it can be in terms of individual relationships and social connection .Navimipour and Charband (2016 p. 88) finally, the culture of the organization can also influence the sharing of information since it determines the beliefs, values likewise the systems of work that could support the activity of knowledge sharing.

Social media technologies

Social media can be defined as a collaborative or a partnership application of online technologies that allow and promote participation, openness, creation, conversation, and socialization in the community of consumers. North and Kumta (2018 p. 148) the online services or social media and practices enable interaction and collaboration focused on personal activities. Solving a problem in a group facilitates the decision making as compared to individual level. Latest means of inspiring and examining the sharing of knowledge are pushing organizations to increase their technologies of knowledge sharing and practices.

Kwahk and Park (2014 p. 99) Web 2.0 is a term which means technologies that grant people the opportunity to participate and interact with information and other persons and build a connection aimed at achieving a common professional or individual interest. In other words, it enables social networking. Technologies such as sharing of videos on YouTube, blogs such as bloggers, sharing of a presentation by the use of slide share, social connection services such as LinkedIn, Facebook, groupware through Google Docs and instant messaging services by the use of Skype facilitate a clear social networked platform. Social media, therefore, plays a very vital role in the field of knowledge sharing and transfer as discussed below;

Social media facilitates communication by providing new devices for sharing, storing and publishing information and also discussion and expression of opinions. For instance, logs and microblogs through bloggers and Twitter respectively, sharing of presentation for example by use of slide share, video sharing through YouTube and instant messaging by use of Skype among others. Secondly, social media plays a collaborative role by enabling gathered content formation and edition minus time difficulties and location. For instance, wikis through Wikipedia, groupware by use of Google Docs.

North and Kumta (2015 p.26) Social media also facilitates connection. That is it offers the latest ways of connecting or networking with other individuals across the globe through social connections like LinkedIn, Facebook among others. Social media devices also play a role in competing for contents by adding, describing and filtering data, labelling contents and displaying the relationship between contents.  Kwahk and Park (2014 p.99) finally, social media devices are made for matching and mixing content. That is it combines the pre-existing web services which grants uses in the platform an opportunity to use a different application, in the same window without changing the website. For instance mash-ups by google maps. The research has identified several features that give value to social media. For example, transparency, immediacy, authenticity, connectedness participation and accountability.

The research on the sharing of knowledge and social media devices

Various research has been done on using social media in the organizations for knowledge sharing. For instance, Paroutis and Saleh researched the main determinants of sharing knowledge and partnership or collaboration by use of web 2.0 technologies. They concentrated on the aim and challenges that employees might face during participation on various platforms. Palacios-Marqués et el. (2015 p.56) found out that the main determinants are outcome expectation, history, trust and perceived support from the organization.

Conclusion

Finally, we can say that social media plays a very important role in the sharing of knowledge and knowledge transfer. Paulin, and Suneson (2015 p. 73) it is important for any organization that is striving to compete effectively, achieve success or even continuous improvement, to focus on knowledge sharing and transfer since it helps in problem-solving and decision-making processes.

References

Asrar-ul-Haq, M. and Anwar, S., 2016. A systematic review of knowledge management and knowledge sharing: Trends, issues, and challenges. Cogent Business & Management, 3(1), p.1127744.

Bharati, P., Zhang, W. and Chaudhury, A., 2015. Better knowledge with social media? Exploring the roles of social capital and organizational knowledge management. Journal of Knowledge Management, 19(3), pp.456-475.

Kwahk, K.Y. and Park, D.H., 2014. The effects of network sharing on knowledge-sharing activities and job performance in enterprise social media environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, pp.826-839.

Kwahk, K.Y. and Park, D.H., 2016. The effects of network sharing on knowledge-sharing activities and job performance in enterprise social media environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, pp.826-839.

Leonardi, P.M., 2015. The social media revolution: Sharing and learning in the age of leaky knowledge. Information and Organization, 27(1), pp.47-59.

Leonardi, P.M., 2017. The social media revolution: Sharing and learning in the age of leaky knowledge. Information and Organization, 27(1), pp.47-59.

Navimipour, N.J. and Charband, Y., 2016. Knowledge sharing mechanisms and techniques in project teams: Literature review, classification, and current trends. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, pp.730-742.

North, K. and Kumta, G., 2015. Knowledge management: Value creation through organizational learning. Springer.

North, K. and Kumta, G., 2018. Knowledge management: Value creation through organizational learning. Springer.

Palacios-Marqués, D., Merigó, J.M. and Soto-Acosta, P., 2015. Online social networks as an enabler of innovation in organizations. Management Decision, 53(9), pp.1906-1920.

Paulin, D. and Suneson, K., 2015. Knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing and knowledge barriers–three blurry terms in KM. Leading Issues in Knowledge Management, Volume Two, 2, pp.73-94.