Project Objective
Social network is a set of social structure used by different individuals, groups or organizations for interaction purposes. The parties (users) use this structure to share their ideas, interests and opinions among other things. To be specific, the social networking system is mostly used people or groups or organizations with similar cultural interests, career interests, political views, business opinions, lifestyle preferences to name a few things. Since they are communication sites, social networking sites are the applications that helps individuals or groups of people share information even when they are miles far apart (Galaskiewicz, 2016). Through social networks users are able to post images, links, quotes, comments and messages to name. Currently, business organizations have now started using the social networking sites to conduct some of their operations especially those that regard the public (Hoy et al, 2016). Apparently, business are now using these networks to carry out their promotions, advertisements, sales, as an attraction site, research platform to name just but a few activities. In addition to that, besides business organizations getting used to these sites, a large number of individuals are have also become addicted to using the social media sites. Therefore, this means that the number of consumers (especially potential consumers) of the organization’s products is likely going to increase (Jussila et al, 2013). Different organizations are using the social media sites for different purposes. However, the most common reason for using the social media is the objective to attract more consumers, advertise and research purposes. Some of the social networking sites include the following: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Google to name just but a few. These are some of the most commonly used sites by both business organizations and individuals.
Just as earlier mentioned, a large number of businesses have achieved so many objectives through the help of social networking sites. These can be termed as the advantages or benefits accrued from the use of social media. However, there are also some disadvantages that affects businesses whenever they use social media sites. This research proposal is based on both the positive and negative effects of using social media networks for businesses.
Every research proposal has its objectives or else every researcher has a reason for carrying out a certain research. The following are some of the objectives for this proposal:
General Objectives
To identify and analyze the effects of using social networks in business organizations
Specific Objectives
To investigate the positive effects of using social networks in businesses
To analyze the negative effects of using social networks in business organizations
From my previous assignment on challenges in social networking for businesses (business research), the researcher listed some of the challenges affecting business organizations that use social networks for any reason. In this research, the researcher will discuss about the effects (same as challenges) that affect businesses that use social networks. The researcher will give detailed information about the positive and negative effects of using social networks in businesses. However, the research will focus on just the manufacturing industries located in Sydney, Australia. In that case, that means that the business whose headquarters may be elsewhere but have branches in Sydney will also be included.
Project Scope
Just as mentioned earlier, there is a very large number of business organizations that are currently using social networking sites to conduct their operations. In addition to that, many business are now using these sites to increase and improve not only their operations but also their revenues as well. These business are able to achieve their objectives and goals as well as receive other benefits (Fan et al, 2014). On the other hand, some or most of the business also have been greatly affected by these use of social networks to improve their operations. This research proposal will be able to show some of the most common benefits and limitations that are caused by the use of social media in business organizations.
Lack of privacy
When businesses decide to join the social media platforms, they tend to display some information about themselves to the public. This means that the information can be viewed by any other organization or individual who needs to know more about the business. However, even with restricted access to some information e.g. regarding revenues, debts owned, list of investors, private production processes and recipes to name a few, can be accessed by unauthorized personnel (Iacobucci, et al, 2016). For most businesses, this information is supposed to be private but in case it is included in the profile data for social networks, then the information losses its privacy (Borgatti et al, 2013). In addition to that, the information when accessed by the rivals or competing businesses can be used to damage the organization at great levels. In the case of manufacturing industries, most of them have secretive information especially regarding chemical mixes and portions, recipes and input proportion measurers that they use during their product manufacture. However, in case this information is displayed to the public, then it can be used to damage the business.
Technology advancement has come a very long way to where it is today. Businesses have recently been storing information in the social media sites hoping that no one will be able to access the information. However, this is possible if businesses install and implement security restrictions like password, keycards, clearance levels, security locks to name a few methods. However, in this era of improved technology, many people have been able to breach through these security levels and have been able to access social media information. This challenge is very common mostly in the developed countries like Australia. In that case, the through breach of security, information is stolen, misused and in other cases used to damage the business’s reputation and identity (Ribeiro-Soriano, 2017). This is a challenge that has affected many manufacturing industry businesses in Australia. Hence affecting most of the business operations and developments.
Some businesses use the social media networks to conduct their sales processes, customer payments, customer product reviews and employee comments as well as business reviews. In that case, the business usually have customer websites or employee websites whereby the customers or employees get to sign in the website and access any information they want (Fayolle et al, 2016). Through this sites, the customers and employees are given an opportunity to comment on whatever they think about the products or service or the business performance itself. Therefore, these parties are able to leave either a negative or positive comments. However, it is difficult for businesses to keep truck of the negative comments simply because they are capable of damaging the businesses reputation. This means that it may cost so much for the businesses in terms of losing customers, investors, suppliers, employees to name a few people.
Literature Review
Other negative challenges include the possible increase in production costs of the businesses (Iacobucci et al, 2016), effect on organizational structure, change in human resource distribution and operations among other things.
Improvement in customer relations
Many businesses have been able to keep in touch and follow-up on their customers through the help of the social media networks. Apparently, a large number of businesses have been able to create customer websites especially for customers who purchase products online and those who like reviewing and researching about the products form the social media sites (Wang et al, 2017). The businesses that are involved in social media networking, are able to share more with the customers and also respond to their complaints therefore increasing and improving the relationship between the two parties.
When a business have a deep relationship with its customers, it means that the customers are likely going to be more loyal than ever before. Therefore, this means that they can only purchase the business’s products and no other. This is a simple way of increasing the product sales which leads to increase in profits for the business.
When an individual or business decides to join the social networking sites, they first and foremost create a profile of themselves/itself. For businesses, the profiles contain most important information about their business operations e.g. business name, products produced, organizational structure, product brands, selling methods, methods or purchasing and payments for the products to name a few things. Through this profiles, the businesses are able to get in touch with other related organizations which may have similar interests, opinions, products, services, political interests among other things (Kärkkäinen et al, 2014). This means that the businesses are able to share information in the easiest and best way possible. The social media networks enable easy and fast connectivity between businesses and its customers as well.
When businesses are involved in social media networking e.g. advertising, sales promotions, marketing etc., they are able to attract more customers, more investors, suppliers, employees to name a few (Wang et al, 2017). This means that they will have more people and groups involved in their business operations than before. In that case, the business will have the opportunity to expand its operations (e.g. through opening branches in other locations) so that it can be able to accommodate all the parties willing to be involved in its activities.
Other positive effects include the possibility of growth and development of the business, better public relations for the business, improvement in technology among others.
Form the literature review above, it is clear that the use of social networks has great effects for businesses. Apparently, the effects may not be direct but they still affect the operations indirectly. This research proposal is very crucial especially in this technological era. This is because almost all businesses in the world are currently using the social media networks to carry out their operations. On the other hand, some businesses may not be aware of the effects that come in hand whenever they use the social media networks to carry out their operations (Grabher et al, 2017). In other words, many businesses are able to notice the positive effects but do not notice the negative effects after using social networks. Therefore, this research will be able to identify and discuss both effects for all business to know especially those that are planning to use social media networks to improve their operations.
Negative Effects
Primary Question
- What are the most common effects (negative and positive effects) caused by the use of social networks in businesses?
Secondary Questions
The following are the secondary research questions that will be used to carry out this research:
- What are the most common types of social networking sites for businesses?
- How do these effects affect business operations generally?
- What are the possible solutions to the negative effects caused by social network usage in businesses?
Null Hypothesis
HO: There is no significant relationship between the effects of social media networking and business operations
Alternative Hypothesis
H1: There is a significant relationship between effects of social network use and business operations
Quantitative Research
This research design will be used for the purpose of completing this research. This design is used to investigate and develop statistical data or quantitative data. Statistical data is data that can be given in terms of value or quantity estimates or rather numbers e.g. percentages, ranges and rates (stars), Kilograms, Ksh to name a few. This research design will be able to find out the levels at which the manufacturing businesses in Sydney, Australia are affected by the use of social media networks. This will be able to show what exactly has affected the businesses more and what has affected it less.
This research design is reliable and also valid because it will be able to give not only the estimates of the levels but also give exact levels at which the businesses are affected. In most researches, researchers often tend to rely on the thoughts and general opinions of the respondent (Thomson et al, 2014). But in this research design, the researcher and the respondent will also be able to state the level at which the aspect has affected the business operations. The design is reliable because it produced more concrete results than the other designs, e.g. qualitative design.
The methods that will be used for sampling is the random method. This method is used in most cases for this kinds of researches because it does not condone favoritism (Good et al, 2013). Instead the methods encourages on the researcher being as fair as possible. Additionally, the random sampling method will be used for this research because of the fact that the businesses or respondents (Creswell et al, 2007) (e.g. employees, customers, managers, business investors and stakeholders etc.) will certainly be very large in numbers and therefore is the most reliable method for such a case.
The sample size will be determined by the researcher randomly picking the list of the businesses in the manufacturing sector located in, Australia but concentrating just on those located in Sydney. In addition to that, the researcher will select one business randomly, pass the next and select the one following. The names will be randomly listed and therefore when the researcher selects the name of the business that will be the sample size. However, the business that will be involved are only the businesses that are already using social media networks or those that are planning to use the networks in future to carry out and improve their business operations.
The data will be collected using questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires will be distributed to the selected businesses (those included in the ample size). Also, because the questionnaires will be written in the common language used in Sydney, they will be given to the respondents that are able to understand the questions and answer them in that same language. On the other hand, the interviews will be conducted for the respondents who are not able to read and understand the language in the questionnaires. The interviews will be carried out in the language that the respondents understand best. Furthermore, the interviews will be carried out for the respondents who may not be available but will be willing to help in the research. They will happen either through the help of the social media sites (e.g. Skype, teleconferencing etc.) or phone calls.
Positive Effects
The method that will analyze the research data is the use of quantitative analysis. The quantitative data collected form the research will be analyzed using this method and displayed by the use of tables and graphs. It will be able to give a comparison of the business status before and after the use of social media networks.
Conducting a research can be a pretty tiresome job especially when there are some limitations hindering the researcher from completing it. In this research, the following are some of the limitations that may hinder this research from being completed:
- Some respondents may not be available even after promising that they will help
- Some businesses may not take the risk of giving the correct information of their business to strangers and so they give false information instead
- Some respondents may not cooperate at all
- There may be financial challenges for the researcher especially because of travelling form one business location to another
- Lack of enough time to question all the respondents
1st month- coming up with the research topic. Include all the details of the research itself i.e. the place, type of business, scope, objectives and aims etc.
2nd month- derive the background information of the topic as well as the literature review.
3rd month- come up with the research questions, research design and methodology. This includes structuring the questionnaires and collecting the data itself.
4th month- Analyze the collected data and come up with the recommendations and conclusions.
Conclusion
For many years, the research on the negative effects caused by using social media networks in businesses has been done. However, not many researches have been done on both the negative and positive effects of using social media networks in businesses. Therefore from the research, it is clear that businesses undergo a number of challenges and benefits when they use social media in their operations. It is important for these businesses to know what these challenges and benefits are and how they really affect their operations, either directly or indirectly. In addition to that, I can say that these effects affect mostly the manufacturing industries especially in the developed countries like Australia. Therefore, this research will certainly play a very fundamental role for businesses to learn and understand what the specific effects are and how they can solve the negative effects as well as how they can make the positive effects stronger and advantageous for their operations.
References
Grabher, G. and König, J., 2017. Performing network theory? Reflexive relationship management on social network sites. In Networked Governance (pp. 121-140). Springer International Publishing.
Fayolle, A., Jack, S.L., Lamine, W. and Chabaud, D. eds., 2016. Entrepreneurial process and social networks: a dynamic perspective. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Galaskiewicz, J., 2016. Social organization of an urban grants economy: A study of business philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. Elsevier.
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Wang, F., Mack, E.A. and Maciewjewski, R., 2017. Analyzing Entrepreneurial Social Networks with Big Data. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 107(1), pp.130-150.
Ribeiro-Soriano, D., 2017. Small business and entrepreneurship: their role in economic and social development.
Borgatti, S.P., Everett, M.G. and Johnson, J.C., 2013. Analyzing social networks. SAGE Publications Limited.
Jussila, J.J., Ellison, N.B. and Boyd, D.M., 2013. Sociality through social network sites. In The Oxford handbook of internet studies.
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