The Impact of Social Media on Organizational Innovation Management - Research Proposal Example

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION MANAGEMENT by Course Professor Institution City and state Date Table of Contents Introduction 2 Background of the Research 3 Objectives of the Study 4 General Objectives 4 Specific Objectives 4 Scope of the Study 4 Review of Previous Researches 5 Definition of Key Terms 5 Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in Social Media 5 Use of Enterprise 2.0 Technologies in Social Media 6 Market Penetration of Social Media 7 Methodology 7 Discussion of the Proposal 8 Potential Problems 9 Alternatives 9 Ethical Challenges 10 The Impact of Social Media on Organizational Innovation Management Introduction Companies have traditionally looked beyond the confines of their organizations whenever the need to invent innovative products arose. Ideally, gathering information was limited to hiring the most efficient and talented human resource that the organization could afford. However, the advent of social media has revolutionized product innovation and given companies access to market intelligence that was previously elusive (Pitta 2008. Additionally, these platforms have provided effective channels for sharing and gathering market information in some of the most cost effective approaches. Moreover, the through the use of mobile and web-based applications, it has become possible for companies to create platforms where communities and individuals can discuss, share, modify, or create content (Wei 2012, p. 436). However, the potential of social media in fast tracking innovation remains largely untapped in most corporations. In part, this can be attributed to the lack of enthusiasm among organizational management to integrate the social media. Additionally, the misguided perception among the management that the use of this platform as a critical tool for innovation is not as efficient as the conventional means has equally slowed down (Ooms. Bell, & Kok 2014). Background of the Research The development and gradual adoption of the Internet has extensively revolutionized collaboration and communication among firms, organizations, and individuals (Marion, Barczak, & Hultink 2014). Moreover, the integration of the social media has had a fundamental influence in organizational development and research activities. Particularly, the use of open innovation has been categorized as one of the most effective strategies in leading innovation management at a corporate level (Chan, Ip, & Chung 2011). Yet little research has been done to ascertain the extent to which the use of these different social media portals can be interlinked for the purpose of fostering organizational innovation. Therefore, a more structural approach to innovation management should be adopted among market players with the principal aim of supporting social media integration as well as developing intuitive innovations through this media (Crawford 2007, p. 189). Consequently, key aspects of social media integration that require particular attention include the incorporation of customers into the organizational social media circles and evaluating on the internal use of social media (Bryant, Coombs, & Pazio, 2014). The relationship between the use of social media and technological performance has also elicited wide interest among most employee due to the notion that technological advancement promotes the use of social media innovation management (Wei 2012). Objectives of the Study General Objectives Based on the current studies and a review of the market gap in the adoption of innovation management, the key aim of this study is to elaborate on how the use of social media has influenced innovation in the corporate world. As such, the study seeks to evaluate the influence of social media as a driver of innovation Specific Objectives Additionally, the research seeks to: 1. Evaluate the extent of adoption, acceptance and application of social media in technological development. 2. To underpin the key drivers and barrier of social media innovation. Scope of the Study The research will be a carried out within the university premises. It will be conducted among a diverse set of students and will equally involve 3 professionals from the nearby corporations. This area has been preferred due to its proximity to the researcher as well as the ease of accessibility. Review of Previous Researches Definition of Key Terms Social media is defined as a set of applications that facilitate the exchange and creation of user-generated content is an integrated community setting. Over the recent past, there has been an increased use of social media, particularly the use of Enterprise 2.0 and Web 2.0 technologies within the business circles. While some companies enthusiastically embraced the use of these technologies, some were reluctant, citing the increased costs and the possibility of distraction from the core values of businesses (Chan, Ip, & Chung 2011). However, with the easy access to the Internet, the use of the social media has become an inevitable strategy to guarantee business success. Vuori & Okkonen (2012, p. 598) argue that it is critical for organizations to integrate computing technologies and principles as a means of supporting the process of product development. Further, prudent application of these media in the business is a sure criteria of ascertaining that business resources are utilized in the most efficient manner. Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in Social Media Ooms Bell, & Kok (2014, p. 143) posit that the use of social technologies in developing products and managing innovation is largely grouped into two key areas. First is in the Web 2.0 applications. Ideally, these involve groups and forums that are either focused or are self-forming. These groups are principally a source of open innovation for organizations if well utilized. In practice the use of Web 2.0 applications is an effective strategy when carefully integrated into the product innovation cycle. One of the major advantages of the Web 2.0 applications is that they allow open interactions between the corporation and the potential customers or product promoters and enthusiasts (Piller, Vossen, & Ihl 2012). This implies that if an organization is able to establish a strong online presence, it will be in a position to receive and share information with this online community. Therefore, in the initial stages of the innovation cycle when the organization is seeking for the most innovative idea, it is possible to propose a new product through various Web 2.0 applications that the organization owns. Examples of these applications include online portals, Facebook, external blogs and wikis, Twitter, and LinkedIn among others. According to Charalabidis, Loukis, & Androutsopoulou (2014, p. 231), customers are more likely to provide an honest opinion of a product through the social media than on a face-to-face interactions. Therefore, this media provides critical market information when presented with an idea. Moreover, during the product launch, these media also provide an opportunity for the company to analyze the reception and customer feedback (Laurell & Sandstra 2014). Through the use of tools that provide analytics features such as LinkedIn, it is also possible for the organization to track the reception of the product by its consumers (Kirkman 2012). However, the stage that provides critical insights to inform future innovation is the customer feedback. Undoubtedly, customers are highly likely to give an opinion of the product or service. If an organization has developed an online platform that is engaging its followers, it becomes easy to encourage constructive feedback that can be used to inform future innovation for the firm. Use of Enterprise 2.0 Technologies in Social Media An equally important aspect of the social media innovation the use of Enterprise 2.0 technologies. Ideally, these technologies are used to support “communities of practice” . They are key drivers of innovators since they promote internal teaming and facilitate collaboration within the organization. (Nelson 2015, p. 27) notes that for an organization to show competitive innovation, there needs to be a strong supplier/partner collaboration. While this was a major hurdle to business in the past, the advent of social media tools has streamlined negotiations and deliberations between the various stakeholders and, subsequently, made it possible for corporations to initiate meaningful relationships with their suppliers. Moreover, Enterprise 2.0 programs have been instrumental in securing collaboration technologies and portals among businesses within the same niche (Pitta 2008). In this regard, some of the most commonly used platform include internal blogs and wikis, shared workspace, video conferencing and other social technologies such as SharePoint. Market Penetration of Social Media According to a research by Hou, Wang, & Liu (2010) on the penetration of product innovation in corporations, he found that only 43 percent of organizations in this case study had piloted the use of social media in their product innovation initiatives. He argued that leveraging the use of social media in product innovation was a relatively new concept to most entrepreneurs. His research was consistent with that of Zheng & Zheng (2014) who intimated that some of the organizations that adopted the use of social technologies to promote innovation failed due to lack of sufficient knowledge management and failing to integrate social media in the product innovation cycle (Kirkman 2012). Methodology For this research, the reliance will be chiefly on primary data. Factually, this data is more accurate and will provide first-hand information on the perception and attitudes towards social media within the selected population sample. The collection of data will primarily involve administration of survey questionnaires. This will involve a combination of both open-ended and closed question in order to capture the key research gaps that are under investigation in the research. The aim of the survey will be to investigate on whether organizations that use social technologies enjoy certain innovative advantages over those that have not adopted these technologies in their organizations. In this regard, the key concepts under consideration include whether social media has promoted new innovation ideas, faster time to access the market, and faster adoption of their products among others. The representative sample for the questionnaires will comprise of students, but validity of the questionnaires will be limited only to those who have been on attachment or internships at various organizations over the past one year. Since students work in diverse organizations over the holidays, this research will provide a comprehensive overview on how social media has impacted most organizations. Agreeably, the surveys on the university students will be classified as the quantitative research. However, the study will also comprise of qualitative research will involve oral interviews with three professionals in some of the nearby corporations. These interviews will seek to investigate to greater details the impact that social media has had on innovation from a managerial viewpoint. The data for the entire research will be analyzed through the use of MS Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program. Discussion of the Proposal Undoubtedly, the use of social media is bound to bring on board innovative changes to organizations that embrace this technology. As organizations seek to attain higher profitability and product innovation levels, they will inevitably require to leverage social media. To dispel the associated uncertainties, the use of social media will require to be not only interactive but also cognizant of the various organizational variables. This proposal provides a highlight of the key concepts that will be under consideration in the project. However, the integration of the critical researches will provide essential insights into a more detailed analysis that will not only capture the current trends but will also provide a projection on the future of social media technologies. As such, instrumental considerations will be on the applicability of the theoretical assertions into the practical social media framework. A conceptual framework detailing the dependent and independent variables will equally be evaluated and an in-depth discussion of the statistical analysis will be carried out. In this regard, correlation analysis on the selected variables will be conducted. Potential Problems From a critical viewpoint, one of the fundamental problems that could affect the results is the risk of homogeneity of the selected population sample (Leenders & Dolfsma 2015). While this is dependent on the precision of the questionnaires, the fact that the respondents are entirely students could have a slightly detrimental effect on the overall results. Another key challenge that could negatively impact the results is the limited timeline for carrying the research. The fact that the research period is limited due to academic stipulation means that more inclusive data is not gathered. In essence, the research could have involved more respondents from a more diverse background professionally and socially. Alternatives While not all aspects of the research can be subject to changes, one of the key areas that can be amended is on the selection criteria for the respondents. The preferred criteria was random sampling where the participants for the survey were chosen at random. A possible alternative would have been hand picking students from various departments based on a definite criteria. Ethical Challenges Ethical challenges are bound to occur mainly as a result of the code of conduct applied in carrying out the research. With regards to the study, some of the possible ethical issues that may arise include: 1. The participants are my own colleagues – This is certainly an ethical concern that can be addressed by encouraged the participants to give an unbiased opinion or response to any question in the study. 2. Another ethical concern is that the participants may be approached in a public space 3. The issue of security of the data presented is also an ethical challenge that should be amicably addressed. This mainly deals with the duration of retention and mode of disposal of the data References Bryant, P., Coombs, A. and Pazio, M 2014, ‘Are we having fun yet? Institutional resistance and the introduction of play and experimentation into learning innovation through social media’, Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2014(2). 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