Abstract

The social media tools have gained importance in today’s business environment due to the increasing complexity of the global business setting. Their use are increasing at the workplace, with employees spending more time on non-work related activities such as uploading and downloading pictures and checking on family and friends, at the expense of work. Using the National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF) Buea as a case study, this study seeks to assess the role of social media on the productivity of its employees. The Media Equation theory was used to provide an understanding of employees’ relationship with social media. The descriptive design was adopted in the study, while 56 respondents were purposively for the study. Data was collected primarily using structured questionnaire, and analyzed using Microsoft Excel as well as SPSS, in order to generate the descriptive and inferential statistics like frequencies, percentages and to test the hypothesis. The results were presented using tables and figures, as well as cross tabulations. The findings reveal that employees of NSIF use diverse types of social media, with E-mail, Facebook and Whatsapp being the widely used types. It also revealed that employees access social media through their smartphones, tablets and other personal devices multiple times during the day, in spite of the restrictions and existence of a social media policy. This leads to distraction at work and thus negatively affecting their productivity. Even though employees use the social media for work-related purposes such as: reach out to customers, maintain and strengthen communication with colleagues at work and obtain work related information and knowledge, the findings also revealed that employees spend much time, an average of 3 hours out of 8 hours of work time, on non-work related activities such as: chat with friends and family and upload and download images and videos. Based on these, this study recommends that adequate measures be implemented to avoid the use of mobile devices during working hours. The study concludes with a recommendation for further studies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides a background to the study and further states the problem of the research. It also states the research objectives and questions as well as the significance of the study. The chapter ends with a scope of the review and defines the key terms that would be used in the study.

1.1 Background To The Study

The world today is celebrating the improvements in communication technology which has broadened the scope of communication through Information and Communication Technologies (Osharive, 2015). Modern technology in connection no doubt has turned the entire world into a “global village”, with the social media considered as an exclusive tool that connects people around the world. According to Kaplan and Aronoff (2010), social media is “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, which allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content”. Social media provide the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.

The fact that social media has become such an essential part of the everyday human life is impressive, but it is not surprising. This is because the “social media revolution” today is nothing else than the internet going back to its roots (Simeon et al., 2011). It evolved from the manipulations of the underlying telecommunications systems such as the phone in the late 1950s. Later, the use of computer networking to facilitate new forms of computer-mediated social interaction was introduced and efforts to support social networks via computer-mediated communication were made in many early online services, such as Usenet, ARPANET, LISTSERV, and Bulletin Board Services (BBS). With the BBS, for example, users had to log in to perform functions like uploading and downloading software, exchanging messages with others through email and public message boards. These were used as a medium for social discussions on message board, for community-contributed file downloads and online games.

Although internet had existed as a network since the late 1960s, the World Wide Web became publicly available only in the 1990s. In the early 1990s, internet access was open only to those who had legitimate government/university/military connections (Varinder and Kanwar, 2012). But later, many private Internet Service Provider (ISP) came into being in areas like the United States of America, which gave millions of home computer users the opportunity to enjoy unfiltered and unlimited online services (traditionally, webmaster controlled which content was put online, but now the user controls the material, also known as “user-generated content”). This led to the development of new social networking methods, with many sites developing more advanced features for users to find and manage friends and share information (Romm-Livermore & Setzekorn, 2008).

The evolution of internet technology has led to its use as the best medium for communication over the globe, with over 200 active social networking sites using a wide variety of social networking models. Social networking sites (SNSs) are online communities of internet users who communicate with other users about areas of mutual interest, whether from a personal, business or academic perspective (William et al., 2009). The use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Skype, Snapchat, YouTube, MySpace, Vimeo just to cite these, have become widespread in recent years. For many, the use of these platforms has become a daily routine, particularly for younger generations who consider them an integral part of their social life. However, social networking is not only targeting young generation; it is tempting and hitting all age groups and generations. It has transformed the thought of global village into a reality whereby billions of people communicate. Andreas and Haenlein (2010) estimated that about two-thirds of the world’s internet population visit social networking or blogging sites. According to Avalos (2011), people no longer ask for mail addresses or mobile numbers but instead, ask for social network IDs for carrying on long-term contracts. The motives of social networking are different with persons; for example, people connect to Facebook and MySpace for personal reason, LinkedIn for professional purpose, and personalized Blogs for personal thoughts and viewpoint. According to Ehrlich (2011), the motive of using social networks can be changed, but the ultimate logic of connecting is building social contacts and sharing. Social networking is becoming a mandatory skill in life not just for individuals but also organizations (Ramirez and Nembhard, 2004; Hennig-Thurauetal, 2010).

The mobile industry has had a transformative effect on the social and economic development of Africa. Although internet access had been growing in the continent, access to social media received an enormous boost when the web-based services became available on mobile phones with internet capabilities, such as smartphones and other mobile gadgets with internet access.  GSMA (2013) reported an 18% annual growth in mobile subscription over five years and said it to be the fastest growing region globally. By mid-2013, there were 253 million unique mobile subscribers and 502 million connections. The growth in speed and stability and reduced prices of connectivity has taken away the hindrances to express and participate in the dynamic new internet. However, the use of online tools in the continent is still lacking behind in comparison to other parts of the world.

In Cameroon, the proliferation of the social media has been enormous in the past few years thanks to the increase in the number of mobile internet distributors (MTN, Orange, Nextel and Camtel) and sale of smartphones and other mobile gadgets that use the internet at lower rates. Social media is said to be mostly used by young people to express themselves on matters of private and public concerns. It has become a tool for like-minded social and political actors (such as advocacy groups, social movements, political parties, and civil society) who seek to mobilize supporters and promote specific issues (FES, 2014). Studies have also revealed that considerable interest is demonstrated on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, among others in Cameroon. According to FES (ibid), 562.480 people were using Facebook in Cameroon in 2012 with an increasing tendency. As for twitter, Douala was rated among the top 100 twit towns in Africa. Meanwhile, 188.438 people use LinkedIn in Cameroon as a professional network (FES, 2014). In comparison to traditional media, the social media in Cameroon gives a voice to those who otherwise might not have been listened to. Hence, it can be described as a medium to achieve sustainable social change. Unfortunately, like in other parts of Africa, social media in Cameroon is poorly developed because of insufficient internet access and poor connectivity.

The contemporary business world is faced with severe challenges on a global scale ranging from a financial crisis, increasing competition, dwindling and variable flow of natural resources such as oil, rising cost of living and reduced profits, and all these are affecting organizational productivity. Employees who are regarded as assets of the organizations have a more significant role to play to make organizations succeed in this ever-changing environment. According to Thao and Hwang (2015), Hutley (2009) and Pitt and Bennett (2008), increasing employee performance or finding out ways through which high level of employee’s performance can be achieved is the most critical factors influencing the overall organization’s productivity and the success of an organization in the competitive market. Thiyakesh and Sheeba (2016) define employees’ performance as the way to perform job tasks according to the prescribed job description. Various factors affect the employees’ performance such as leadership style, organization culture, organization structure, workplace environment, job stress, financial rewards and the social media. The rise of information technology coupled with the ever-expanding possibilities of the internet has ensured that emerging technologies like social media gain entry into the workplace.

The social media tools in today’s business environment have gained importance due to the increasing complexity of the global business setting which involves global co-workers, customers, and suppliers. Business processes have become so complex that social media tools must be automated because employees can no longer perform all the tasks required in the time available (Hutley, 2009). Organizations today are continually facing the challenge of contextualizing this phenomenon and its effects on the employees’ ability to perform tasks assigned to them, and the ability to draw boundaries between the personal and professional use of organizational information technology resource. Organizations practice social networking to build an employer-employee relationship by increasing employee’s skills, productivity, motivational level and knowledge. Businesses not only adopt the social media and use them to discuss their products and services (such as maintain pages on popular public social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and broadcast information about their products and services), they also use them to evaluate employees and manage their contributions to keep organization’s image high.

On the other hand, employees use social media in many different areas: they share information, create and manage pre-existing and new relationships in and out of the organization which can stimulate trust. Bennett et al., (2010) and Leidner, et al., (2010) argue that the use of social networking sites makes employees happier and more productive. However, social media also has its dark sides. According to Shepherd (2011) and Nucleus (2009) accessing social networking sites can lead to reduced productivity since they could be addictive and could lead to waste of time. Workers could be exposed to issues such as network insecurity, cybercrime, and pornography which could hamper the image of the organization. To address the problems of social media, organizations are formulating policies regarding their social networking, although this practice has dictated the use of arbitrary control and restriction (Flynn, 2012). It is thus vital to understand how employees and employers balance the role of social media to enhance employees’ performance and organization productivity.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Social media has made access to information as well as the exchange of vital information on time very easy and cost-effective. Its use is increasing in the workplace, with employees spending more time on social networking sites engaging in non-work related activities such as checking on family and friends, streaming and downloading music and video, checking sports scores, chatting with friends, reading and commenting on people’s statuses, perusing people’s gallery of photos and searching for friends. This is coming at a time when organizations on a global scale are faced with a multitude of challenges such as: how to enhance the productivity of the workforce to increase profits, avoid wastage and remain afloat (Shirky, 2008). The development of social media policies and internet use policies by most employers is at an early stage as most employers are unable to design proper policies, although the practice has dictated the use of arbitrary control and restriction (Flynn, 2012). To avoid time wastage, most employers or organizations have blocked social networking sites at the workplace. But with mobile internet and the increase in the number of social networking sites and their accessibility on mobile phones, it is increasingly difficult for employers and their IT technician to block these sites. As a result, most employers have opted to monitor their employees’ social media usage amidst an ethical debate on the right to do so. Proponents of monitoring argue that this is proper as the employer has the obligation of ensuring that productivity is enhanced and company time is not wasted or abused (Binshan & Wen, 1998). Using the National Social Insurance Buea, South West Region of Cameroon, this study seeks to know the role social media played at the workplace on employees’ productivity, by examining the uses and time spent on social media. The study also seeks to establish how organizations utilize various strategies to ensure employee productivity and organizational image are not compromised while employees use social media.

1.3 Research Objectives

General and specific objectives guide this research.

1.3.1 Main Objective

The main objective of the study is to assess the role of social media on employees’ productivity at the National Social Insurance in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The following specific objectives guide the study:

1. Identify the types of social media sites used by employees of the NSIF Buea and if this sites affects their productivity.
2. Examine the level of usage of social media on employee’s productivity at the National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF) Buea.
3. To find out the influence social media usage has on employee productivity at the National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF) Buea.