Enterprise Social Media Impact on Human Resource Practices.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how individual attitudes towards using enterprise social media (ESM) impacts trust, explicit and tacit knowledge sharing as well as work performance in emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from a survey of 293 employed individuals in Lagos, Nigeria that work at organizations that have ESM systems. Findings: The authors find enterprise social media usage are significantly associated with trust. However, ESM use does not impact explicit or tactic knowledge transfer. Practical implications: The paper provides empirical evidence that individuals who perceive high levels of performance expectancy will engage in ESM usage which in turn increases trust amongst colleagues. Human resource managers can argue that by adopting ESM, they can facilitate improved trust and collaboration through online engagement amongst employees. This is important for multinational organizations wanting to expand into emerging economies where the organization and local workforce need to foster trust in knowledge sharing. Originality/value: There has been little evidence regarding HRM use of ESM in emerging economies. By understanding individual attitudes towards ESM and how the use impacts knowledge sharing, the academic discussions concerning use of technology to enhance knowledge sharing can continue to evolve.