Be human.” These are virtues we all can agree on and that have specific meaning to those in the workplace. I recently came across the Social Media Policy at Best Buy and now use it as an example of sound social media policies.įirst, Best Buy sets the tone by saying, “Be smart. ![]() I also have searched for a model social media policy to discuss with students. I spend time in my ethics class discussing issues related to workplace ethics including the dangers of using social media as a tool to express one’s feelings about the organization or members of it, such as cyberbullying. My suggestion is to establish guidelines founded on the basic premise of integrity, or principled behavior, and establish a monitoring system that includes sanctions for noncompliance. In today’s technologically-drive world it is virtually impossible to stop employees from using social media in the workplace. When an employee uses social media in an irresponsible way either on behalf of the company or through personal social media, it can undermine the company’s commitment to ethical practice and expose it to integrity risk In a survey of large companies, the Institute of Business Ethics found that 6 of 7 respondents identified integrity risk as the main ethical challenge with regard to social media. A DLA Piper survey found social media is used for personal and work related activities by 95% of employees. The boundaries between personal and work life also become blurred as companies make use of social media for business purposes and employees access personal sites while at work. ![]() Social media blurs private/public boundaries when individuals’ personal information and opinions enter the public domain. Social media is usually interactive in a way that traditional media is not, which enables users to comment on and edit published material, making it difficult to control content. Its speed and scope means that once content is published it is available instantaneously, to a potentially global audience. Social media exhibits unique characteristics when compared to ‘traditional media’ forms. This includes, but is not limited to, Internet forums, networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus, webcasts and blogs. Social media is an umbrella term used to describe social interaction through a variety of technology based tools, many of which are Internet based. On November 11, I blogged about “Social Media, Civility and Ethical Responsibilities of Millennials.” Today I look at social media practices and the integrity risk to organizations inherent in those practices. ![]() Social Media Policies should be developed to protect the Individual and Organization
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