NABET, NABET 2014 FACULTY

Font Size: 
Perceptions of Social Networking in the Age of Technology
Lou Sabina, Michele L. Langbein

Last modified: 2014-10-24

Abstract


Social networking has radically changed our society. Information on an individual is easily accessible to anyone with the ability and necessary knowledge to seek it out. For example, if you perform a Google search on either of the authors of this paper, over 150 unique hits are returned. This can become a problem for recent college graduates, who have the responsibility of presenting themselves in an acceptable manner in their initial positions, where colleagues, subordinates, and executives can search for virtually any information on their new co-worker.  Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and online dating sites broadcast personal information from anyone willing to use their services, which can aide individuals in finding positions, but also reveal personal information that might create a bias that can impact their perceptions from colleagues.  The challenge then becomes determining what information to reveal on social networking websites or even to use them at all.  This paper will provide a comprehensive literature review on the research that has been done on social networking in organizations and the impact it has had on decisions involving staffing.  Through this literature review, a framework will be presented that addresses some of the considerations that organizations may face when enacting policy and determining what should be considered acceptable and unacceptable behavior.


Keywords


social networking, privacy, Google, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, background checks, human resources