Social Networks' Implications on Organizations Term Paper

The use of Web 2.0-based technologies to enable higher levels of collaboration throughout an organization is called Enterprise 2.0 (McAfee, 2006). Implicit in Enterprise 2.0 is authenticity, transparency, and trust anchoring the Web as the platform for sharing information. The Web 2.0 Meme Map (O'Reilly, 2006), which is serving as the blueprint for many of the social networking applications in use today, illustrates the key factors changing the social responsibilities, ethical issues and implications for human resources departments.

Knowledge has also had a great deal of political power associated with it in organizations (Parise, 2009). Social networks are forcing a more egalitarian-based approach to the distribution of knowledge. Only by doing this can organizations and governments become more trusted. Only through trust can any company or organization growth and prosper.

Conclusion

The politics of information and knowledge need to be more carefully managed by human resources than ever before.It is no longer just an internal issue, as social networks are making it possible for both the good and the bad to be known quickly about any organization. Establishing standards for social networking participation helps, yet changing the mindset in an organization of service and focusing on customers helps. Ultimately social networks act as a means to either gain or lose trust with the public and customers. For the human resources departments the challenge is to change the cultures of their companies to reflect this new freedom and the responsibilities that come with it.

Appendix

Appendix a: Web 2.0 Meme Map

References

Bernoff, J., & Li, C.. (2008). Harnessing the Power of the Oh-So-Social Web. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 36-42.

Andrew P. McAfee. (2006). Enterprise 2.0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration. MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(3), 21-28.

Tim O'Reilly. (2006, July). Web 2.0: Stuck.....