The role of organizational identification and the desire to succeed in employees’ use of personal twitter accounts for work

• Published in: Computers in human behavior Vol. 100; pp. 26 - 34
• Main Authors: van Zoonen, Ward, Treem, Jeffrey W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elmsford Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Content analysis; Desire to succeed; Digital media; Information sharing; Organizational identification; Social media; Social networks; Twitter; Twitter; Desire to succeed; Social media; Organizational identification
• ISSN: 0747-5632; 1873-7692
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2019.06.008

This study aims to develop a better understanding of the potential drivers of personal social media use for work and the work-related information employees share through these platforms. This is important given both the increased use of social media as a form of self-presentation and the potential organizational consequences of workers' online knowledge and information sharing behaviors. The results draw upon a multi-method design combining survey data with content analysis data of workers’ personal Twitter accounts. Findings indicate that organizational identification and a desire to succeed are related to the sharing of two distinct types of work-related content on social media: Organizational information sharing and professional information sharing. This research extends our understanding of how workers might use social media to communicate to audiences in different ways, and how this activity is related to their perceived relationships to organizational and professional groups.
•Professional information sharing on Twitter is driven by a desire to succeed.•Organizational information sharing on Twitter is driven by identification.•The type of information workers share depends on their relationship to organizational and professional groups.•Public social media are hybrid spaces were professional and organizational information is shared.