THE IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE SOCIAL NETWORKING IN ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

(A CASE STUDY OF GOURMET PIZZA COMPANY, ABUJA)

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the impact of effective social networking in achieving organizational goals using Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja as a case study. Specifically, the study was aimed at examining the level of awareness and utilization of social networking in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja; examine employers perception towards the use of social networking in achieving organizational goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja; and determine the impact of social networking in achieving organizational goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja. The study employed the survey descriptive research design. A total of 50 responses were validated from the survey. From the responses obtained and analysed the findings revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between social networking and achievement of organizational goals. This is as the Pearson correlation test showed a positive significant relationship (.896**) between social networking and achievement of organizational goals. The study therefore, recommend Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja and other organizatzions should endeavor to encourage social networking amongs staffs since this has high contribution to encouraging, achieving goals and promoting organizational sustainability.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background of the study

Communication is at the heart of managing relations with their publics. Organization should develop the relationships with their publics. Organizations, inform customers about new products and prices that remind them of their existing products and attempting to make a positive impact on their perception of using different communication tools. Also organizations communicate with various other stakeholders such as employees, government, suppliers, brokers and investors in their efforts to manage relationships for mutual benefit. Until recently, the nature of the message tended mainly to be clear.

A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for analyzing the structure of whole social entities as well as a variety of theories explaining the patterns observed in these structures. The study of these structures uses social network analysis to identify local and global patterns, locate influential entities, and examine network dynamics.

Some authors classify social networks studies as a sub field of complexity theory because researchers try to explain nonlinear organisational value of the living systems by examining interactions between nodes (Hammond and Glenn, 2004). These main scientific fields of inquiry have generated some tools to understand structure, organisational value and change of the networks.

Social network theory has taken the attention of a considerable number of theorists, researchers and several individuals who deal with the pragmatic aspects of the theory. The research on the interactions patterns between the elements is a major field of study in natural sciences. The efforts to explain organisational value of sub atomic particles (quantum physics), genetic studies, neurology and the field of ecology all focus on the networks which emerge from the relationships between different elements. Complexity theory as a new version of general systems theory mainly focuses on how the interactions lead to emergence and self-organization of micro and macro level living systems (Holland, 1995).

Social network impact focuses on the data which come from the interactions of the actors instead of using a collection of data from independent organisational values of the actors (Parkhe, Wasserman and Ralston., 2006: 561). The relationships of the actors with each other are very important in social network impact, because these patterns define the communication paths which transfer the information between individuals, groups and organisational value (Monge and Contractor, 2001:441-442).

The social network is a theoretical construct useful to study relationships between individuals, groups, organizations, or even entire societies (social units, see differentiation).

Much of the work that gets done in organizations is done through informal networks as well. Networks serve three important functions. First, they deliver private information. Second, they allow individuals to gain access to diverse skills sets. Third, they can help create power.

Organizations can conduct a social network analysis (SNA), a systematic effort to examine the structure of social relationships in a group. Their purpose is to uncover the informal connections between people. SNA dates back to 1934 when Joseph Moreno introduced the tools of sociometry.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Interactions of staffs in an organization goes a long way to enhance their level of productivity. When employees maintain good and cordial inter-personal relationships with fellow staffs, they tend to communicate values, help each other in their daily task and seek means of making sure that the day-to-day running of the firm is achieved and this necessitates the achievement of the organizational goals.

From a social networking stance to establish social relationships among intelligent objects, a new paradigm, social internet of things (SIoT), is recently proposed. By improving the level of trust between objects that are “friends” with each other, objects can start new acquaintances, exchange information, exploit other objects’ capabilities and collaborate toward a common objective (Atzori et al., 2014; Kang et al., 2014). Although the vision of SIoT is appealing, as a new concept, many of the feathers, benefits and challenges of SIoT are not well understood. Fortunately, most of SIoT characteristics are similar to those observed in social networks of humans (Atzori et al., 2012). Work-related advantages focus on strengthening professional and personal ties, promoting knowledge sharing and resource locating. Prior studies have provided exploratory insights into the capability of social network. However, their adoption in the workplace remains controversial.

Most organizations have ignored the potency of communication among staffs and has made the office environment to be to officious that employees hardly interact with each other in unofficially in the working environment. This in-turn has affected their after work life-style where they hardly relate with their superiors in a casual way sometimes. The negligence of social networking in organizations has led to many skilled employees with strategies that could help the organization to hide behind the bar and only keep repeating routine of working from Monday to Friday weekly without bringing up new ideas that will help take the organization to a greater height, due to there was no room for ideas-sharing and communication among staffs. Bureaucracy has taken over the operation of organizations that an employee will always find it difficult to relate his/her ideas to the superiors due to the processes involved to do so. With proper social networking in an organization, workers will find room to relate with their superiors properly during and after working hours. Hence, this study seeks to investigate the impact of Effective Social Networking in Achieving Organizational Goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The primary objective of this study is to examine the Impact of Effective Social Networking in Achieving Organizational Goals in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja. Specifically the study seeks to:

1. Examine the level of awareness and utilization of social networking in Gourmet Pizza Company, Abuja.

2. Examine employers perception towards the use of social networking in achieving