Online social networking and employee productivity

Throughout the history of Internet and information and communication technology (lCT) new technologies have evolved quickly and especially networked technologies have gained value from the individuals who apply these technologies. This paper reports the research findings of an investigation of the effects organisations may experience if employees are granted unrestricted access to online social networks. Recent studies by Casella and Hanaki (2008) and Murphy and Pauleen (2007) emphasise the management need to adapt to change that results from employees' use of networked technologies. In current workplaces that rely on intellectual capital to be successful in business, employees are a key source of knowledge and mainly responsible for intellectual capital growth. It is therefore argued in this paper that organisations should critically investigate the application of technology such as online social networking (OSN) in order to support employees in the processes required for knowledge creation. The research problem stated by this study aimed to investigate what the effect of social networking is on employee productivity within organisations and specifically within tertiary educational institutions. In addressing the research problem this paper will provide an overview of the literature review findings as well as the relevant empirical research findings with regard to what OSN entails; what the possible consequences are if employees are allowed access to online social networks without restriction; and how online social networks can contribute to the productivity of an organisation