Social Media as a Modern Tool of Project Management - Investigation of the impacts social media tools have on the role of project manager

The current global business environment is highly competitive and people have to adapt fast to the changing needs and requirements that in turn requires innovative and cost-effective ways of communicating, collaborating and sharing knowledge. Nowadays, social media has not only become an essential part of our society but it also evolved into a powerful tool that is shaping the way people practice project management. In order to ensure successful deliveries of projects, project teams and project managers are investing in various social media tools to add value to projects. The research sought to define the use of social media tools in project management within the creative sector in Sweden, and investigate the impact these tools might have on project managers. The study has explored the tools deployed in creative project management environment, the extent to which the following tools are used, as well as challenges and benefits project managers encounter with when implementing social media at work. The main research problem of the study is: “What social media tools are prevalent in the field of project management nowadays, and what attitude project management professionals express towards them?” The study applies a qualitative research method approach, including nine face-to-face semi structured interviews with project management professionals within different divisions of the creative sector in Sweden. Primary data is supported with the findings obtained through an online questionnaire. The outcomes of the two methods of data analysis are combined to gain a deeper understanding of the current social media trend in the context of creative project management. The researchers found that social media is indeed a useful tool for project managers; however, people still find it quite challenging to fully rely on social media tools when managing projects. The impact of social media is extensive, and different tools come with their own diverse benefits and drawbacks, which need to be considered first in order to ensure the most effective and beneficial outcome out of social media implementation. As social media is constantly evolving, in order to successfully put social media tools into action and make it work for a project it is important to continuously educate professionals regarding new trends and opportunities for social media at the workplace