The workplace is one of the complex environment in the modern organizations. One of the question that causes various issues is whether the manager should be a friend with the subordinate. The relationship and friendship between managers and subordinates should be defined and bounded. The managers should be a friend with subordinates only on work dimensions. Other sorts of friendship should be prohibited (Breakenridge 25). Being friends with employs outside workplace domains prevent managers and subordinates from achieving their full potential. Managers should not be friends with subordinates because it creates an avenue for reluctance to discipline subordinates who are friends and causes appearance of favoritism. If there is no room for such instances in the workplace, then managers can be friends with subordinates (Brice 15). In fact, friendship to some extend creates a good working environment. Friendship that is personal should be avoided.
It is worth noting that issues of passwords is critical in the society. Candidates or athletes should not surrender their passwords for employment/playing sports. These are based on the fact that surrendering passwords allow responsible stakeholders to monitor the private life of athletes and candidates. The trend of surrendering passwords has increased, yet it goes against the privacy rights of individuals (Frank 20). The constitution protects individuals against the violation of privacy. There it is the constitutional rights for athletes or candidates to keep their passwords. Those who support athletes and candidates move to surrender passwords asserts that sponsors and donors are always monitoring what the players comment on social media. Hence, it is necessary for coaches and other stakeholders to monitor their comments and updates. From a constitutional perspective, it is unconstitutional for candidates or athletes to surrender their passwords (Frank 37). First Amendment protects athletes or candidates ability to enjoy freedom of expression. Institutions and employers should respect the First Amendment.
Employers endure to struggle with the issue of social media use in the workplace. In this case, employers have to focus on employee satisfaction, productivity, compliance, and security. The employees should be allowed to use social media at work. It is worth noting that employees are the biggest advocate in the workplace; hence, allowing them to use social media makes them engage in the social sites of the organization. These facilitates are sharing of information that are useful to the organization. It also shows some degree of trust (Breakenridge 45). Allowing employees to use social media at workplace demonstrate an aspect of responsibility and ability for employees to manage their work. Studies show that employees produce more when they are allowed to use social media at work. Major companies in the world have reported positive results when the employees are encouraged or allowed to use social media at work. The future of organizations and business is networking, and social media are a platform to create networks. Employees who use social media remain competitive in the organization. Blocking social media in the workplace does not solve the problems or make employees work more. Organizations should only emphasize on ethics, duties and responsibility standards in the workplace.
Social media are an avenue that people interact are share ideas. It is worth noting that employees are connected to the company, and they are also independent and have a private life. The definition of the two should be comprehended by both the organization and employees. Employees should not be fired for their posts because the constitution protects them. The posts of employees are part of their private life and opinion (Brice 13). The First Amendment protects individual from government; meaning that private companies still have a loophole. In addition, what employees post should not matter since they have the right to complain about the job. The organization should use the posts of employees to enhance the performance of the organization. If the employee posts are within the contract and employment agreement, then they should not be fired (Brice 16). Employees who reveal the secrets of the company or break the contract agreements should be fired. The posts of employees should not affect the organizations brand name or performance.
In the general perspective, social media have brought many changes in the workplace. Candidates or athletes should not surrender their password because it is part of their private life. Social media can work positively or negatively to organization. Personnel should be permitted to use social media at work, but they should limit their comments to their personal life. Social media are the future of businesses. The posts that employees share on social media should not affect the organization. They should not be sacked for what they post because they have the right to share their personal opinions.
Works cited
Breakenridge, Deirdre. Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the Pr Professional. Upper Saddle River, N.J: FT Press, 2012. Print.
Brice, Roger, Samuel Fifer, and Gregory Naron. "Social Media In The Workplace: The NLRB Speaks." Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal 24.10 (2012): 13-17. Business Source Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.
Frank, LoMonte. Fouling the First Amendment: Why Colleges Cannot and should not Control Student Athletes Speech on Social Media. Journal of Business & Technology Law, Volume 9 Issue 1, 2014
