Research Design and Methodology
Purpose of the Study
The study purports to acquire knowledge and explain the correlation between the use of social media by employees and its impact on the company’s image. Thus the study shall put interest on how social media is managed by various sections of employees in an organization. In this study, time allocation will be adopted as the independent variable. This shall entail how time is apportioned and use amongst the various categories of social media. The organization’s image which is described as the company’s public relations will form the basis of the dependent variables. These variables shall be measured upon a 5 point interval Likert scale. This survey will seek to determine and help organizations which are presently interested in adopting a social media platform. This will be vital in implementation of the social media policy for these companies. The stated specific objectives are; first is to identify the behavior of employees using social media in the workplace. Secondly, the study will determine the associated problems with the current social media communication in organizations. Lastly, the research aims at providing guidelines for companies in the development and implementation of social media policies.
Data Collection
In this study, quantitative data will be collected in order to provide solutions for the research questions. Thus, the method of collection to be applied will be the use of questionnaires. This is regarded as the best method of collecting data since the researcher would opt to use online questionnaires since it might be difficult to reach all respondents physically (Blessing, 2009). A data extraction process is planned and a set of questions and numerical values will be developed and assigned to participants in a survey. The idea is to examine several aspects of the use of social media in the workplace as answered and responded based on certain queries from the survey. After quantitative data has been collected, an explanatory analysis will be carried out to identify use of social media by employees that are associated with the organizations' image.
These factors will include the use of social media by employees and be measured by : (1) the time allocated to social media usage while at work; (2) how is the time used on social media channels; (3) the types of online activities such as updating status or posting comment and/or photos specifically organization-related or employer-related stories; (4) the client base on the different types of social media developed by the company; (5) the effectiveness of social media platform in reaching out to client’s based on the allocated time. The diagram of the research design is as follows:
Correlation
Figure 3
Diagram to identify the activities that are responsible for the effects on organization's images
Data Analysis
In this study we shall apply a quantitative analysis approach which will be significant in drawing the desirable inferences of the study. This is a longitudinal case which requires exhaustive analysis so as to improve its reliability of use (Mackey & Gass, 2005). The analysis of data will take the approach of a multivariate analysis which is a form of statistics that comprises of the instantaneous observations and the investigation of more than one outcome variable (Marczyk, 2005). The research will therefore, form a detailed correlation amongst the various independent variables (IV) and the dependent variables (DV). This will help us in understanding the relationship between the IV and the DV which is critical in this study.
However, the study would also apply other approaches of analysis. For instance, the study would carry out an in depth regression analysis to help in understanding the close association of the time allocated on social media and the impact on the company’s image. A multiple regression analysis would also be adopted so as to identify the relationship of these variables and how they affect each other. Hence, the research will not be restricted to one method of analysis rather it will encompass a variety of the various qualitative methods of analysis. This will be in the quest to produce a highly analytical study for the purpose of use by other researchers and organizations (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). The overall research analysis will be facilitated by use of SPSS statistical package of analysis which will help in evaluating the different quantitative research methods.
The following demographics data will be collected and included in this study:
Target Group
The study will be focused majorly in New York City; this is attributed to the large population of about 20 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Hence, it forms a better research place than the other states which are characterized by fewer numbers of people. The target respondents for this research will be drawn from profit and non-profit organizations. This will be useful in ensuring that all aspects of the organization are addressed in the study. The researcher estimates that approximately 50 surveys will be carried out so as to ensure a high quality research that addresses the research problem. In specific terms close to ten questions will be formulated to assess the independent variables in the study. The questionnaires will be uniformly distributed online to workers in Manhattan, New York. The study will be interested in evaluating the thoughts and behaviors of employees with regard to the use of social media at the workplace. The formulation of questions will be done with respect to the research problem and questions. This will be to ensure that the responses received would be vital in tackling any issue that the study ought to find out.
References
Blessing, L., Chakrabarti, A., & Blessing, T. (2009). DRM, a design research methodology. Dordrecht: Springer.
Leedy, P., & Ormrod, J. (2005). Practical research: Planning and design. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.
Mackey, A., & Gass, S. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Marczyk, G., DeMatteo, D., & Festinger, D. (2005). Essentials of research design and methodology. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, April 14). State & county Quickfacts: New York City, N.Y. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov
