Corporate Social Networking

A recent WSJ blog post discussed the use of social networking technology within large corporations. While the system was initially established in order for employees to share new ideas and allow information to flow freely throughout a company, the potential for misuse is very real.

Blue Shirt Nation allows Best Buy’s so-called Blue Shirts to swap ideas and problem-solve together. But that sometimes comes at the expense of their company. When the company tried to trim its employee discount, the Blue Shirts mounted a Blue Shirt Nation revolt that forced Best Buy to cancel its plans.

Despite having the best intentions, it's necessary for management to be aware of all the potential consequences that can result from embracing new web based technologies, especially when the flow of information is involved. While censorship of a internal social networking site would most likely make employees resent upper level management, there needs to be some sort of monitoring system in place in order to maintain a level of order within the organization.


http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/03/28/the-social-network-inside-your-company/?mod=WSJBlog