Social Media in the Workplace: Key Drivers for Inclusive Innovation

The recent decade has witnessed a mass proliferation of information systems enabled, community-based, social networking. Such proliferation has contributed to seismic social and political movements around the globe, but is yet to make a noticeable imprint in business organisations. While many researchers and practitioners have advocated the transition of social media to the organisational sphere, the actuality of this transition is still deficient, necessitating thorough investigation. Consequently, this study addresses this pressing issue by first, presenting a vantage point on the theoretical and practical underpinnings of social media and the revolutionising role they stand to play in organisations. An empirical case study is then presented highlighting the actual diffusion and utilisation of social media in a regional branch of a global consultancy and audit firm. The findings hold important implications as they identify key drivers contributing to the successful diffusion of social media in organisations, and their corresponding utilisation for enabling an inclusive and innovative environment in the workplace.