Managing a "Social" Workplace

1) How should employers handle situations where employees are expressing negative opinions of the company via social media?

Social networking is an online platform that focuses on coordinating the the formation of social relations among people with like interest("Social networking,").Each user is represented by their profile and have opportunity to share and exchange information with members of similar interest. 

Here are some guidelines for handling social responsibility:

Exercise Confidentiality 

Ensure that information that is confidential to the organization is not shared. Determine what information is confidential and establish policy around it. Make sure everyone involved knows and is brief regarding this policy.Companies like Best Buy have used social media to address privacy concerns(Eridon, 2011). 

Productivity Clause

A productivity clause must be in place in an effort to actively monitor emplyee usage of social media in the workplace. How social media affects workplace productivity is a huge concern for organizations that are so highly co dependent on a systematic approach.

Common Sense Clause

Keep it very simple for employees by just encouraging them to use common sense. Often times a simple approach to evaluating content and social responsibility leads to an impactful adherence to this kind of clause.It's a simple concept but the most important when deciding which content to post. 

2) As an employer, how would you create a social media that policy that balances both employee rights and company interests, or would you simply choose to prohibit social media use on company time? If you choose the latter, please explain why.

Establish an Engagement Plan 

Establishing an engagement plan with employees leads to not only a stronger brand image but ensures active engagement between the organization and its public. Walmart sets the bar with its vast amount of active Twitter follows who happen to be employees(Eridon,2001).Walmart uses Twitter as a means to engage their consumers through their strong base of employees.

Share of voice 

Every organization must determine its share of voice in advance to avoid common sense mistakes(Eridon, 2011). Deciding who is going to share what within the organization is very important because it controls the tone and perception of the organization.It functions as damage control in a tragic situation. 

By establishing the above strategy with in an organization will allow an organization to control and monitor social media use without hindering "freedom of expression" of the employees. I feel that removing the right of employees to use or engage on social media would have an opposite effect. Creating a platform of engagement for employees to help strengthen and not damage the public image of the brand reinforces team work and liberty within the organization. 

Eridon, C. (2011, December 14). 5 noteworthy examples of corporate social media policies. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29441/5-Noteworthy-Examples-of-Corporate-Social-Media-Policies.aspx

Social networking. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mashable.com/category/social-networking/

"Don't Drop the Ball"

It is clear that the NFL needs to rethink it's PR strategy in terms of maintaining its public image. The recent Rice issue was catastrophic to the league's brand and the NFL needs to find a more meaningful way to balance it's media relations. Effective sports communication during a crisis is vital. The first step to an effective remedial PR strategy is to identify the problem, and preparing for a crisis is an even great tool to have the in the PR war chest(Liss,2002). In this particular case Rice compromised the public image of the brand. The issue here is that the NFL often limits the lack of credibility when it comes down to how they proceed with disciplinary actions. The "alleged" video in question clearly shows that Rice was indeed a culprit in a domestic violence situation, but how much background research went into previous incidents like the Plaxico Buress gun case? 

There needs to be a streamlined means of protocol when handling such cases.This way all the necessary evidence can be gained in a manner to which a more justifiable assessment can be made and effectively communicated to the public. It is within this research and evidence gathering that a carefully crafted message can be generated and delivered in a purposeful manner to the public.  By building a crisis management strategy, organizations can create an infrastructure, a plan, and a process to respond to crisis.(Liss,2002). This blueprint must be adhered to and rehearsed in order to maximize it's effectiveness (LIss,2002). Public opinion is a great measurement tool in terms of evaluating whether a PR strategy was effective. Public perception is everything. If a PR campaign is effectively executed, than the fruits of that campaign will demonstrate a influence of positive perception among consumers while protecting the image of the brand. 

I do believe the NFL should release arrest information. From a PR standpoint they really don't have a choice. Because arrest are a matter of public record, a brand needs to be very cautious as to get ahead to the release of that information so that it can create some sort of damage control. In other words, you wouldn't want the ball dropping before you had a chance to catch it.  

Liss, D. (2002, January 1). Crisis Management | Brand Image | brandchannel.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.

"Finding the Pain"

According to Kerpen, "you must be willing to embrace the good with the bad"(p.75).He suggest that if an organization cannot handle the negative comments that may potentially surface, that organization is not ready for social media(Kerpen, 2011).He also suggest that social media comments are the "new comment cards"(p.76).

The biggest take-away was the implementation of the do-not-delete rule, unless of course offensive, profane, or threatening language is used(Kerpen, 2011). Deleting comments could lead towards creating a fire storm and social media domino effect that could result in worst circumstances than the initial negative comment alone. Kerpen gives the example of "Johnny Customer", where he demonstrates the ricochet effect of not addressing the issue of the consumer and how this approach makes the consumer feel de-valued as a customer.

Kerpen also suggest that no response is also a response because an organization may be afraid of the giving the comment to much credibility(Kerpen,2011). Kerpen recommends that quick responses are the best responses; it sends a message that "you're an organization that handles matters promptly" (p.79).

If a company is struggling with a poor versus good comment ratio, I would recommend that they first take a look at their internal and external operations. If the bad comments are outweighing the good, this may be a sign that there are some issues occurring throughout the organization that are now manifesting themselves in the public. For example: if a freight/shipping company continually receives negative comments about efficient delivery, a company can respond all day in a helpful tone to the comment. However, if the problem is not fix at the core of the organization nothing will change the experience of the consumer.


Listening is where you "find the pain". Consumers have needs, and if you listen intently without any pre-meditative motives, you can often find the route of the problem and begin to piece together a solution. It's only through listening that a company can discover the deepest desire of the consumer. Once this information is received than a plan can be implemented to create a better sense of value for the consumer. Kerpen recommends that a company formulate a social media strategy plan in an effort to combat the criticism is the most effective way to managing the social media relationships that are created between a company and it's consumers(Kerpen, 2011). Making listening an element in this strategy is crucial.


Kerpen, D. (2011). Likeable social media: How to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and be generally amazing on facebook (& other social networks). New York: McGraw-Hill.