The influence of social media on organisational communication and organisational culture : a case study of the South African Social Security Agency in the Eastern Cape

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media has had a significant influence on how information is accessed. Social media platforms are highly accessible and scalable, making them ideal for connection and collaboration. The aim of this study was to provide the significance of the development of social media on communication in organisations, specifically the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). The main objectives of the study were to determine the effectiveness of social media as a communication tool at SASSA, identify which social media platforms were most effective in organisational communication at SASSA, and examine the relationship between social media and organisational communication and organisational culture at SASSA. Thereafter, recommendations were offered to SASSA on the adoption of social media as a communication tool. The study adopted a quantitative research approach, which comprised of a structured questionnaire that was distributed to the research respondents. The sample size was 140, which was derived from a target population of 210 employees through a simple random sampling technique. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.0 for Windows was used to analyse the data collected. The study also used descriptive statistics to analyse the responses collected from the questionnaires. The data was represented in the form of charts, graphs, and tables. The study found that organisational communication and organisational culture are considerably affected by the rapid expansion and implementation of social media for organisational-related services and activities at SASSA. The study recommends that organisations implement and standardise social media tools, which could lead to a strategy for improved and updated organisational cultures and communication. The study concluded with directions for future research on the role of social media on organisational communication and organisational culture.