The Impact of Social Computing/Social Networking on
Employee Productivity in the Pharmaceutical Industry
by
Nevashni Gounden
MINI DISSERTATION
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
At the
REGENESYS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Supervisor: Patrick Mupambwa
August 2016
ABSTRACT
The application of social computing technology has reached a higher notch to be
relevant to more diverse areas, pharmaceutical industries not excluded. This paper
aims at exploring some of the areas of a continuum between the social networking and
pharmaceutical industries including the most current developments that have worked for
the advantages or disadvantages to the industries as they use the social networking in
their industries, especially with regard to employee performance. A quantitative
research method was used as a basis for understanding as well as making inferences
regarding the use of social computing/social networking towards improving employee
productivity in pharmaceutical organisations especially that one that is intending to
employ an enterprise-wide or corporate social computing platform. The target
population consisted of organisational employees from all levels departments or
divisions working in the pharmaceutical industry. The total sample was 100 people, and
all of these participants were directly affiliated with pharmaceutical organisations (all of
them were employees in the pharmaceutical industry). Multiple regression analysis was
applied to determine the significance of relationships between the dependent variable
(employee productivity) and each of the independent variables. The findings of the
study indicated that social network platforms do connect people, and the platforms
make it easy for these employees to stay linked to each other. Moreover, my research
based on findings concluded that a good number of respondents are satisfied with using
social networking to know people outside their workplace.
I
DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK
I, Nevashni Gounden declare that this research report is my own, unaided work. It is
submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters in Business
Administration
at
Regenesys
School
of
Business
Management,
Sandton
in
Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any
other university or educational institution.
Nevashni Gounden
31 August 2016
Name
Date
II
Table Of Contents
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... I
DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK........................................................................... II
TABLE OF CONTENT.................................................................................................... III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. VI
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ VII
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
1.1
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1
1.2
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ...................................................................... 1
1.3
PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................... 4
1.4
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY .............................................................................. 5
1.5
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ................................................................................ 5
1.6
RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................. 5
1.7
RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................ 6
1.8
DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 6
1.9
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................ 7
1.10 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................ 8
1.11 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 8
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 10
2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 10
2.2 SOCIAL NETWORKING IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY .................... 10
2.3 DRIVERS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
................................................................................................................................... 13
2.3.1 Increased internet access .............................................................................. 13
2.3.2 Increased Smartphone Usage ....................................................................... 14
2.3.3 Customers’ use of Social Networking Platforms ........................................... 15
2.3.4 Marketing made Easier .................................................................................. 16
2.4 SOCIAL NETWORKING AND EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY ............................. 17
2.5 RISKS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY . 21
2.6 EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING .................................................. 25
2.7 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 27
III
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 29
3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 29
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN .......................................................................................... 29
3.2.1 Research Approach and Methodology ........................................................... 29
3.3 RESEARCH POPULATION ................................................................................. 31
3.4 SAMPLE .............................................................................................................. 32
3.4.1 Sample Methodology ..................................................................................... 32
3.4.2 Sample Size................................................................................................... 32
3.5 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT ................................................................................. 34
3.5 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES ................................................................... 34
3.7 DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................. 35
3.8 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY .............................................................................. 36
3.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION ............................................................................... 37
3.9 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 38
CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS ............................................................. 39
4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 39
4.2 PRESENTATION ................................................................................................. 39
4.2.1 Knowledge Sharing ........................................................................................ 40
4.2.2 Individual Productivity .................................................................................... 42
4.2.3 Commitment to Organisation ......................................................................... 45
4.3 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 48
CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS ............................... 50
5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 50
5.2 ANALYSIS OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS ...................................................... 50
5.3 ISSUES IDENTIFIED ........................................................................................... 53
5.2.1 Knowledge sharing ........................................................................................ 53
5.2.2 Individual Productivity .................................................................................... 55
5.2.3 Commitment to the Organisation ................................................................... 57
5.3 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 59
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................... 61
6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 61
IV
6.2 SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ................................................ 61
6.3 FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY ........................................................................... 62
6.3.1 Findings from Literature Review .................................................................... 62
6.3.2 Findings from Primary Research ................................................................... 63
6.4 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 65
6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................ 66
6.6 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ................................................... 67
6.7 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 68
REFERENCE LIST........................................................................................................ 69
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 72
Appendix A: Survey Instrument.................................................................................. 72
V
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would kindly like to extend a special thank you to my late Father, Vino Gounden, for all
his love, support and guidance from heaven, and to my dearest mother for always
standing by my side.
To my Company, Imperial Health Sciences, for investing and believing in me. To my
mentor, Mike Harrigan, you were my belief and strength through the most challenging
life lessons faced, and I am extremely grateful to have you inspire my life daily.
To my extended family and friends, thank you for all your support and love. To my dear
God, thank you for blessing me with all these amazing people in my life, for giving me
health and strength.
VI
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Knowledge Sharing ...................................................................................... 41
Table 4.2: Productivity (Individual) ................................................................................ 43
Table 4.3: Commitment to Organisation ........................................................................ 46
Table 4.4: KS, ID and OC .............................................................................................. 47
VII
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.1: Knowledge Sharing ..................................................................................... 40
Figure 4.2: Productivity (Individual) ............................................................................... 42
Figure 4.3: Commitment to Organisation....................................................................... 45
Figure 4.4: KS, ID and OC .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
VIII
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Employee productivity is something that is never taken for granted in an organisational
set up because of its impacts and repercussions on an organisation’s profits and
reputation. Organisations often take very stun actions against individuals who are
deemed inefficient or those whose productiveness has decreased. A significant number
of organisations often conduct employee assessment where each employee’s efficiency
is analysed over a certain period, and action is taken against those who do not meet or
satisfy the organisation’s requirements. In many organisations, employee assessment
drills help to provide one’s output over a given period which is then compared to the
average of the output of all the employees who do a similar job. An organisation’s
success is heavily dependent on its workforce’s productivity and hence employee
productivity is indeed an important consideration. Organisations invest much money in
research, especially with regards to their employees' productivity and most of these
investigations often involve identification of any hurdles or barriers to maximising their
workforces’ productivity. This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the background,
problem statement, purpose, research objectives, research questions, research design,
delimitations and importance of the study. Moreover, the chapter provides an outline of
the entire dissertation in terms of the chapters that are covered in an effort to achieve
the purpose of the study.
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Social networking has been in existence since the inception of society. Human beings
have always wanted to live in social environments and always like to interact and share
a joke, a prayer, business ideas, and school work in the case of students. All these fit
and should be categorised as social networking. However, since the inception of social
networking sites, social networking has indeed changed, and most of it have been
shifted to the internet. In just a decade, social networking sites have managed to
1
change or turn social networking from just a niche online activity to a huge phenomenon
that has attracted and connected millions if not billions of people through the Internet.
Currently, people access the social network wherever they are i.e. at work, at home, on
business trips, and this has led to many questioning whether organisations stand to
benefit from the prevalence of online social networking in the workplace. Several
studies have been conducted, and of course as is always the case, there are those who
agree, and there are equally those who do not. This study explores the impacts that
social networking or computing has on employees’ productivity in the pharmaceutical
industry specifically (Aguenza, 2012).
Social computing has grown rapidly in a short span of time, unlike other Internet
industries. It has made it possible for many people to be connected and it has also
directly influenced many social activities among its users. Just recently, it was one of
the most used tools of political change in North Africa and the Middle East. Its use has
completely crisscrossed all sectors of the world, and it is still being used in more and
more sectors. In Africa, specifically, mobile culture has grown tremendously, and this
has contributed to the rapid increase in the use of social media. Interest in social media
has grown very fast in Africa. Mobile internet and social media have been on upward
trend in Africa, and organisations have also jumped on this bandwagon. According to
Essoungou (2010), Africans spend a lot of their time on social media sites or platforms
and most of them are always either reading the news, posting their research queries
and also sending or reading emails. Infrastructure issues persist, but some countries in
Africa have changed and invested many resources in improving their infrastructure
conditions. High costs and poor connectivity issues were persistent in many African
countries, but some governments and private organisations have changed this. Many
Africans are at the moment able to access very fast Internet and conduct their activities
with minimal disturbance.
Any new thing or phenomenon that comes to the world always has a downside. IT led to
the inception and adoption of social networking sites that as said before significantly
2
shifted social networking to the Internet. Problems have indeed ensued, and many
companies are wary of this. Social media sites have revolutionised and in a way
changed the way organisations operate and communicate (Aguenza, Al-Kassem and
Mat Som, 2012). Organisations have been looking (with major, minor and negligible
successes) for ways on how they can take advantage of this social networking trend
which promises greater, interactivity, immediacy, and transparency. Employees have
been caught up in the social media frenzy, and many have embraced it wholeheartedly
in the workplace. However, there are implications on the employee’s productivity, and
managements need to be alert, and policies guiding the use of these sites and platforms
should indeed be enacted. Like any new invention or idea, problems always arise
sooner or later and in this case, these problems seem to be genuine, and they should
not be ignored.
Pharmaceutical organisations relate to the production and sale of drugs and medicine to
customers. It is an arena that has seen tremendous growth over the years. Knowing
how best to merge new inventions and new ideas into one’s forte could yield major
benefits, but one should always tread with caution. There is always a catch in every
deal and people as well as organisations reap differently. The Internet has traversed all
types and categories of businesses and even in pharmaceutical organisations; its use
cannot be disregarded or disparaged. However, employers have been dealing with
employees’ Internet use through the organisation’s ICT infrastructures, and this has led
to the employment of acceptable use policies in combination with other defence
mechanisms to effectively manage Internet use (Ferreira and Plessis, 2009). The
advent of social networking brought with it newer problems. People have different
opinions about social networking and in this dissertation; the positive and adverse
effects of social networking in pharmaceutical organisations will be analysed.
The pharmaceutical industry in Africa is not as big and as old as the pharmaceutical
industry either in the United States, Europe, and some parts of Asia. Compared to the
rest of the world, one can fairly say that the pharmaceutical industry in Africa is in its
3
‘larvae’ stage while in the United States and Europe is in its ‘adult’ stage. The problems
that the two sets of industries are very different and while in the United States and
Europe they have been able to integrate and effectively use social networking to their
advantage, Africa is still struggling with ICT infrastructure issues. Investment in IT
infrastructure is imperative to the growth of many sectors of the economy, and African
states need to show some urgency in their quest to make Africa an Information
Technology hub. The gain dwarfs the time and money used, and concerning the other
parts of the world that have invested in the IT sector, Africa stands to gain. Industries
stand to benefit regarding increased markets, faster access to new information,
increased information sharing, and also active customer outreach mechanisms. Social
networking can indeed help with these but there are prevalent problems that companies
need to be wary of, and one of the issues that many researchers have cited is its effect
on employee productivity (Lebherz, 2009).
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
There are risks and challenges that social networking platforms pose on organisations
and they should not be ignored but should be delineated and addressed proficiently.
Accountemps (2010) and Nucleus (2009) did concur that there is a high likelihood of
loss of employee productivity as a result of the use of social networking sites in the
workplace. Both cited the time wastage as their basis of their reasoning and conclusion.
The study conducted by Nucleus (2010) revealed that there is a 1.5 percent in loss of
productivity as a result of the use of social networking sites. Social media can be used
to advance an organisation and the productivity of employees, but it can also lead to
loss of the same if checks and balances are not in place.
In an industry, such as pharmaceutical, there is much information that could be shared
and a lot of new markets that could be conquered, but this all depend on how best an
organisation masters and uses their employees’ quest for the social network. In Africa,
social networking is not a new phenomenon and organisations are wary of its effects on
their employees. Are employees becoming less productive due to their use of social
4
networking platforms or do organisations benefit from their online activities? This
research will explore this area, and provide an answer to this question, with a particular
focus on employee productivity in pharmaceutical organisations in Africa.
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The goal of this study is mainly to explore whether social computing or networking has
any impact on employee productivity. This research will seek to discover whether social
networking use at the workplace negatively or positively impacts employees’
productiveness. The foremost focus of this dissertation will be on pharmaceutical
organisations in the Republic of South Africa.
1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The research’s objectives are:
i.
To investigate the general perception on the impacts of social computing/
networking on employee productivity.
ii.
To specifically investigate the impact of social networking on the productivity of
pharmaceutical organisations’ employees.
iii.
To assess how best organisations can maximally exploit social networking to
better their employees’ productivity.
iv.
To provide recommendations based on the research findings for businesses and
employees operating and working in the pharmaceutical industry.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study aims to answer the following research questions:
i.
What are the general perceptions or view of social computing or social
networking and its impacts on employee productivity?
ii.
How is the productivity of employees impacted by social computing in the
pharmaceutical industry?
iii.
Can organisations benefit from the impacts of social computing/networking to
their employees’ productivity?
5
iv.
What are recommendations based on the research findings for businesses and
employees operating in the pharmaceutical industry?
1.7 RESEARCH DESIGN
A research design is characteristically the strategy that the researcher chooses to adopt
in his quest to add new knowledge and also a new perspective on existing or new
literature. Researchers often take much time before choosing their preferred research
methodology as well as a research instrument. However, due to some factors such as
cost, time, and geographical proximity, researchers are most of the time forced to settle
for instruments that do not enhance their study’s credibility. When conducting one’s
research, it is always advisable to make one’s research as credible as possible or to
make it easy for one’s findings to be generalised. However, this is often not possible if
the researcher selects only one instrument.
In this study, the quantitative research design was considered where the target
population included employees working in the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the
study was a non-experimental research method where the data was collected from
randomly selected sample of employees working in the pharmaceutical industry and
analysed by use of statistical means. In this study, the researcher opted for
questionnaires. The questionnaires were sent to the sampled respondents by use of
email since it is fast and cost effective. This, of course, makes it easy for the researcher
and give him/her time to work on other areas of the research as he or she awaits
answers. Questionnaires were also preferred because they are cheap to administer and
can also be distributed to many respondents at the same time.
1.8 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The following are the delimitations in this research:

The use of questionnaires as the only method of data collection is a delimitation
in itself. The potentially high non-response case is one of the major
disadvantages of using questionnaires as a data collection method. Researchers
6
have had to grapple with this issue for a very long time because some
respondents fail to respond or answer the questionnaires or give them back after
answering. Use of questionnaires also takes away the opportunity of seeking for
clarification on some of the answers that respondents have provided.
Researchers often have the option of supplementing their main instruments with
other methods of data collection, but due to time and cost constraints, the
researcher is forced only to use one.

Only one country was selected as the population for this study. This was of
course affected by cost issues, and the researcher was hence forced only to
settle for one country. This, of course, will only limit the use of this research to
the chosen country, but this study can still be used as a reference point by other
researchers in other nations.
1.9 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
Studying the effects of social networking is paramount for some reasons. Firstly,
management of pharmaceutical organisations can benefit from understanding the
relationships in this particular study. Understanding the correlation between social
networking use and employee productivity can go a long way in helping the
organisations make crucial decisions of either completely allowing or disallowing use of
social networking platforms within the organisation’s premises. Organisations,
regardless of industry, are always looking for ways to improve their workforce’s
productivity and in the case, that use of social networking helps, then organisations
stand to benefit the employees, and other stakeholders.
Secondly, this study also contributes to the social computing or networking and
employee productivity literature. Generation of new knowledge is the other importance
of research, and this dissertation will provide new perceptions and new insights with
regards to impacts of social networking on the productivity of employees in the
pharmaceutical industry.
7
1.10
OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
Chapter 1: Introduction: - this chapter leads the topic under study and also provides
the direction, objectives, and motive behind the researcher’s choice of topic.
Chapter 2: The Literature Review: - This chapter examines the relevant previous
literature on the topic at hand. The assumptions and perceptions, which other
researchers have on social computing or networking and its impact on employee
productivity, will be highlighted in this section.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology: - The research methodology and design that will
be adopted for this research will be presented. Here the researcher will discuss the
research approach, the research techniques adopted, the criteria for sample selection,
and finally the techniques adopted for data analysis.
Chapter 4: Presentation of Results/Findings- The assembled data will then be
presented, analysed, and interpreted by use of apt analytical tools.
Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion of the Results: - This chapter discusses the
implications and the meaning of the presented data. Here about the literature review,
the results will be debated.
Chapter 6: The Conclusion and Recommendations: - A detailed conclusion of the
study is presented here, and the researcher provides a summary of the study objectives
and also the main findings of the paper. Recommendations with regards to future
research on the topic at hand will also be presented.
1.11
CONCLUSION
This chapter provided a detailed discussion of the focus of this study by elaboration on
the research objectives, the research questions as well as explaining the problem that
motivated the researcher to undertake the research study. The main objective of the
study was to examine the Impact of Social Computing/Social Networking on Employee
Productivity in the Pharmaceutical Industry. In terms of the research design, the
researcher sought to use quantitative surveys where questionnaires were employed in
the collection of data which can answer the research questions. There is a dearth of
empirical research on topics involving the impact of social computing/networking on
8
employee productivity, but that does not mean that it is not worth the researchers’ time.
The topic at hand is indeed very relevant and more time and resources should be put
into it. Several things stand out in this study: employee productivity is indeed imperative
in any organisation, social networking has traversed many places, and three employees
are using social networking platforms even while at their workplaces.
9
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Relevant literature will be examined in this chapter. The main focus of this chapter will
be how social networking is being used in the pharmaceutical industry, the drivers of
social networking or computing in the pharmaceutical industry, the link between social
networking and employee productivity, the significance and the risks of social
networking in the workplace, and finally how the effects of social networking could be
measured. Ever since its inception, social networking has completely changed the way
we live and communicate with each other. Whether we are at home, at work, or at
school, we have conjured new ways of doing things especially socialising. According to
Aoun and Vatanasakdakul (2012), social networking platforms have enabled people to
build virtual communities and connect with like-minded individuals in all sectors. The
pharmaceutical industry, like all sectors, has felt the impact of social networking, but
one question still needs to be answered, is it positively or negatively impacting the
productivity of employees? Researchers who have done this study have come up with
varying findings. Some say that with the control of the management, social networking
could be an asset and not a liability while others disagree (Bennet et al., 2009). Toning
it down to specifically focus on the pharmaceutical industry, the results have been as
varied as those of other industries. The subsequent sections help to expound and
elucidate on the issues above.
2.2 SOCIAL NETWORKING IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
The pharmaceutical industry has been a bit behind when it comes to social networking
but recently, the industry has taken steps to ensure that it also reaps the rewards of
incorporating social networking, (Cahill, 2012). Social networking has changed the way
organisations interact with their customers, and there is no industry that wants to pass
this chance (Shaw, 2010). The pharmaceutical industry is slow in adopting new
technology and even in the case of social networking; it is the slowest of all the sectors.
Many organisations in the pharmaceutical industry fear tainting their image and
10
reputation, and hence avoid social networking at all costs (Clifford, 2009). This
sensitivity to criticism has made the whole industry seem oblivious to what is happening
in the world of social networks. Even though this is the case, some organisations within
the industry have decided to break away from this norm (Steele, 2012).
Organisations in the pharmaceutical industry have realised that patients are seeking
information from social networking sites. Customers often respond well to the
organisations that seem to care and respond to their calls and queries (Lebherz, 2011).
In the pharmaceutical industry, organisations know that customers are the most
important people. Therefore, they need to be treated like they matter and have their
concerns taken care of by the organisations. After developing symptoms for a certain
disease, technology savvy patients like to visit health forums and seek further
information on their conditions. Organisations in the pharmaceutical industry have been
hesitant to take part in these forums and offer their opinion, and some attribute their
failure to the strict guidelines of health agencies. These agencies are keen on ensuring
that certain information is kept from the public domain, and pharmaceutical
organisations are expected to abide by these guidelines (Zgheib, 2014).
According to a report by Ogilvy Healthworld Highlights (2016) (leader in Integrated
Social Media Marketing), the pharmaceutical industry is slowly warming up to the idea
of social networking. Many organisations in the industry have realised its importance
and have decided to embrace it. Social networking is not old, but its popularity has
surprised everyone. People have taken it up, and employees even use social
networking sites while at work. The pharmaceutical industry is not any different.
Employees want to be connected with their friends and family even when they are
working. This brings about a hurdle for the managers because they are left to figure out
how best to curtail this culture (Nucleus, 2009).
While speaking at the Medicine 2.0 World Congress on Social Media and Mobile Apps
in October 2014,
Matis-Mitchell (2014) expressed deep concerns over the
11
pharmaceutical companies’ hesitation to be more involved in social networking through
the various platforms.
Matis-Mitchell (2014) noted that patients first refer to online
sources to seek more information about their conditions, but many end up frustrated.
Matis-Mitchell (2014) also pointed out that most of the online materials are filled with
information that is hard to comprehend and are as confusing as they are helpful. To the
physician, this is a need that the industry should not ignore but act and in haste. She
advised the industry to not only focus on product promotion and provision of product
information but also help patients with what they need. She opines that these forums
can assist the industry regarding new areas of research and development. To the
doctor, social networking platforms should be used for so much more, and the industry
needs to get involved more (Matis-Mitchell, 2014).
The pharmaceutical industry is a very fragile field, and organisations are aware of this.
Some guidelines exist, and that call for total compliance. For example, in the United
States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for keeping the
pharmaceutical industry in check. Content control is something that the industry always
worries about. Agencies such as Medicinal Controls Council of South Africa control
what content gets to be published and what content is withheld. Some people might not
agree with this, but this is often done to prevent information that might cause panic or
generate unnecessary tension from leaking. Being in such an industry comes with some
responsibilities and constituent organisations know that they need to own everything
that comes from them. This might explain the industry’s hesitation to acknowledge fully
and indulge their customers via the social networking platforms (Accountemps, 2010).
Another reason that might explain the industry’s hesitation is the ability or lack thereof of
controlling what content is shared or posted on the social media platforms. The
oversight agencies are always watching and tracking the industry’s actions and choices.
There needs to order in any industry, but in the social networking platforms, this is
almost impossible. People post and share whichever information they deem fit. This
does not apply to the pharmaceutical industry due to the sensitivity of some of the
12
information that circulates in the industry. In today’s world, controlling or attempting to
control the social networking platforms is almost impossible and with this in mind, the
industry prefers the preventive to the curative perspective (Ferreira & Plessis, 2009).
There is a proliferation of social networking platforms, and this means that the shortage
of information avenues is no more. The credibility of this information is not the point but
the fact that there is no shortage of information is. One might suggest that
pharmaceutical organisations could help with all this by getting involved in the platforms
and helping shed some light while correcting any erroneous information provided. As
said before, organisations in the industry are careful and never want to get involved in
anything that might tarnish their reputation. They hence prefer to stay clear and never
confirm nor deny the credibility of the information that is shared on the platforms (Green,
2012).
The lack of a social networking policy might also be the problem that is affecting the
industry. The pharmaceutical industry is the youngest industry to start warming up
towards social networking. Not all organisations have warmed to the idea and the ones
that have lack the social networking policies to guide their employees in the use of the
platforms. This may not seem like a challenge, but it certainly is because the
organisations lack a mitigation strategy. Delving into social networking without clearly
outlined policies is risky, and an organisation might end up hurting its credibility (Patel &
Jasani, 2010).
2.3 DRIVERS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
2.3.1 Increased internet access
The world has seen a tremendous increase in the number of people who can access
the Internet. According to the , currently, nearly 40% of the world’s population has an
internet connection. also reveals a very shocking message by stating that in 1995 only
1% of the world’s population had access to the Internet. The world is making great
strides in internet connectivity, and this is also affecting all the sectors of the world. The
13
pharmaceutical industry to be specific has been hit by this increase in internet
connectivity. Many people are connected including workers. Information sharing has
been made easier and fast. This has made it possible for workers to seek help from
their colleagues and friends who may not be working in the same organisation. Internet
access has revolutionised the way we do things and even though it may also be used
for a wrong course, the good it has done tramples the bad that may come from it
(Turban, Strauss & Lai, 2015).
Internet connection has necessitated social networking and many people, including
those in the pharmaceutical industry, have taken up social networking with much gusto.
People can network and communicate with each other without having to worry about the
parameters of distance and cost. The industry has been changed into one big “house”
due to the connectivity that exists. Organisations can share information on new
research and new disease conditions and seek help from others. It is expected that the
number of internet users will increase with time, and this means more connectivity and
access to information from other different areas that were previously internet blind.
Below is an image that shows the number of internet users in 2015:
Figure 2.1 Internet Users in the World According to Regions according to Internet
Live Stats 2016
2.3.2 Increased Smartphone Usage
Smartphone users have also grown in the world. Their increase has surprised even the
manufacturers whose projections are always being trampled by the people’s hunger for
smartphones. This has changed the way people do things in a major way. Smartphones
have revolutionised the way people interact and communicate with each other. In the
pharmaceutical industry, employees have been given the opportunity to document
research using their phones and share their research promptly using their phones.
14
Unlike company computers, which are often desktop computers, smartphones are
portable and can be utilised from anywhere (Obar, Zube, & Lampe, 2012).
The number of people who access the internet using their smartphones has continued
to soar. People have been given a chance to share their lives with others. Employees in
all sectors including the pharmaceutical sector use their smartphones to communicate
and stay ahead regarding current or recent news. Many people prefer using their
smartphones instead of computers to access the internet. Their portability and the fact
that internet speeds continue to rise makes them the better choice when it comes to
browsing and surfing the internet. However, excessive use of smartphones is a concern
that managers should not ignore. This is because some workers spend very little time
doing what they are hired to do and instead are found on their phones chatting with their
colleagues or friends (Accountemps, 2010).
2.3.3 Customers’ use of Social Networking Platforms
Patients are the industry’s biggest customer base, and regardless of the industry at
hand, their choices and preferences are taken seriously. In the pharmaceutical industry,
patients have been using the social networking platforms to either share or seek more
information on their conditions. As said before, the medical terms and language that
these blogs and other related platforms use are often hard for the patients to
comprehend. This means that they are at a disadvantage. For example, someone might
be grappling with cancer symptoms but since they cannot access the right information
from the forums and platforms, choose to ignore the symptoms. This will, of course, end
up with them visiting the doctor at a very late date when the cancer cells have spread.
Some pharmaceutical organisations have decided to get involved in the social
networking platforms albeit cautiously (Shaw, A. 2010).
To make customers feel special and that the industry values them takes much sacrifice
from the organisations. In many instances, the organisations move out of their normal
business and engage in exercises that are aimed at selling or marketing their image to
15
their customers. When the number of clients who are consulting the forums and blogs
for health answers increases, the industry knows or feels that there is a need that they
are not satisfying. This is not good for the industry because it reflects a negative image
of the entire industry. This is one of the biggest drivers of social networking in the
pharmaceutical industry and explains why some pharmaceutical organisations have
warmed up to the idea of social networking. It is all about the image and a good
reputation. Having a good corporate reputation is of the essence and this if often
determined by how customers respond to the organisation regarding sales and also in
recommending it to others. There is an information need and to satisfy this need, the
industry will have to go against their image safeguarding policies and meet the
customers half way (Bavel, & Martin, 2013).
2.3.4 Marketing made Easier
At the end of any operational day, all that matters is how much profit was made. This is
universal and reflects the feelings of all profit-making organisations in all sectors.
Businesses want to outdo each other in profit making, and many are willing to go the
extra mile to be the best. Creating an image that customers can relate to is the first step
to claiming the top spot, and while this is something that every business knows, it is one
of the hardest things to do. Coming up with the image and then doing the job of enticing
and appealing to customers’ takes time and resources. Social networking has
completely revolutionised marketing. Organisations nowadays have platforms that they
can use to create an image and have it appear wherever they want it to. Social
networking platforms are much and more are still being developed. This is a gift to the
organisations that have a technologically savvy marketing team (Brown, M. 2011).
Social networking has made it very easy for the industry to sell their image and market
their products. Reaching newer markets has become possible and easy at the same
time. The organisations that rise or choose to embrace social networking as a marketing
tool reap big. Other sectors have enjoyed the benefits of having their name or logo on
almost all social networking platforms, and they too can attest to the fact that it pays
16
extra to advertise via these platforms. Unlike the traditional television and radio
advertising, businesses have been given a new and relatively enjoyable way to market
themselves. It also costs much less than the traditional ways. Marketing via these
platforms might be all the above, but it is not easy. Just like the traditional methods of
marketing, coming up with the idea and knowing how best to display the same is hard
and should not in any way be taken for granted. In 2009, Omniture predicted that social
networking platforms would trample the traditional means of advertising. A look at
businesses today and everyone will agree that traditional means of advertising have
been shown the door (Clark, B. 1999).
2.4 SOCIAL NETWORKING AND EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY
Many employees in pharmaceutical companies are registered and active in at least one
social networking site, and, therefore, they often use the networking platforms while still
at the workplace. Ethically, using social networking sites while in the workplace is wrong
especially if the organisation has not implemented a social media policy stipulating how
social media can be used in the workplace as it can be viewed as misusing the
employer's time (Elsevier, 2015). While on the networking platforms they are not
offering the services, they were hired to do and that automatically reduce the employee
productivity. Many companies have lost much quality working time through their
employees indulging in unproductive activities such as social networking.
In some companies, the company IT infrastructure has blocked the use of social
networking sites while at the workplace to compel employees to be involved in
productive activities (Brown, 2011). Whether that preventive measure to reduce the time
employee’s use on this networking platform remains a debatable topic since many
employees can still access the sites from their mobile phones. Employee productivity is
sometimes not directly proportional to time spent doing official work in the office (Fiona,
2013). An ingenious plan to help employers reduce or stop the time used by the
employees during working hours is therefore needed to ensure both the employer and
the employee benefit from it.
17
Employee productivity can be increased by use of the social media sites (Zgheib, 2014,
p. 84). Companies that are visionary and flexible enough to adopt the latest trends in
technology to reap from its benefits have devised mechanisms that enable them use
social media sites to their advantage and utilise employee networking sites maximally.
Pharmaceutical companies should borrow a cue from them and ensure that instead of
fighting against the current they use the networking sites to their advantage. They have
encouraged the employees to use these sites to market their products to their friends,
family and any other person they can through the social media sites.
Some companies have set up official profiles for their enterprises to handle mostly
customer care issues and marketing. These profiles sometimes hold miniature
competitions to lure more people to the company website and get more information
about their operations and products. Pharmaceutical companies have not been left
behind on this, and they have embraced the new trend in marketing to reach a larger
audience. Employee social media profile play a very significant role in marketing the
company profile to win a larger online following that can help the company to
disseminate information regarding their operations. Though advertisement of some
drugs is prohibited in some countries (Shaver and Soontae, 2013), the ripple effect of
marketing the other drugs make the pharmaceutical company well known and trusted by
its clients.
Through encouraging employees to direct more traffic to the company website or official
social networking platforms, the companies have mitigated the adverse effects of
reducing employee productivity and using it to their advantage to advertise new job
vacancies (Koontz, 2013). Through engaging the employees to the online social
networking profiles for the companies, they have successfully gained an advantage over
the time spent by employees on social networking sites (Zgheib, 2014). The employees
too can use these social sites even at the workplace and be indirectly involved in the
productive activity of the company.
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While not on duty and the employees are using the networking site they can discuss
some important issues in the workplace that need to be addressed or that can help the
company to move forward (Green, 2012). Though working collaboratively with
employees about social media platforms, it is, therefore, important to monitor what the
employees use the networking site for during and after working hours to avoid letting out
company secrets. If the company fails to cooperate with the employees and structure
and implement sound policies, then the employees can take to social media and
defame, or cyber bully the management which can be detrimental to the company.
Social networking sites can be used to pass information to the employees (Zgheib,
2014). The management can use the platform to send unofficial information to its
employees during and after working hours. This is a way of compensating for the time
the employees have been unproductive during the day. The interaction the employees
have over the social media increases their socialism at the workplace (Obar, Zube, and
Lampe, 2012). If the employees interact freely over the social media during or after
working hours, then they are likely to be friendlier at workplace hence creating a more
conducive environment for working. If the workforce is friendly at a personal level, then
the workplace becomes friendlier, and the level of productivity increases for the
employees.
Some of the social media profiles are made for fun activities and laughter for the public.
Use of social media can help relieve stress and be more productive as it offers some
form of entertainment (Goggins, Jahnke, and Wulf, 2013). Some of the family and
friends’ posts fed to the employees’ timeline and profile bear good news or comical
writings, videos or photos. When the employees view, read or watch them, they derive
pleasure and help relieve stress related to work making them feel refreshed and
rejuvenated to continue with the work. In this case, the morale and energy to be
productive in the workplace have been brought about by the social networking platform.
19
Employees employed to manage social media are required to use the company profile
to address issues raised by the clients. While it is not a very official communication,
most companies have been relying on the customer feedback through the social media
(Nilanjan, 2015). The more the employee is using the social media platform, the more
their productivity. Until recently, the most pharmaceutical company has been shying
away from being involved in the social media. However, they have gradually
acknowledged the importance of social media involvement in their business operations.
Employees working under social media management provide much information about
the external business environment and the competitors to the firm (Turban, Strauss, and
Lai, 2015: 257). They also market the company brands across the internet expanding
the market for the business. Employee productivity can also be increased through social
media if the employee is involved in some of the activities above using the social media.
The management can also use the social media to pass relevant information to see the
reactions of the workers. If then information is well received, then the management can
release official information regarding the same or make necessary changes to the
information. If the communication is disseminated while the employees are at the
workplace, then it requires them to be at least available on the social networking
platforms to respond to it promptly. Using the social media as a communication tool, the
companies can reach its employees during and after working hours (Wrench, 2013).
Working cohesively with staff on the social media can help the companies gain a
competitive advantage of communication and improve the productivity of the employees
during and after the working hours.
The use of social media in workplaces and its impact on employee productivity will
remain a hotly debated topic with the proponents of the issue seeking to prove the
advantages of using social media in the workplace has a further fetching positive impact
to the company. On the other hand, the opposers still hold to the fact that employees
using social media at workplace diminish their productivity, misuse the employers’ time,
and it is unethical to indulge in other activities that are not in the best interest of the
20
employer. While both sides have strong points to support their ideologies, there is a
need to find a middle ground that blends the two dogmas to reap the exclusive benefits
associated with each of the two options. This can be achieved by setting aside hours for
social media use at the workplace that is during lunch time and allow employees to
access these sites using the company network (Goggins, Jahnke, & Wulf, 2013).
It is, therefore, important to create and implement a social media policy for
pharmaceutical companies to ensure they reap the benefits of social media use while
still ensuring safe, ethical and professional use of social networking sites. Social media
is a form of communication that is likely to stay around for some time and for
pharmaceutical companies afraid of utilising its full potential are swimming against the
current. They should come up with an ingenious solution tailored to their needs and
articulated into their vision and mission and tap into the advantages of social media to
their businesses while still ensuring employee productivity is not compromised, and the
company is not on the edge of violating the rules regulating drug manufacturers
(Ferreira, A., & Plessis, T. 2009).
2.5 RISKS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Pharmaceutical companies use social networking sites for various reasons that allow
them to gain a competitive advantage in the market and towards producing quality
drugs. Though some of the pharmaceutical companies have shied away from using the
social media to advance their course, social media platforms have the undeniable effect
on their business. Here below are some of the positive and negative impacts of using
the social media for pharmaceutical companies (Kaske, Kugler, & Smolnik, 2012).
21
Pharmaceutical companies can use the social media platforms to examine and collect
data about drugs testing from their volunteers using the drug and on placebos. Before
rolling out, the drug the company carries out tests on a volunteer to gather information
about side effects and other drug testing related information. The pharmaceutical
companies can rely on social media as a communication medium to reach its volunteers
on the effectiveness of the drug. They can also use social media to gather information
on drugs already in the market (Shaw, A. 2010).
Since many companies in the last decade have relied heavily on advertising and
marketing their products, it makes social media sites a credible platform to collect
information about their competitors and those infringing their intellectual property rights
(Turban, Strauss, and Lai, 2015). Information about those defaming the company and
its products can be collected from these social media sites. Social media can also be
used to monitor and threats to company brands or goods and/or other categories of
drugs.
Many people nowadays take to social media to notify their friends and family about their
health status. Pharmaceutical companies can monitor and analyse patient information
posted online especially regarding side effects and effectiveness of the drug. Creating a
metadata about a patient profile from social media requires a higher cooperation
between the patients and pharmaceutical company (Elsevier, 2015). Using the social
media as a communication tool also saves on the cost of making follow up on patients
especially if the sample volunteers are far away.
Patients can share information across the social media sites about the effectiveness or
side effects of certain drugs and then the pharmaceutical company can move in and
implement corrective measures especially if the response is not very good (Koontz,
2013). A pharmaceutical company dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction
collects the data from the site and analyses it to improve the quality of the drug. Patients
are sharing the ideas across the social media platform from an excellent online study
22
population for the experiences the patients have with the drugs and monitor its
effectiveness in managing the condition it was made to handle.
There is a potential risk for pharmaceutical companies getting involved in social media,
and that explains why most of these companies have taken a cautious approach to the
use of social media in their operations. The businesses that have braved the odds and
the legal tussle that can ensure after a violation of Foods and Drug Administration Act
for using social media have come up with an integrated social media risk management
for the official company use and all employees.
The social media risk management must be agreed to by all staff as single reckless or
intentional malicious posts by employees can be detrimental to the company. If all staff
is bound by those laws, the pharmaceutical company takes a step further to conceal the
private information about their operations from spilling out by appointing a team that will
be responsible for monitoring employee profiles and managing the company one. When
a pharmaceutical company fails to come up with a clear social media policy for itself and
the employees, it risks a copy infringement feud with other businesses over unedited
posts, breach of privacy, breach of confidence by its clients, defamation, improper use
of electronics just to mention a few (Elsevier, 2015). The scenarios above can attract
very stiff penalties which are avoidable.
Pharmaceutical companies ought to ensure the posts made by their employees do not
in any way compromise the principles, values, mission and vision of the enterprise. The
online community can interpret the information posted by the employee to be related to
the company especially if it is derogatory and it would lead to a fierce legal battle to
prove their innocence. If the information is derogatory, the company faces very strict
legal punishment up to losing their operational license depending on the laws of that
country.
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In some countries, advertising some drugs is illegal and therefore if a post on social
media that can be considered to be promoting, advertising or promoting a drug
classified under such a category is illegal (Shaver & Soontae, 2013). It is therefore upon
the company to ensure they train, warn and educate their workforce on the posts they
make on social media especially regarding information related to pharmacy. This is
done through creating policies to address social media use within and without the
company and educate them about the dire consequences for the offenders. If in any
way an employee posts derogatory posts related to the pharmaceutical industry, the
company should distance itself from the claims to escape the imminent legal battle that
can be sparked by the post.
If a drug company has an official social media profile with any social networking
platform, they are solely responsible for any user generated content posted on its wall
(Elsevier, 2015). On the internet, whatever is posted is out of control of the author and
for a closely regulated industry in information dissemination like the pharmaceutical
industry, the information posted must reflect the company image and follow the
guidelines under which the company operates. If a drug company deems it necessary to
have a social media site, then they must have in place a social media policy and the
user-generated content to be posted on these platforms moderated before being
posted. This is to minimise the risk associated with misuse of social media at the
expense of the company.
It is indisputable that most pharmaceutical companies are out to make profits for their
investors, and each company has been working to expand its market boundaries and
reach more customers. The need to increase their sales has led to carrying out a
market survey, and with the advent of the social media, the companies have taken to it
to mine data regarding how to expand their business (Li and Schwartz, 2011). Data
mining has become prevalent for these companies as they want to command a larger
market share and through their data mining software or third party outsourced
companies, these companies have taken to social media to collect the data from
unsuspecting social media users. The data mining software scans for information on
24
diseases, medication, side effects among other health related information. Data mining
at that level breaches user agreement conditions and can attract severe punishment
under the law (Perner, 2014). The web crawlers and algorithms used to filter information
about patients on social media is a violation of fundamental human rights and
companies should desist from using it in a bid to yield more profits.
On the other hand, the contribution of social media to the advancement of medicine is
evident especially in tracking and creating an interactive environment for the patients
and drug manufacturers to share ideas and understand the diseases better and the side
effects of drugs administered (Koontz, 2013). There has been a significant shift in
communication since the inception of social media a decade ago and has redefined
information sharing between individuals and companies. Pharmaceutical companies
have been behind the curve in online social interactions mainly because of the
regulatory requirements imposed on them to safeguard quality for the betterment of
human health. While the impact of this platform is undeniable, the pharmaceutical
companies that have delved into the use of social networking having a strong social
media policy have tapped into a tremendous potential for growth for utilising its infinite
potential of connecting people and sharing information necessary for research and
marketing.
2.6 EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
Every organisation in whichever industry wants to invest money and get returns. Return
on investment is now the measure of success that is used to gauge and determine the
credibility of an investment idea. Measurement is crucial and in business, every
investment idea has to be well defined and proven to be a potential jackpot before the
company makes the decision to invest (Clark, 1999). Return on investment or ROI is not
a new measure in business and competitive businesses always perform it. Performing
ROI on social networking platforms is not an easy task and businesses have come to
grapple with this fact. Business has to do or performs ROI on the time, resources, and
25
effort that has been committed to social networking, and this is not as easy as it sounds.
Challenges always exist when doing ROI.
Businesses that rely heavily on the results of ROI often end up frustrated or at times
end up with wrong figures and values. Below is the formula for the calculating ROI
ROI = (Gains from the investment – Cost incurred in the investment) / Total cost
of investment
Like any mathematics or business formula, ROI has issues as well. In a typical math
formula, one needs to have all the variables for them to calculate and have a credible
figure as a result. Determining all the variables that should be in use in ROI calculation
is a big problem because the accuracy of the variables is hard to determine. According
to Kaske, Kugler, and Smolnik (2012), forecasting returns using ROI is also not very
advisable. ROI might lead to inaccurate figures which if used might tell the wrong story.
Businesses should be careful and not trust everything that financial metrics generate
because at times they may fall short. Kaske and his colleagues also opine that ROI is
not the best metric to use especially when comparing investments. One of the reasons
for this is the fact that ROI does not essentially account for the time taken when the
investment is being carried out.
Calculating ROI for social networking platforms is one of the hardest ROI calculations.
In an article published in the marketingtechblog website, Karr (2014) advises
businesses to consider two options that might be able to help them calculate the value
of social networking to their businesses. Pharmaceutical organisations can also borrow
on this and ensure that they can track their investments. These apply to all
organisations irrespective of industry. One of the suggestions by Karr is analysing the
volume of traffic to one’ business in pay per click. For this, he argues that since the
costs of pay per click and keywords are published it is possible to match an
organisation’s keywords to the costs of pay per click during analysis. To determine
whether the company has made any profits or losses, one just needs to do simple
26
arithmetic. The second suggestion involves determining the exact value regarding sales
volume that an organisation can associate with social networking. If for instance, a
pharmaceutical company decides to make some sales via the social networking a
platform, tracking the sales made through these platforms is, of course, the first step to
determining whether the business is making any profits from its investment.
2.7 CONCLUSION
The pharmaceutical industry has taken much time to adopt the use of social networking
platforms and sites, but as already stated, it is gradually warming up to the idea. Social
networking has its advantages and disadvantages, but as is always the case, the
viability of an idea is measured by how best the benefits trample the drawbacks. As
already explained, some things have made organisations in the industry hesitant to take
up social networking in full. All companies regardless of industry care about their
reputation and in an industry of high value such as the pharmaceutical industry,
reputation is everything. If an organisation finds itself in a position where its credibility is
being questioned, then it needs to re-evaluate and assess where it has gone wrong.
Employees in all sectors have been caught up in the frenzy of social networking, and
many have taken it up wholeheartedly. However, managers are wary of its effects and
in some pharmaceutical organisations, there are strict policies against the use of social
networking platforms or social media in the workplace (Aguenza and Mat Som, 2012).
Literature has differed on the effects of social networking on employee productivity, but
the truth is regardless of the implications of social networking, employees’ attitudes and
ways of doing recurring routines has changed. Employee performance is of the essence
and is directly related to how an organisation fares with regards to profits and losses
made. Employees are an important entity and if their focus or productivity wanes then
the future of an organisation is in danger.
Organisations have mastered the art of turning situations to their advantage, and social
networking platforms are not any different (Culnan and Zubillaga, 2010). Using social
27
networking or social media for their benefit is an option that the pharmaceutical industry
should not pass. Other sectors took advantage from this, and the slow adoption of
social media is making the pharmaceutical industry miss out on many advantages
regarding new markets. The debate is ongoing and will not end anytime soon, but the
fact is if used in the right way and with appropriate policies, an organisation can use
social networking platforms to its advantage.
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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the research approach, design, and methodology that was
undertaken for the present study. It will first discuss the research approach followed by
the discussion on research methodology, data gathering, and technique of analysing
data technique as well as the limitations of the study and ethical considerations.
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.2.1 Research Approach and Methodology
Research approaches represent strategies and techniques that are used in research.
These approaches span from the researcher’s assumptions to the detailed methods that
one chooses for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Researchers are required
to settle on one research approach before embarking on the research process.
However, the choice of research approach is dependent on the type or the nature of the
research problem, the targeted audience, and the experiences of the researcher
(Bernard, H. Russell. 2000).
The study investigated how the impact of social computing/social networking on
employee productivity in the pharmaceutical industry as demonstrated by employees
who currently work in the Pharmaceutical industry. Random sampling was used to
obtain the sample size or study participants who will be selected from various
organisations within the pharmaceutical industry. A Quantitative non-experimental
research method was used as a basis for understanding as well as making inferences
regarding the use of social computing/social networking towards improving employee
productivity in Pharmaceutical organisations especially that one that is intending to
employ an enterprise-wide or corporate social computing platform. A quantitative
methodological approach involves explaining phenomena through the collection of
numerical data and undertaking an analysis by the use of mathematically based
approaches such as the use of statistics (Muijs, 2004). A quantitative methodological
29
approach is suitable for this study as it seeks to determine the relationship between
social computing, social capital, knowledge sharing, and employee productivity.
A Questionnaire was also used to assess the impact and effectiveness of social
computing on employee productivity. The questionnaire was distributed through email to
randomly sampled participants, targeting organisational employees as the subjects of
study. Random sampling was performed to ensure that each member of the
organisational employee population has an equal and fair chance of being selected as a
participant. The participants from various organisations within the pharmaceutical were
jointly determined by the researcher and the management of each organisation.
Responses were submitted through email to the researcher and analysed for results.
Multiple linear regression analysis was used for assessing the impact of social
computing/social networking on employee productivity in the pharmaceutical industry
as. The goal is to determine the relationship between social computing/social
networking and employee productivity. The dependent variable was employee
productivity and will be regressed on three independent variables; knowledge sharing,
individual productivity and commitment to the organisation. The methodology employed
a non-experimental survey to assess the use of social computing/social networking
when it comes to influencing employee performance and productivity. The surveys were
provided through email to study sample that have access and can use social computing
at work.
For this type of study, a survey is preferable over experimental design because it can
readily assess the level of social capital and knowledge sharing that has taken place
among groups of employees. Moreover, ease and speed of obtaining participant
responses make data collection feasible so that inferences can be drawn from the
sample to the population. This method of data collection would be less disruptive on
employees’ work hours than an experimental research design. Since the study was
assessing the impact of social computing/social networking on employee productivity, it
30
was important that a good representation of input on the use and value of social
computing tools within the organisation is obtained from the survey.
3.3 RESEARCH POPULATION
One simple definition of research population that encompasses ideas of different
scholars is as follows: the population is the entirety of items, objects, or even people
who are, by virtue of choice or coincidence, within the location that a researcher has an
interest in. To explain it simply, a population includes the participants of a research
exercise who exhibit similarity in some of their attributes or traits. When choosing the
participants, one needs to consider the objectivity or the credibility of the research
exercise as well as the results. A research population is bigger than a research sample.
The rule of thumb in research is that the bigger the sample, the higher the accuracy of
the research results. However, due to time and cost constraints, researchers have been
forced to choose often from their target population.
The target population consisted of organisational employees from all levels departments
or divisions working in the Pharmaceutical industry. Organisational employees and
teams exist to serve particular functions and purposes in which performance and team
effectiveness are of primary concern. In general, organisational employees in
organisations are responsible for producing goods or providing services. In this study,
the research population represented every person involved in the pharmaceutical
industry i.e. from the pharmaceutical organisations’ employees to the distributors of the
pharmaceutical products. The researcher hoped to get a holistic view of or perspective
with regards to the impact of social networking in the pharmaceutical industry.
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3.4 SAMPLE
3.4.1 Sample Methodology
A sample is a representation of the research population. It mirrors the research
population in that it is directly chosen from it. Sampling is divided into two main types:
the probability sampling techniques and the non-probability sampling techniques. For
the probability type or designs, each person or object that is a part of the population has
an equal chance of being selected while for the non-probability sampling techniques,
the objects and/or people that form the population do not have a known probability of
being selected. Non-probability sampling rarely depends on the rationale of probability
sampling and hence it is hard for researchers who use it to represent their population
fully during sampling. Probability sampling, however, on the other hand, makes it easy
for one to represent their entire population and also one can appropriately estimate the
confidence intervals of the statistics involved in a study. This explains why researchers
prefer probability sampling over non-probability sampling and even go as far as
considering them more rigorous and accurate.
Researchers often opt for the probability type of sampling techniques and in this
research study; the researcher opted for the simple random sampling techniques which
are a kind of probability sampling. Yates et al. (2008) explain that in simple random
sampling, each person or object that is a part of the research population has an equal
chance of being selected as a respondent or source of data. Selecting the sample
design is a major step in research. Researchers need to ensure that they choose the
most appropriate technique that will suit their research needs. The simple random
sampling technique is simple to administer and will help the researcher avoid sampling
bias.
3.4.2 Sample Size
As already stated, the researcher opted for the random sampling technique. The
random sampling technique increases the objectivity and credibility of the research
process and gifts everyone an equal chance of being chosen as a respondent. The
32
respondents that make up the sample were selected from 10 different pharmaceutical
companies in South Africa. They include people who work in the pharmaceutical
companies, their managers, and also those who are involved in the distribution of the
finished products. The researcher wanted to get the input of all the stakeholders who
are involved in the pharmaceutical industry, to help enhance the results credibility rate.
The total sample was 100 people, and all of these participants were directly affiliated
with pharmaceutical organisations (all of them were employees in the pharmaceutical
industry). Random selection of these participants was easy, especially after the
researcher was permitted by the chosen pharmaceutical companies. The willingness of
the respondents to participate in the process also made it easier for the researcher to
finish the random sampling faster. The characteristics of the sample frame included
males and females of varying working age and work tenure. These employees were
selected from the entire accessible population of employees, which included those
employees that have familiarity with and use of social computing tools to communicate
as well as those employees that do not use Jive when performing both routine and
complicated tasks. Therefore, the main inclusion criteria are that the sampled
participants have to be employees from this conglomerate which uses Jive as its
existing social computing platform. The sampled participants comprised of both
employees that can and cannot demonstrate an understanding of the basics of using
Web 2.0 tools. This provided a good research setting for investigating the influence of
social computing on employee performance and productivity within the company. An
exclusion criterion was related to the individual’s consent to participate. An individual
who had been randomly selected to participate was exempt if the process creates
discomfort or interferes with their ability to perform their responsibilities. There was no
need for the individual to notify anyone to maintain their anonymity, only that they would
not forward the email to their friends.
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3.5 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
A questionnaire was used to assess and evaluate the responses of participants on the
impact of social computing/social networking on employee productivity in the
pharmaceutical industry. The researcher formulated questions with known and
acceptable validity and reliability. The survey questions were used to assess the impact
of social computing/social networking on employee productivity in the pharmaceutical
industry. The questionnaires were administered to the sampled respondents by the use
of email. The researcher decided to use questionnaires in this study mainly because of
cost and time constraints. However, questionnaires also have their advantages. For
example, they can be given to many people at the same time. They are less costly than
interviews and gift the researcher with the ability and time to focus on other things while
the respondents answer the questions. The questionnaire shall have 18 questions
structured around these three research constructs, knowledge sharing, individual
productivity and commitment to the organisation.
3.5 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES
Data collection is a systematic process of measuring and gathering information from
one’s sample or sources. Its importance is widespread and not only in the academic
sector but also in an organisation setup. The process of data collection enables a
researcher or an organisation that is conducting research to answer all the questions
that pertain to the research topic, evaluate the possible results or outcomes and also
make predictions, trends and probabilities. However, accuracy should be ensured at all
times. The integrity of research is important, and if errors are made during this process,
then all the decisions or steps that will be taken concerning the findings of such
research will be inconsistent (Bernard, & Russell, 2000).
The researcher identified and selected organisations operating in the pharmaceutical
industry. Through a formal request to the management of each organisation, the
researcher sought permission to conduct a study on determining the impact of social
computing/social networking on employee productivity in the pharmaceutical industry.
34
Individual emails were sent out to potential candidates asking each person whether they
liked to participate in a social computing survey and presented with preliminary
information about the study before they decided to sign a consent form. The process
continued until the expected number of participants is obtained. The survey questions
were used to assess the impact of social computing/social networking on employee
productivity in the pharmaceutical industry. The questionnaires were administered to the
sampled respondents by the use of email. The questionnaires were administered to the
sampled respondents by the use of email. The researcher decided to use
questionnaires in this study mainly because of cost and time constraints (Greene,
2007).
3.7 DATA ANALYSIS
In any research project, the first step is always about creating a good rapport with the
officials in the different sites that a researcher wants to conduct their study. The
researcher first met the officials of the companies that were identified as targets and got
permission to visit their premises and interact with their employees. Companies are ever
busy and therefore, the researcher had first to consult with the managers and be
advised on the best time to conduct the study as well as the best time to get the most
out of the workers and their supervisors. In all the companies, meetings were held and
the employees, as well as their supervisors, were told about the study and its benefits to
the entire industry, and finally, their support and cooperation were requested.
In the study, the following research problem was formulated: What is the impact of
social computing or networking on employee productivity in the pharmaceutical industry.
Through this research problem, the researcher was able to clearly depict the impact that
social networking has on employee productivity. A quantitative research design was
used because statistical data will be needed to aid in drawing conclusions about the
research topic. Using a five-point Likert scale, online surveys will be distributed to
participants of each company to obtain ratings about different aspects of social
computing/social networking and employee productivity. The scores represent interval
35
data and range from 1 (“Completely dissatisfied completely satisfied) to 5 (“Completely
dissatisfied completely satisfied”).
After obtaining the survey responses, raw data was plotted in Excel, so that it was later
be imported into SPSS. The process of recording raw data into Excel needed to be
done manually, based on respondents’ answers. Multiple regression analysis was
applied to determine the significance of relationships between the dependent variable
(employee productivity) and each of the independent variables. Multiple regression
analysis seeks to find the best combination of multiple independent variables that can
predict or explain the variance in a single dependent variable with some degree of
accuracy and precision. Moreover, multiple regression analysis was used primarily
when both the independent and dependent variables are metric. SPSS software was
used to obtain descriptive analysis and inferential statistical analysis of data. All the
qualitative data will be used for descriptive purposes while the quantitative data will be
used for inference.
3.8 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY
Validity is concerned with establishing whether the interview questions were effective in
measuring and determining that which the researcher was testing. Content validation is
always appropriate especially when determining the extent to which the set of items
provided a relevant and representative sample of the domain of tasks under
consideration. The researcher ensured that data collected using various instruments
represented the content area under study. This included identifying the relevant items
for each of the instruments used in the study. Regarding the face validity, the data
collection instruments appeared to be measuring the exact constructs of the study.
Moreover, all the vital aspects of the constructs were covered in the instruments; hence,
the content validity was met. Pilot testing was used for the validity test purpose. In the
pilot survey, only a few sample is approached to make a general overview of what the
research looks like and the possibility of its success.
36
Reliability in research studies concerns the degree to which a particular measuring
procedure gives similar results over some repeated trials. To test the reliability of the
instruments, the researcher used the test-retest method. This was done by
administering the same instruments twice to the same group of subjects by waiting for a
period of two weeks before administering the research instruments for the second time.
Many researchers question the credibility or the trustworthiness of qualitative research.
However, frameworks to ensure that accuracy and rigour are ensured in research have
been in existence for a long time. Some people argue that it is hard to address the
concepts of validity and reliability of a qualitative research and hence this makes them
less trustworthy. To make that presentation more logical and testable, a Cronbach
Alpha calculation is always applied. This application always works inconsistency with
the SPSS.
3.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION
Ethics is a vital topic in every research study. Each study needs to ensure that there is
adherence to the set ethical guidelines. This study was guided by the following ethical
guidelines:

Honesty – the need to be open and candid with the study respondents as well as
the managers from the beginning.

Objectivity – the ability to avoid any form of bias irrespective of how mild it might
be.

Informed consent – the ability to make sure that each respondent was made aware
of the study’s purpose as well as its importance before joining the research process.

Confidentiality – the ability to confidentiality keep records and communication with
the research respondents.

No Harm to Participants – the ability to ensure that no respondent was exposed to
any harm during the data collection exercise whether physical or psychological
harm.
37
3.9 CONCLUSION
This chapter provided a discussion of the methodological approach used by the
researcher in undertaking the study. A Quantitative non-experimental research method
was used as a basis for understanding as well as making inferences regarding the use
of social computing/social networking towards improving employee productivity in
Pharmaceutical organisations especially that one that is intending to employ an
enterprise-wide or corporate social computing platform. The target population consisted
of organisational employees from all levels departments or divisions working in the
Pharmaceutical industry. Random sampling was used to obtain the sample size or study
participants who will be selected from various organisations within the pharmaceutical
industry. A Questionnaire was also used to assess the impact and effectiveness of
social computing on employee productivity. The questionnaire was distributed through
email to randomly sampled participants, targeting organisational employees as the
subjects of study. A quantitative research design was used because statistical data will
be needed to aid in drawing conclusions about the research topic. Multiple regression
analysis was applied to determine the significance of relationships between the
dependent variable (employee productivity) and each of the independent variables.
Having collected the data and analysed them in a more logical way that is consistent
with the requirements of the research fraternity, the next chapter will, therefore, entail
the presentation of the collected data. It would be an appropriate time to defend the
results to the audience and explain the consistency with the theoretical framework.
38
CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the study findings and an analysis of the same. Every research
undertaking is guided by the research objectives and questions that were formulated
prior to the research taking place. Moreover, it presents the collected data in a
comprehensible form by using tables, charts, and graphs to elucidate on the findings
that were made.
4.2 PRESENTATION
The researcher decided to use questionnaires as his instrument of data collection. This
was largely attributed to the lack of funds as well as constraints on time. Cost is indeed
a major factor in research, and it not only contributed to the selection of the instrument
but also to the number of respondents that were chosen. Data is powerful indeed, but it
must undergo the analysis process. As collected or when raw, it cannot be used to
either authenticate or annul any existing hypotheses or theories. In this regard,
therefore, below is the presentation as well as analysis of the collected data.
A sample of 100 people was used in this study. The survey questions did not collect
data related to the demographics of the sampled participants.
39
4.2.1 Knowledge Sharing
Figure 4.1: Knowledge Sharing
Knowledge sharing is always encouraged at workplaces and has been presumed to at
times boost employees’ morale. Conducting research on information transferability is of
the essence, particularly with regards to the topic at hand because it helps to expand
the scope of this research endeavour. From the graph above, six variables were created
and used in the questionnaires.
Below is a table presenting the research findings according to the research construct of
knowledge sharing; -
40
Table 4.1: Knowledge Sharing
On gaining Knowledge from outside, the respondents gave the following
responses;
Completely Dissatisfied - 3.33%
Dissatisfied 3.33%
Unsure – 23.33%
Satisfied – 60%
Completely Dissatisfied - 3.33%
On sharing of ideas, the responses were as follows;
Completely Dissatisfied - 3.33%
Dissatisfied 3.33%
Unsure – 30%
Satisfied – 53.33%
Completely Satisfied – 6.67%
On gaining new ideas from networking the responses were;
Completely Dissatisfied - 0%
Dissatisfied 10%
Unsure – 30%
Satisfied – 50%
Completely Satisfied – 10%
On networking helping the employees to create ideas the responses were as
follows;
Completely Dissatisfied - 3.33%
Dissatisfied 6.67%
Unsure –23.33%
Satisfied – 63.33%
Completely Satisfied – 13.33%
On social computing helping employees to establish social relationships at work
the responses were;
Completely Dissatisfied - 0%
Dissatisfied 16.67%
Unsure – 23.33%
Satisfied – 40%
Completely Satisfied – 20%
On using social computing to spread ideas the responses were;
Completely Dissatisfied - 0%
Dissatisfied 13.33%
Unsure – 30%
Satisfied – 46.67%
Completely Satisfied – 10%
41
According to figure 4.1, a greater percentage of the respondents stated that they use
social networking platforms to maintain work-related ties such as sharing ideas, coming
up with new ideas, spreading ideas as well as maintaining social relationships at work.
This clearly shows that employees are linked to each other through social computing.
4.2.2 Individual Productivity
50
Confidence in reaching goals
45
40
Individual goals to support Org.
35
30
Improvement in Individual
Performance
25
Level of performance has
become excellent
20
15
Aware of Skills and Knowledge
10
5
Information(Work Related)
0
1–
2–
3 – Unsure
4–
5–
Completely Dissatisfied
Satisfied Completely
Dissatisfied
Satisfied
Aware of Colleague expertise
Figure 4.2: Productivity (Individual)
Graph showing the % of respondents (y-axis) who use social computing to enhance
individual productivity and the areas that highlight this.
42
Below is a presentation of the research findings according to the research construct of
individual productivity. Responses were given in accordance to each question posed as
follows;
Table 4.2: Productivity (Individual)
Access to social computing enables me to be very confident in reaching my
performance goals by working for this organisation
Completely Dissatisfied – 6.67%
Dissatisfied 6.67%
Unsure – 36.67%
Satisfied – 26.67%
Completely Satisfied – 23.33%
Access to social computing enables me to use my individual goals indirectly
supporting the goals of this organisation
Completely Dissatisfied – 6.67%
Dissatisfied 3.33%
Unsure – 46.67%
Satisfied – 20%
Completely Satisfied – 23.33%
Access to social computing has led to an improvement in my individual
performance over the last year
Completely Dissatisfied – 6.67%
Dissatisfied 16.67%
Unsure – 26.67%
Satisfied – 30%
Completely Satisfied – 20
Access to social computing made the level of my individual performance be
excellent during the previous year was excellent.
Completely Dissatisfied – 6.67%
Dissatisfied 16.67%%
Unsure – 33.33%
Satisfied – 20%
Completely Satisfied – 23.33%
Access to social computing has made me aware of the specific skills and
knowledge of most of my colleagues in the workplace
Completely Dissatisfied - 0%
Dissatisfied 13.33%
Unsure – 33.33%
Satisfied – 30%
Completely Satisfied – 20%
43
Access to social computing enables me to have sufficient information to help me
in doing my job efficiently
Completely Dissatisfied - 0%
Dissatisfied 26.67%
Unsure – 23.33%
Satisfied – 30%
Completely Satisfied – 20%
Access to social computing helps me to know which colleagues have good
expertise in specific areas
Completely Dissatisfied - 0%
Dissatisfied 23.33%
Unsure – 33.33%
Satisfied – 20%
Completely Satisfied – 20%
Access to social computing ensures I have sufficient information available to
make good work related decisions
Completely Dissatisfied - 10%
Dissatisfied 13.33%
Unsure – 16.67%
Satisfied – 36.67%
Completely Satisfied – 23.33%
The employees who responded to the above questionnaire seem to be unsure of
whether social networks help to enhance their productivity at work. However, 30% are
satisfied with an improvement in their individual performance as a result of using
computing networks. This, however, is closely followed by about 27% of the
respondents being unsure of whether the latter applies to them. It is evident that a good
number of the respondents use social computing to obtain information that contributes
to their work. For example, 30% of them indicated that they could obtain information,
skills and knowledge that enhance their productivity. On a general scale, employee
productivity is enhanced with most employees having access to social networks if they
use it for productive purposes. From this analysis, it is clear that how social computing
is highly dependent on what the employees do.
44
4.2.3 Commitment to Organisation
40
35
30
25
Best Organization
20
15
Promotes Level of
Performance
10
5
Match between Values
0
Go Beyond Expectations
Figure 4.3: Commitment to Organisation
Graph showing the % of respondents (y-axis) who feel access to social computing
improves their commitment to their organisations in general.
Below is a presentation of the research findings according to the research construct of
commitment to the organisation. Responses were given in accordance to each question
posed as follows. The levels of satisfaction are quantified in terms of percentage,
calculated over the total number of all the participants. The higher the percentage, the
higher the chance assigned to the characteristic.
45
Table 4.3: Commitment to Organisation
Access to social computing has made me feel that this is the best
organisation to work for
Completely Dissatisfied – 6.67%
Dissatisfied 20%
Unsure – 13.33%
Satisfied – 36.67%
Completely Satisfied – 23.33%
Access to social computing ensures that this organisation plays a major
role in promoting my level of job performance
Completely Dissatisfied – 16.67%
Dissatisfied 13.33%
Unsure – 23.33%
Satisfied – 26.67%
Completely Satisfied – 16.67%
Access to social computing has made me feel that there is a match
between my values and those of the organisation
Completely Dissatisfied – 13.33%
Dissatisfied 20%
Unsure – 16.67%
Satisfied – 36.67%
Completely Satisfied – 26.67%
Access to social computing has made me willingly to go beyond the
normal expectations to contribute towards the success of the organisation
Completely Dissatisfied – 10%
Dissatisfied 23.33%
Unsure – 10%
Satisfied – 30%
Completely Satisfied – 26.67%
The majority of the respondents are appreciative of their organisations allowing them
access to social computing, and they see this as a benefit that makes them more loyal
and committed to their employers (Figure 4.3). For instance, about 37% have the view
that access to social networking from the workplace is an indication that they share
some values with their employers.
Figure 4.4: KS, ID and OC
46
Graph showing the % of respondents (y-axis) who use social computing for knowledge
sharing, individual productivity and how it affects their commitment to their organisations
in general.
Below is a presentation of the research findings according to the three research
constructs; knowledge sharing, individual productivity and commitment to the
organisation. The levels of satisfaction are still the most suitable characteristic used. At
the extreme are the completely dissatisfied and completely satisfied. To determine the
levels of satisfaction. The participants choose on the figure assigned to the levels
according to their own view. The figures are from 1 to 5 with one meaning completely
dissatisfied while 5 means completely satisfied.
Table 4.4: KS, ID and OC
Knowledge Sharing
Completely Dissatisfied – 1.67%
Dissatisfied 8.89%
Unsure – 51.67%
Satisfied – 30%
Completely Satisfied – 11.67%
Individual Productivity
Completely Dissatisfied – 4.58%
Dissatisfied 15%
Unsure – 31.25%
Satisfied – 27.08%
47
Completely Satisfied – 22.08%
Commitment to the Organization
Completely Dissatisfied – 11.67%
Dissatisfied 19.17%
Unsure – 15.83%
Satisfied – 32.5%
Completely Satisfied – 20.83%
A good number of respondents are satisfied with using social networking to know
people outside their workplace. This may be interpreted as one of the negative
respondent behaviour whereby the employer’s time is not well utilised. A cumulative
51.67% (Figure 4.4) indicates a lot that is satisfied to be using social networks to share
knowledge in the workplace, followed closely by the lot that is unsure. The unsure
population could be there due to less interest that they have on social media issues. A
minuscule percentage is dissatisfied by using social networks to share knowledge and
ideas. Social networks also have their risks and whenever employees use these
platforms for other purposes that outside the interest of their firms then employers lose.
This is an area that needs a further inquiry to unearth the underlying issues.
4.3 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is essential to note that social computing or social networking has
traversed almost all sectors and industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, the trend is
yet to gain momentum as it has in other industries but employees are slowly turning this
around. One major finding that complements the aforementioned is the fact that
employees in the pharmaceutical industry are linked to each other. The essence of
social network platforms is to ensure or to connect people, and the platforms make it
easy for these employees to stay linked to each other. The other finding from the
analysis process is that employees engage in not only useful but other non-useful
things. It emerged that pharmaceutical employees use social networking platforms
mainly to share knowledge, exchange ideas as well as create new relationships with
people within and without the organisation. The first two reasons are indeed important
and should be encouraged within organisations. When employees use engages other
48
employees in such creative talks, it helps to build the organisation as well as to increase
innovativeness within an organisation. However, if employees use social networking
platforms for the latter reason, then a company could be at stake. People spend much
time on social media, and if employees spend their employer’s time making new
friendships and meeting new people, then the company loses.
49
CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter analyses the data collected from the respondents. The researcher had an
opportunity to analyse the data and establish the effect of social computing on the
productivity of employees in the pharmaceutical industry. The analysis of the data
indicated that social computing has a tremendous potential for improving the
performance of the staff. However, many organisations in the industry have been
reluctant to adopt platform due to the fear that it will be misused.
5.2 ANALYSIS OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS
From the analysis of the questionnaires, a greater percentage of the respondents stated
that they use social networking platforms to maintain work-related ties such as sharing
ideas, coming up with new ideas, spreading ideas as well as maintaining social
relationships at work. This clearly shows that employees are linked to each other
through social computing. This is graphically illustrated in figure 4.1. The world has
witnessed a tremendous growth in the number of social media platforms, and one
cannot ignore the fact that lives have been changed. Communication has changed, and
there is no secret that applications such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
Tumblr, and Google+ (Bavel and Martin, 2013) have impacted even the way people do
business. Connecting people is the main reason that these applications were
developed, but according to Figure 4.1, employees have found new platforms to share
ideas as well as create new ones. The connection has been achieved, and employees
not only in the same organisation but the same industry are linked. This is indeed
advantageous because information flows freely and employees can stay updated on the
current trends in the market.
It is possible, however, to conclude that a good number of respondents are satisfied
with using social networking to know people outside their workplace. This may be
interpreted as one of the negative respondent behaviour whereby the employer’s time is
50
not well utilised. A cumulative 51.67% (Figure 4.4) indicates a lot that is satisfied to be
using social networks to share knowledge in the workplace, followed closely by the lot
that is unsure. A minuscule percentage is dissatisfied by using social networks to share
knowledge and ideas. Social networks also have their risks and whenever employees
use these platforms for other purposes that outside the interest of their firms then
employers lose. There are other vulnerabilities that arise as a result of social networks
and employers might end up incurring inadvertent losses. Time is also a factor in the
use of social computing at workplaces (Aguenza, 2012). The phrase “time is money”
literally applies to every business and when employees spend most of their time on
social networking sites, then the organisation is losing. Using social media to know
people outside the workplace is not bad, but it depends on the purpose or the intentions
of the employee. It is indeed possible for employees to seek assistance from people
outside their organisation and it is also possible for employees to seek connection with
people outside their workplace for their personal reasons. When the employer’s time is
used for the wrong purpose, then adverse impacts of social computing are emphasised.
From Figure 4.2, the employees who responded to the above questionnaire seem to be
unsure of whether social networks help to enhance their productivity at work. However,
30% are satisfied with an improvement in their individual performance as a result of
using computing networks. This, however, is closely followed by about 27% of the
respondents being unsure of whether the latter applies to them. It is evident that a good
number of the respondents use social computing to obtain information that contributes
to their work. For example, 30% of them indicated that they could obtain information,
skills and knowledge that enhance their productivity. On a general scale, employee
productivity is enhanced with most employees having access to social networks if they
use it for productive purposes (Goggins, Jahnke and Wulf, 2013). From this analysis, it
is clear that how social computing is highly dependent on what the employees do.
Employers can exert control over the way their employees use social networking sites
or even whether they should use social networking sites at all while at the workplace.
However, it is getting increasingly hard for the employers to limit social media usage in
51
the workplace but according to the statistics above, there is no course for alarm. With
some employees agreeing that social media helps them improve their individual
performance and others saying that they use social media for knowledge sharing
purposes, it is of major importance that employers tap into this.
The majority of the respondents are appreciative of their organisations allowing them
access to social computing, and they see this as a benefit that makes them more loyal
and committed to their employers (Figure 4.3). For instance, about 37% have the view
that access to social networking from the workplace is an indication that they share
some values with their employers. This communicates a sense of belonging. Loyalty is
earned, and employees are a delicate lot. However, it is for the employers to find ways
that will make their employees commit to their agenda and work towards an
organisation’s goals. Freedom while in the workplace is often encouraged because it
helps to build trust between employees and employers. When employees find their
office rules strict, it restricts not only bad behaviour but also innovativeness due to the
fear that is propagated (Perner, 2014). However, when employers soften their rules and
allow social media usage in the workplace, employees interpret this as a gesture of
trust, and this positively impacts their loyalty.
To offer a summary of the analysis process, the following can be deducted from the
above:
-
Employees in the pharmaceutical industry are linked to each other through social
networking platforms. They use these platforms to share knowledge, ideas, and
to create social relationships at work (Figure 4.1).
-
Most employees use social networking platforms to enhance their knowledge,
skills, and to gain information that helps them to make informed decisions while
at their workplace. From Figure 1.1, however, about 60% of the respondents use
such a platform to know other people outside their work. This can be seen as
time wastage, but the truth is employees can either be wasting time making new
friends, or they could be connecting with other employees in other
52
pharmaceutical organisations. The former is not good for any company, but the
latter is advantageous because knowledge can also be shared through such
friendships. Comparing this result with the other useful “things” mentioned above
more employees prefer to use social computing to socialise than to build up their
knowledge and skills relevant to their work (Figures 4.1 & 4.2). With regards to
this, it is essential that employers act to control their employees and tap into the
potential of social networking platforms.
One might ask: What is the impact of social computing or networking on employee
productivity in the pharmaceutical industry? The truth is, there is no yes or no answer to
these questions. However, it is essential to point out the fact that social networking
enhances employee productivity when used for productive purposes such as acquiring
work-related information, enhancing skills and knowledge, sharing information and
ideas with fellow workmates (Scholl, 2013). On the other hand, when used as a platform
for socialising, then much time is wasted and work output becomes less satisfactory and
this way the goals are not effectively met at the workplace.
5.3 ISSUES IDENTIFIED
5.2.1 Knowledge sharing
To evaluate how social computing affects how knowledge is shared, six variables were
created. A greater percentage of the respondents indicated that they use social
networking platforms to share knowledge. 70 percent of the respondent’s state that they
use it to know people outside their work environment. The employees use the platform
to network with people outside the workplace which are useful in exchanging ideas.
They learn about what other people are doing in the sector, and this helps them in
benchmarking their progress. Only 6.66 percent of the workers indicated that they had
not utilised the platform to share ideas with other people. This group believed that social
computing should not be used for exchanging information with people outside the
organisation. They cited that exchange of knowledge with other people outside the firm
should be done using other channels and not the social media platforms. The remaining
53
23.33% were not sure if they had utilised the platform to share information outside. The
large number of staff who has communicated with people outside of the organisation is
an indication that social networking has been useful in helping the exchange of
information.
The majority of the employees (60%) used social computing to share ideas with their
colleagues. They were able to exchange useful information with other staff which
allowed them to execute their duties more efficiently. This group acknowledged the
importance of sharing information in the workplace and how social computing has made
this possible. Social media made it possible to reach colleagues easily which led to
more collaboration. 6.66 percent of the respondents stated their dissatisfaction in using
the platform to exchange information in the workplace. They believed that the platform
is not the most appropriate one in facilitating the flow of information in an organisation.
Social computing has allowed the creation of new ideas at the workplace as well as
spreading the ideas. 66.66 percent of the respondents indicated that they had created
new ideas as a result of using social computing platforms. As they interacted with other
staff in the organisation, they were able to come up with new ideas. Still on, 60 percent
of the respondents came up with new ideas by using social computing to interact with
their colleagues. They indicated that they were able to work in close collaboration with
other staff that helped them develop their thoughts and ideas. The spread of the created
ideas was possible due to the networking. 66.67 percent of the workers indicated that
new ideas within the workplace spread easily due to the availability of the platform.
However, 43.33 percent of the respondents did not see social computing as a viable
way of spreading new ideas. They stated that they had not utilised social computing to
generate new ideas. They disagreed with the notion that the platform allows the
generation of new ideas.
The use of social platforms was key in developing close personal relationships with
workers. 60 percent of the respondents admitted that they developed good personal
54
relationships with their colleagues which enabled them to work in a better environment.
Developing personal relationship is essential for creating an enabling environment for
workers to share ideas freely. Social computing allowed them to have good working
relations which led to an increase in their morale. Only 16.67 percent of the respondents
indicated that they did not find social networking useful in creating professional
relationships. They observed that social networks could not be relied upon to create
strong professional ties. 23.33 percent could not state whether or not social computing
led to the development of social relations. This, therefore, shows that social networks
have helped employees develop a close relationship which has created teamwork
hence increase in productivity.
Overall, 63.34 percent of the respondents indicated that social networking is a viable
way of sharing knowledge. Only 10.56 percent stated their dissatisfaction while the
remaining 26.11 percent were not sure of its impact. This confirmed a report by Ogilvy
Healthworld Highlights (leader in Integrated Social Media Marketing), which stated that
the pharmaceutical industry is slowly warming up to the idea of social networking.
Although it has taken much time, the rate is likely to increase many firms embracing this
development.
5.2.2 Individual Productivity
Social computing has an impact on the productivity of the workers. Half of the
respondents stated that it enables them to have confidence in attaining the goals of the
organisation. They are confident when working with an organisation that allows them to
use such a platform and this gives them the confidence they require to attain the goals
of the firm. However, 13.34 percent of the respondents indicated that social networking
did not have a positive impact on their productivity. This category did not see access to
social computing as the reason they were confident to reach the goals of the
organisation. Still on, 36.67 percent of the respondents were not sure whether social
computing enables them to be confident in the workplace.
55
43.33 percent of the respondents stated that computing enabled their individual
performance to improve the previous year. The employees appreciated the use of social
networking as a cause for improvement in their performance. 23.34 percent did not
attribute their increase in productivity to the use of social networks while the remaining
33.33 percent were not sure. However, over the last year, the productivity of employees
has improved due to the use of social computing. Now, 50 percent of the respondents
attribute their improved productivity to the use of social networks. This shows that
employees in the pharmaceutical industry are adopting the use of this platform. This
agrees with (Zgheib, 2014: 84), who states that employee productivity can be increased
due to the use of social media sites.
53.33 percent of the workers indicated that access to computing has allowed them to be
aware of the expertise of the other staff in the organisation. The respondents stated that
interaction with other members of the staff through social platforms enabled them to
know the specific skills and knowledge they have. The respondents agreed with (Obar,
Zube, and Lampe, 2012) that the interaction the employees have over the social media
increases their socialism at the workplace. This allows them to identify the expertise the
other colleagues have hence the staff can collaborate much better for the success of
the organisation. 40 percent of the workers used social networking to identify the
colleagues with an excellent expertise in the specific areas they were interested in.
Social networking was useful in helping to identify what each employee was good at. As
a result, the workers can consult accordingly and get help easily because they know the
expertise of their colleagues. This has allowed the staff to accomplish their duties much
more efficiently. 13.33 percent of the respondents felt that social computing was not the
best platform to identify the skills and knowledge that other staff possess. They believed
that interacting with colleagues face to face was the best approach towards knowing
them better. The remaining 33.33 percent of the respondents were not sure whether
social computing has helped them understand the skills of the other workers better.
56
A larger percentage of the respondents agreed that access to social computing has
helped them get sufficient information to make work-related decisions. The manufacture
of drugs requires access to much information, especially from the patients. According to
(Koontz, 2013), the social media helps in tracking and creating an interactive
environment where both the manufacturers and the patients can have ideas. 60 percent
of the workers stated that they could get much information from the social media
platforms. As a result, they can make the best work-related decisions. This indicates the
importance of social computing in allowing access to information. 23.33 percent did not
find social media platforms as a viable source of information. This shows that social
computing has not been widely accepted as a source of information by all the workers.
5.2.3 Commitment to the Organisation
53.33 percent of the respondents stated that access to social networking allows them to
be more committed to the organisation. 30.84 percent did not attribute their commitment
to the organisation to gain access to social computing while the remaining 15.53
percent were not sure. 60 percent of the respondents stated that access to social
networks has made them feel that they work in the best organisation. These workers
indicated that they could work better due to the advantages that the platform has. They
appreciated the ability to communicate with the management during and after the
working hours which according to (Wretch, 2013) helps employees to work cohesively
with the management. The management passes crucial information through the social
media which the employees need to improve their productivity. The employees stated
that social media had revolutionalised the way they interact with the management which
makes them feel that the organisation is the best one to work for. However, 26.67
percent of the staff did not attribute access to social computing as the reason which has
made them feel that they are working for the best organisation. Whereas this is a small
number, it is an indication that not all employees perceive the benefits of using social
computing to improve their productivity.
57
Access to social computing contributed to increasing the level of job performance. 43.34
percent agreed that social computing has allowed them to perform much better while 31
percent disagreed. The majority of the employees attributed their increased
performance to the introduction of social networking platforms. They stated the
increased access to information and the development of professional relationships in
the workplace as the reason for the improvement in their performance. The respondents
who disagreed stated that social media has negative implications on their performance.
They cited the amount of time wasted on the social media which could be used to
improve individual performance. This category agreed with (Brown, 2011) that
pharmaceutical companies should block social networking sites on their IT infrastructure
to compel the employees to engage in productive activities. However, this group did not
appreciate that productivity is not directly proportional to the time spent doing official
work in the office (Fiona, 2013). Their concern was that employers lose a lot due to
allowing the staff to use social media sites instead of concentrating on the core
business.
Social computing enabled employees in the sector to feel that there is a match between
their values and those of the organisation. 53.34 percent of the respondents stated that
social computing allowed them to discover that their values were similar to those of the
organisation. Social computing allowed the company serve employees much more
efficiently by enabling them to share information freely. Here, the firm received
immediate feedback from the customers which allowed the development of better
products. The respondents stated that they were concerned with customer satisfaction,
and social computing made this possible. Also, social computing allowed for the
development of professional relationships with the members of the staff interacted with
each other. The organisation valued personal growth which the employees also
appreciated. 23.33 percent stated that they did not discover a match in their values and
those of the organisation through social computing.
58
56.67 percent of the respondents said that access to social computing had enabled
them to be willing to go beyond the usual expectations to contribute towards the
success of the organisation. This group cited the numerous advantages that social
computing has brought to the workplace which makes it easy to attain the goals of the
organisation. The use of social media in the organisation has allowed companies to
operate in a more efficient way. Pharmaceutical companies can market their products
much more easily through social media sites and get many clients. Additionally,
organisations can market their image to customers through the platform. As a result,
employees working in such companies are encouraged to work more so that they can
attain the goals of the organisation. The respondents agreed that social computing
allowed them to work in a firm where they feel that their hard work leads to the success
of the company. This made them willing to go beyond the normal expectations to attain
the goals of the organisation.
5.3 CONCLUSION
Social computing has enabled employees in the pharmaceutical industry to be
connected to each other. They share knowledge, ideas, and have social relations in the
workplace. Sharing of knowledge is critical in the pharmaceutical industry which is
mainly driven by research and development. Employees need to be aware of the
current developments in the sector so that they can be more productive. Indeed, 63.34
percent of the respondents acknowledged that social networking had helped them to
share knowledge within and outside the organisation. Individual productivity also
increased in pharmaceutical organisations which allowed social networking in the
workplace. Workers were able to interact more effectively through social media
platforms which allowed the development of professional relationships. The workers
were able to identify the skills that other members of the staff possess hence this
allowed for the development of professionalism which led to individual development.
Additionally, 53.33 percent stated that through social computing they have become
more committed towards the realisation of the goals of the organisation. They stated
that it had improved the way they communicate with the management. Communication
59
within the organisation has become easier as the employees can contact the employer
during and after the working hours.
60
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the study by giving a summary of the
research objectives, findings, conclusion and recommendation of the study. The study
focused on examining the impact of social computing/social networking on employee
productivity within the pharmaceutical industry. According to the findings of this study, it
is clear that the purpose of which the social networking platforms are used ultimately
impacts the productivity of employees. This chapter provides a summary of the study’s
objectives and findings, recommendations for the pharmaceutical industry, and finally, it
offers suggestions for further research.
6.2 SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Before researchers commence their studies, they often stipulate objectives and
questions that guide them throughout the research process. The end goal for any
researcher is to achieve or to reach their goals. For this particular research, the
following were the objectives:
-
To investigate the general perception on the impacts of social
computing/networking on employee productivity.
-
To specifically investigate the impact of social networking on the productivity of
pharmaceutical industry employees.
-
To assess how best organisations can maximally exploit social networking to
better their employees’ productivity.
-
To provide recommendations on the best approach to taking advantage of social
networking to not only impact on employees’ productivity but also to grow one’s
market share.
61
6.3 FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY
6.3.1 Findings from Literature Review
The pharmaceutical industry has gradually caught up, but it is yet to take advantage
fully of the opportunities that social networking presents. Various researchers soon got
interested in how social networking platforms impact employees’ productivity. Some
researchers concluded that social networking negatively impacts on employees’
productivity while others found that it positively impacts employees’ productivity. This
conflict of ideas prompted the researcher to conduct this study and to investigate the
general perception with regards to social networking and its effect on employee
productivity. Albeit the fact that the pharmaceutical industry took long to jump on the
social networking bandwagon, it has grown its usage. However, even though it might
have positively impacted the productivity of employees in other industries, it is important
to know exactly how employees in the pharmaceutical industry are influenced. Those
above prompted the researcher to focus his investigation towards the pharmaceutical
industry and hence the second objective. It is indeed important for organisations to
know the best way to use social networking platforms to improve their employees’
productivity and also to grow their influence. This is indeed significant and hence the
third and fourth objectives of this research study.
With regard to the impact of social networkings on employee productivity, few
employees acknowledged that their performance is enhanced due to the use of social
networking platforms. However, others also felt that social media’s effect on their work
is completely negligible. Regardless of the findings on this, it is clear that the purpose
for which these platforms are used is directly proportional to employees’ productivity (If
used for the wrong purpose then employees’ productivity dwindles but if used for the
right purpose then employees’ productivity is heightened). It also emerged that some
employees see the freedom to use social networking platforms as a show of loyalty and
value from their employers. Employees are fragile, and if not treated with the delicacy
that they deserve then their commitment and loyalty might be shown elsewhere. It might
62
seem like a small bend to one’s rules and regulations, but according to the findings,
employees feel appreciated and in return give their loyalty.
Despite some of these challenges, employees in the pharmaceutical industry have
embraced the development and find the platform extremely useful for their productivity.
The management should, therefore, ensure that social networking is used for the benefit
of the organisation. Indeed, social networking has an enormous potential to transform
the productivity of the staff in the industry. Pharmaceutical firms should take advantage
of this development and embrace social computing to improve the performance of the
employees.
6.3.2 Findings from Primary Research
One of the major findings of this study is that pharmaceutical employees use social
networking platforms for knowledge sharing purposes, sharing of ideas as well as the
creation of social relationships at work. This means that most of them are linked or
connected to each other. This is an advantageous finding, particularly by the
pharmaceutical companies. This is because the cohesion of employees is often
encouraged and it often breeds good teamwork and ultimately the firms gain in
profitability. When employees are in good terms, innovativeness is also enhanced
because by sharing their ideas, it becomes easier for newer ones to be incepted and
adopted. Co-existence is of course of the essence, and when employees are linked to
each other, it is enhanced and improved.
The other finding was that employees also use social networking platforms to enhance
their skills and to help them in making crucial decisions within the workplace. Skill
enhancement is, of course, imperative, and when employees use available resources to
improve their abilities for the sake of their organisation, productivity is enhanced. This
finding, however, is overshadowed by the fact that a significant number of employees
also use social networking platforms to foster relationships that are not related to their
63
work activities. This, of course, means that the employer’s time is wasted, and the
productivity of the employees is lowered.
On the other hand, the research indicated that social computing has negative
implications on the productivity of employees in the pharmaceutical industry. 10.56
percent of the respondents did not use social networking for sharing knowledge, while
26.11 percent could not tell whether information sharing was made easy due to the
availability of the social networking platforms in the workplace. Also, 19.58 percent of
the respondents did not attribute individual development to the availability of social
computing while 31.25 percent could not tell whether their productivity was due to the
introduction of social media in the organisation. Whereas 53.33 percent of the
respondents stated that they were more committed towards the organisation, 30.84
percent felt that their commitment to the company had nothing to do with the availability
of social networks. Although a large number of employees indicate that social
computing has allowed for more commitment, almost a third of the employees did not
see the importance of the social networks.
The analysis established that some employees in the industry use social networks to do
non-useful things. Social networking led to the wastage of time when employees used
time meant for work to socialise. The output became less satisfactory hence the goals
of the organisation were not effectively met in the organisation. Additionally, the
management of social media is risky to a pharmaceutical company as intentional
malicious posts by employees can be detrimental to the organisation. This is the reason
why some employees felt that social computing platforms were not the best regarding
sharing information. Social networking has its challenges. There is a risk of employees
posting information maliciously which can damage the reputation of a firm. Also, some
employees may take advantage and utilise social platforms to socialise with their
colleagues at the expense of their productivity.
64
Finally, it emerged that the productivity of employees cannot be measured as a single
variable, but one needs to define various variables and use them to measure
productivity. Social computing is an important tool that can be used by the
pharmaceutical industry to build and improve their productivity and influence. However,
how employees use social networking platforms are indeed of the essence, and it
determines whether productivity is enhanced or derailed. Regardless of how employees
view their freedom to use social networking, it is essential for employers to have rules
and regulations that guide its usage.
6.4 CONCLUSIONS
The use of social computing or social networking platforms has traversed many of the
world’s industries including the pharmaceutical industry. Employees have embraced
social networking and have used it for various purposes. While some have used it for
work related agendas, others have or are using it for non-work related activities. Both of
the impacts above organisations and if not resolved, a firm might end up losing. The
findings indicated that social computing/social networking enables organisational
employees to share knowledge within and outside the organisation. Moreover, individual
productivity was demonstrated to increase in pharmaceutical organisations where social
networking was allowed in the workplace. The presence of a social computing platform
enabled workers to interact more effectively; thereby, paving the way for professional
relationships. The findings indicated that social computing increased the level of their
commitment towards the realisation of the organisational goals as well as objectives.
Communication within the organisation was enhanced. Social computing/networking is
a valuable addition to all sectors of the world. Employers and employees alike have
found it to be a positive addition that not only helps to expand their presence but also
improves on efficiency. In the pharmaceutical industry, like all the other industries, it has
proven to be of great impact. First of all, employees have found a platform that allows
them to share ideas and jointly solve problems at the workplace. This is important and
not only helps to bring about cohesion in the workplace but also encourages teamwork
65
which will ultimately result in improved productivity. Employees also use social
networking as a tool to enhance their skills. Regardless of the positive uses, some
employees use it to create social relationships with non-work agendas. This is indeed
risky for the organisation because it may not only lead to a decrease in productivity but
also it may be an inlet for hackers and other people with bad agendas for the
organisation. The researcher’s conclusion with regards to productivity is that when used
for the right purpose, social networking can positively impact employees’ productivity,
but when used for the wrong purpose the impact will be negative.
6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the analysis of the data from the respondents, the researcher came up with
the following recommendations;

The pharmaceutical industry has not fully integrated the use of social media.
While recently the industry has taken steps to reap the benefits of social
networking, the adoption of the platform has been slow. Most of the
management fear that the platform can taint their image especially when
employees’
post-intentional
malicious
information.
However,
the
pharmaceutical industry should appreciate that this platform has been used
successfully in other equally sensitive sectors. Hence, the management
should be supportive in the implementation of the required IT infrastructure for
social computing.

Social computing enables pharmaceutical companies to connect with their
clients hence they can get useful feedback about their products. The industry
should take advantage of the opportunity social computing presents to
organisations that need immediate feedback from the customers. The
information obtained can be used for evaluating the effectiveness of the drugs
on the patients. Hence, the pharmaceutical industry should take advantage of
this platform to allow for the flow of information from the customers.
66

The management should allow their employees to use social media platforms
in the workplace. This will allow sharing of information which will lead to the
creation and development of new ideas. The management needs to
appreciate the importance of employees exchanging information as a way to
help them develop their skills and knowledge hence more productivity.

Before a pharmaceutical company adopts the use of social networks, there
should be clearly outlined policies to avoid hurting the credibility of the firm.
The industry handles sensitive information which requires that every
communication is scrutinised before it is released to the public. Delving into
social computing can be risky hence the need to come up with the
appropriate policies. Also, the pharmaceutical industry needs to come up with
policies on social networking to guide employees on how to use the platform.
The industry has been slow to adopt social computing due to the fear that
employees will waste much time sharing personal issues at the expense of
their productivity. This issue can be addressed by the organisations coming
up with policies which outline how social networks should be used in the
organisation.

Employees should use the platform that social networking creates to improve
their productivity and avoid wasting time that should otherwise be spending
on productive activities. They should also be careful about how they share
information especially with individuals outside the organisation to avoid
tainting the image of the firm. Workers should recognise that employers fail to
embrace the platform due to the fear that it will be used to degrade the
organisation. Hence, the staff should use social computing to increase their
productivity and achieving the goals of the organisation.
6.6 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

The research should do using a larger sample size than the one used here.
Due to time constraints, the researcher sampled 40 respondents. However,
10 of them did not respond, hence the data was based on 30 responses.
67
Using a larger sample helps in reducing the margin errors hence the
researcher can draw conclusions which are not biased. With a large sample
size, the results to be extrapolated to the whole population.

This research involved junior staff members only. The management was
excluded which implies that the chances of biased responses are high. The
management should be involved since they have more information on the
impact of the social computing platforms on their employees. Responses from
both the staff and the employer will provide a deeper insight and minimise
biases.

Only one country was selected for the research due to cost issues. This
implies that this research is limited regarding its use to the chosen country.
However, it is a good reference point for researchers in other countries.
Further research can be done with more respondents from different countries
which will allow the research to be applicable in the various countries.
6.7 CONCLUSION
Conclusively, the pharmaceutical industry is slowly adopting social networking. The
whole process has not been easy as many firms in this sector fear tainting their image
through hence they avoid social networking at all costs. Despite the challenges of the
platform, some organisations in the industry hence some organisations are breaking
away from the norm. They recognise the benefits that social networking has on the
productivity of the employees. The researcher established that social networking has a
positive impact on the performance of the staff in the industry. Employees can share
knowledge both with people in the organisation and outside which lead to the creation of
new ideas. The productivity improved due to the availability of information and the
development of social relations which enabled employees to interact more freely. The
staff was able to identify the knowledge and skills in the other colleagues in the
organisation.
68
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APPENDICES
Appendix A: Survey Instrument
Survey Questions on the Impact of Social Computing/Social
Networking on Employee Productivity in the Pharmaceutical
Industry
Please indicate the extent to which you are dissatisfied or satisfied about on the Impact of Social
Computing/Social Networking on Employee Productivity in the Pharmaceutical Industry in each of the
scenarios below (1 – Completely dissatisfied 2 – dissatisfied 3 – unsure 4 – satisfied 5 – Completely
satisfied).
72
The Impact of Social Computing on
1–
2–
Employee Productivity
Completely
Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
1
Social computing/Networking helps me to
get to know people outside my work
environment
Social computing/Networking helps me to
share ideas with colleagues
3
Social computing/Networking helps me to
work together with colleagues in creating
new ideas
4
Social computing/Networking helps me to
create ideas for the workplace
5
Social computing/Networking helps me to
maintain close social relationships with
people at work
6
Social computing/Networking helps me to
spread ideas within the workplace
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIVITY
7
Access to social computing enables me to
be very confident in reaching my
performance goals by working for this
organisation
8
Access to social computing enables me to
use my individual goals indirectly
supporting the goals of this organisation
9
Access to social computing has led to an
improvement in my individual
performance over the last year
10
Access to social computing made the level
of my individual performance to be
excellent during the previous year was
excellent.
11
Access to social computing has made me
aware of the specific skills and knowledge
of most of my colleagues in the workplace
73
3 – Unsure
4–
5–
Satisfied
Completely
Satisfied
12
Access to social computing enables me to
have sufficient information to help me in
doing my job efficiently
13
Access to social computing helps me to
know which colleagues have good
expertise in specific areas
14
Access to social computing ensure I have
sufficient information available to make
good work related decisions
COMMITMENT TO THE ORGANIZATION
15
Access to social computing has made me
feel that this is the best organization to
work for
16
Access to social computing ensures that
this organization plays a major role in
promoting my level of job performance.
17
Access to social computing has made me
feel that there is a match between my
values and those of the organization
18
Access to social computing has made me
willingly to go beyond the normal
expectations to contribute towards the
success of the organization
74