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The Pursuit of Empowerment through Social Media: Structural Social Capital Dynamics in CSR-Blogging

Fieseler, Christian ; Fleck, Matthes

In: Journal of Business Ethics, 2013, vol. 118, no. 4, p. 759-775

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    Titre
    • The Pursuit of Empowerment through Social Media: Structural Social Capital Dynamics in CSR-Blogging
    Auteur
    • Fieseler, Christian. Institute for Media and Communications Management, University of St. Gallen, Blumenbergplatz 9, 9000, St. Gallen, Switzerland
    • Fleck, Matthes. Institute for Communication and Marketing, Lucerne School of Business, Zentralstrasse 9, P.O. Box 2940, 6002, Lucerne, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Anglais
    Publié dans
    • Journal of Business Ethics, 2013, vol. 118, no. 4, p. 759-775. Springer Netherlands
    Autre version électronique
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:318962
    Summary
    With the emergence of participative social media, the ways in which stakeholders may interact with companies are changing. Social media and Web 2.0 technologies change gatekeeping mechanisms and the distribution of information. In consequence, organizations must realize that they are structurally embedded in online networks of interconnected and equitable actors. In this paper, we analyze how this change in today's information and communication technologies may affect Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) action. We utilize social network analysis to investigate the CSR blogs of three IT firms: Google, Hewlett-Packard, and Intel. The analysis reveals that their Internet-enabled social networks exhibit patterns of power law distribution and an uneven distribution of structural social capital among the actors involved, especially on the corporate side, which fails to fully engage with the network. We conclude by indicating the research implications of shifting social capital dynamics and by deriving implications for management and practice