IT industry news: Social media 'changing management'

09:29 9th December 2011

The rapid growth of social networking has prompted senior managers to change the way they run businesses, experts believe.

According to a report from the Financial Times, one of the main consequences of social media in the business arena has been the speeding up of communications.

Colleagues can now share ideas instantly, while consumers will react to events within moments of them occurring through channels such as Twitter and Facebook.

Microsoft researcher Jonathan Grudin told the newspaper that managers have been forced to change their style because they are expected to "react much more quickly".

He explained: "The manager that wanted to have three days to think things through on a decision will struggle when an answer is expected in six hours."

Mr Grudin also suggested the use of instant messaging to share information can "demystify the manager", as relatively junior employees are likely to have access to the same data.

The benefits of a "connected and collaborative workplace" were discussed at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's Social Media in HR Conference, which took place in London this week.

Posted by Hannah James

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