Skip to search boxSkip to navigationSkip to main content

Influence of social media practices on the fusion of strategies within organisations

  • Shirumisha Kwayu
    ,
  • Banita Lal
    ,
  • Mumin Abubakre
  • Nottingham Trent University
Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Abstract

Contemporary information technologies such as social media have brought into question the usefulness of the alignment perspective in understanding the role and influence of technology in organisational strategy. This has prompted some scholars to argue for a fusion view of Information Systems (IS) which sees IS as integral to business strategy. Despite the suggestion of the fusion view, there is little empirical evidence of how the fusion of strategy is realised. For instance, literature suggests that executives are struggling with how to implement social media strategy within an organisation. This paper uses the strategy as practice lens guided by the interpretivist philosophy to explore the influence of social media practices on the fusion of strategies within an organisation. The paper uses empirical evidence from the case study of a telecom organisation in Tanzania to gain theoretical insight into the role of social media in organisational strategy. This research contributes to the management literature by arguing that the fusion of strategy is achieved by the intertwinement of historical background, context, technological advances and social intent. Also, it contributes to IS literature by showing how social media extends the IS scope within an organisation while minimizing the need for organisational IT infrastructure. In practice, this research highlights the significance of informal social media practices such as WhatsApp communication in organisational processes such as knowledge sharing and customer service.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 513-528

Publication milestones

  • Published - 19/05/2019

Publication status

Published - 19/05/2019

Volume

558

Publisher

Springer, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, United States, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, China, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Brazil, France, Singapore

Publication series

  • Publication series name: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
    Number: 558

ISBN (Print)

9783030206703

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/624888
  • Scopus: 85068451764

Host publication title

ICT Unbounded, Social Impact of Bright ICT Adoption. TDIT 2019.

Access to documents

Publication metrics