Social Media Use and Organizational Identity: A Case Study

The organizational identity (OI) concept has been used only sporadically in information systems (IS) research despite the fact that technology in general and social media (SM) in particular are transforming the way individuals, groups and organizations think about and define themselves. This study examines the relationship between the extent of employees’ SM use for professional purposes and the nature of OI that employees hold about their employer. This relationship is examined in a medium-sized Italian HR Consulting Company. Data were collected by interviewing 22 employees and from examining their LinkedIn accounts. Our analysis unearths both strategic and cultural aspects of employees OI, with the former prevailing, and finds that that neither of these sides of OI vary depending on the extent of employees’ SM use. Considering that LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional SM, this study also has important practical implications highlighting the need to better explain SM use to employees.