Abstract
Global, fast-moving markets also require companies to provide increasingly flexible structures and thinking patterns. Transformation has become an omnipresent accompaniment of internationally operating companies. Thus leadership and, above all, communication advance to the decisive indicators in the change process.
However, the role of internal communication will shift its focus in the future from a top-down communication to an interaction less controlled by management like Web 2.0. Apart from classical internal media like the employee newspaper their equipment comprises computer-based instruments like the intranet and today increasingly social media tools.
The results of these findings will illustrate:
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1.
The past: how change communication has been realized in former years within the organization;
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2.
The present: how first little attempts to introduce Web 2.0 has already made the process much more interactive—and much more successful
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3.
The future: how a real broad introduction of Social Media in the change process (which is so far only discussed, but not decided) could change the nature of change management as a whole within multinational firms.
Some data are based on two former studies of the authors, done between 2000 and 2005; in addition, new data from 2011 will show the current perspective
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Notes
- 1.
The authors of this paper wish to thank Pia Körber, Leonie Schöne and Adriana Tkacz for helping with the research for his subchapter.
- 2.
In the context of a global publication this quotation was left in the original (Spanish) language. An English translation would be: “In fact, it is possible to affirm that the new technologies are the potential time thieves of the twenty-first century.”
- 3.
In the context of a global publication this quotation was left in the original (German) language. An English translation would be: “platform for different applications”.
- 4.
The authors of this paper wish to thank Corinna Schwarz, Corinna Hübl, Heike Poley and Patricia Kurowski for helping with the research for this subchapter.
- 5.
The two latter services were also completely examined, but led to hardly measurable, since very low figures—especially internally. For this reason, due to the lack of space and relevance, the results will not be depicted in this paper.
- 6.
AA here short for “Auswärtiges Amt” = Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- 7.
For the MOFA at least the authors of this paper can officially report that this internal “imitation model” is not used, either. No reliable statement was available from Lufthansa. However, general experience at colleges, for example, has shown that “imitation models” of this kind seldom enjoyed a popularity that was even comparable to the original’s.
- 8.
In the context of a European conference this quotation was left in the original (German) language. An English translation would be: “The successful, i.e. beneficial application of such channels critically depends on the management- and communication culture of each company.”
- 9.
In the context of a global publication this quotation was left in the original (German) language. An English translation would be: “To ensure the success of the blog (it is read by many and may even be commented on), it is important that it is published in a very personal way so that the employees do not get the impression that it is all the “writings” of the executive assistant—balanced, aligned, and smooth.”
- 10.
In the context of a global publication this quotation was left in the original (German) language. An English translation would be: “boundless enterprise”.
- 11.
For a second complementally substudy a sample of 516 sampling units from the internal media of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was drawn out in the time period from July 2010 to June 2011. Analysis indicated that the internal media of the MOFA sparsely mention and respectively refer to external media. It is also striking that in all the studied content of the internal media there were only 58 references to the internet in “intern AA” (internal MOFA), “FFD-Rundbrief” (FFD-Newsletter) and the intranet. Only 1.4 % of the external references lead to the Web 2.0-area and here to social networking sites. Furthermore, there are virtually no links at all connecting the individual internal media of the MOFA.
- 12.
The separation of private and professional context is a general problem in connection with social media (Facebook is increasingly also employed professionally while LinkedIn and XING are progressively used for private purposes.) This issue cannot be further addressed.
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Sievert, H., Nelke, A. (2013). How (Social) Media Can Change “Change” in Organizations. In: Friedrichsen, M., Mühl-Benninghaus, W. (eds) Handbook of Social Media Management. Media Business and Innovation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28897-5_5
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