Bosses "should embrace Facebook"

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 29 Oct 2008 at 12:06

A new study reveals bosses should not stop their staff using social networking sites because they could actually benefit the firm.

The report by Demos and Orange claims encouraging employees to use networking technologies to build relationships and closer links with colleagues and customers could help businesses rather than damage them.

Author Peter Bradwell says that while companies are using specific systems to share information, online social networking sites can also play a role, helping with productivity, innovation and democratic working.

However, he notes there should be practical guidelines to limit non-work usage.

"Bans on Facebook or YouTube are in any case almost impossible to enforce; firms may as well try to put a time limit on the numbers of minutes allowed each day for gossiping," he writes.

"The answer is not to close down staff access to social network platforms, nor is it investing blindly in collaborative platforms.

"Rather, we argue that we need to understand how, once we accept the implications of social networks, we can manage the new challenges and trade-offs."

"Allowing workers to have more freedom and flexibility might seem counterintuitive, but it appears to create business more capable of maintaining stability."