what is the construction industry’s perception to the use of social media?
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Discipline Research Project
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Daniel Barry Maddocks
Bsc (Hons) Construction Project Management (Yr 3)
The University of Salford
School of the Built Environment
BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management
Discipline Research Project
What is the construction industry’s perception to the use of social media?
Daniel Barry Maddocks
2011
Discipline Research Project
___________________________________________________________________________
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Daniel Barry Maddocks
Bsc (Hons) Construction Project Management (Yr 3)
Synopsis
The purpose of this research was to investigate the perception of construction industry
professionals towards the use of social media. First of all existing literature was reviewed in
order to define social media and provide an insight into its development. Next, research was
carried out to understand the theories of important business principles, case studies were
analysed to see how other industries were using social media to build upon these theories.
Literature was also used to demonstrate how social media should be managed in the workplace.
Finally, a review of online discussion forums, blogs and existing literature gave an insight into
the potential uses of social media within the construction industry. This was an important step
which allowed for the construction of a survey.
The research survey was based around the headings of the theories that were identified and
included communication, collaboration, customer service, branding and corporate social
responsibility. A total of 86 people responded to the survey and responses were positive towards
the use of social media in construction. The most positive responses came from the idea of using
social media to collect feedback from clients / building occupants, for branding and increasing
exposure, and for recruitment. It also appears to be a good way of implementing corporate social
responsibility. The only area of its use that was met with a majority disagreement was the idea of
using social media for general customer service. A social media policy that provides
unambiguous guidelines would help to overcome some industry fears.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to some of the people that have helped
me through my journey of higher education. I owe a lot to my company, Bachy Soletanche Ltd.
In 2007 I left the military and had no real idea of what I was going to do next; Bachy took me
under their wing and enrolled me onto a fantastic training scheme. Whilst working they allowed
me to study for my HNC part-time. Following some redundancies in 2009 the company decided
not to release me, instead they gave me the opportunity to finish my degree full-time. I’m very
grateful for the time and money that Bachy Soletanche has invested in me and I look forward to
a long and successful career with them.
I’d like to thank the two educational institutions that have given me a sound education in the
built environment. First of all to Bolton University who gave me a good foundation through a
quality HNC programme. Secondly to the University of Salford for offering such a wonderful
course, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Special thanks go to the School of the Build Environment
and all of the staff there.
I also owe a lot to my family who have supported the decisions I have made over the years, I
know they will be proud of what I have achieved. My grandmother has been a particular
inspiration and has always been there to support me.
In terms of this research project I would like to thanks my supervisor Dr. Jason Underwood, who
has given good guidance when I’ve needed it and has offered words of encouragement. I’d like
to thank Elizabeth Harrin, an author who offered words of advice early in the process and I’d
also like to thank all those who took part in the research survey and shared it with colleagues.
‘Sedit Qui Timuit Ne Non Succederet’
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Contents
1.0 Chapter 1 – Introduction……....………………………...…………… 1
1.1 Working Title…………………………...……………….. ………. 1
1.2 Introduction to & Justification for Research……………..………. 1
1.3 Research Aim………………..…….………………….................. 2
1.4 Religious Objectives……...………………...…..……….. ………. 2
1.5 Research Methodology……….………..……................................. 2
2.0 Chapter 2 – Literature Review…………............................................... 4
2.1 Defining Social Media……………..……………………………... 4
2.2 A Brief History of Internet Communication……………………… 5
2.3 Using Social Media to Build Upon Traditional Theories………… 6
2.3.1 Communication…………………...………………………… 7
2.3.1.1 How Social Media is Being Used to Improve
Communication in Health Care…………………….. 7
2.3.1.2 Communication Lessons to Be Taken Forward……. 8
2.3.2 Collaboration……………………………………………….. 9
2.3.2.1 How Social Media is Being Used to Improve
Collaboration at Procter & Gamble………………… 10
2.3.2.2 Collaboration Lessons to Be Taken Forward……..... 11
2.3.3 Customer Service……………...……………………………. 11
2.3.3.1 How Social Media is Being Used to Improve
Customer Service at Comcast………………………. 13
2.3.3.2 Customer Service Lessons to Be Taken Forward…... 14
2.3.4 Branding……………………………………………………. 14
2.3.4.1 How Ford Models is Using Social Media to Create a
Conversational Brand………………………………. 15
2.3.4.2 Branding Lessons to Be Taken Forward…………… 16
2.3.5 Corporate Social Responsibility……………………………. 16
2.3.5.1 How Timberland is Using Social Media to
Implement Corporate Social Responsibility………... 17
2.3.5.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Lessons to Be
Taken Forward…………………………………….... 18
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2.4 Managing the Use of Social Media in the Workplace..…………... 18
2.5 Social Media Use in the Construction Industry…………………... 19
3.0 Chapter 3 – Data Analysis…..…………............................................... 21
3.1 Survey Section 1 - Background Information……………………... 21
3.1.1 Background Information Questions…….……...…………… 21
3.1.2 Background Information Findings..………………………… 27
3.2 Survey Section 2 - Communication………..……..……………..... 27
3.2.1 Communication Questions…….…………………………… 27
3.2.2 Communication Findings..…….…………………………… 30
3.3 Survey Section 3 - Collaboration…....…….……………………... 30
3.3.1 Collaboration Questions…..……...………………………… 31
3.3.2 Collaboration Findings..…….…....………………………… 33
3.4 Survey Section 4 - Customer Service…………….……………..... 34
3.4.1 Customer Service Questions….......………………………… 34
3.4.2 Customer Service Findings..……..………………………… 36
3.5 Survey Section 5 - Branding….……..…….……………………... 36
3.5.1 Branding Questions…….…………...……………………… 36
3.5.2 Branding Findings..…….………………...………………… 38
3.6 Survey Section 6 - Corporate Social Responsibility……………... 38
3.6.1 Corporate Social Responsibility Questions………………… 39
3.6.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Findings..………………… 41
3.7 Survey Section 7 - Barriers / Enablers…….……………………... 42
3.7.1 Barriers / Enablers Questions….....………………………… 42
3.7.2 Barriers / Enablers Findings..…….………………………… 43
3.8 Overall Analysis……………………..…….……………………... 44
4.0 Chapter 4 – Conclusion and Recommendations…................................ 44
4.1 Aim………………………………………...……………………... 44
4.2 Objectives……………………………….....……………………... 45
4.3 Recommendations………………………………………………... 46
4.4 Limitations of Research…………………...……………………... 47
4.5 Further Research…………………………..……………………... 48
5.0 References…………………………………………............................. v
6.0 Bibliography…………………………………….……………............ ix
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1 Chapter 1 – Introduction
This chapter provides an introduction to the research and gives justification for its carrying out.
It gives an insight into the aims and objectives and describes the methods used to achieve these.
1.1 Working Title
What is the construction industry’s perception to the use of social media?
1.2 Introduction to & Justification for Research
In recent times web-based technology has changed the way we communicate, both socially and
professionally. The development of Web 2.0 saw the evolution from static, brochure-like web
pages to a dynamic, Interactive web with user-generated content. Online technology can now be
used to create interactive content and conversations online; this is known as social media.
The evolution of social media has allowed Consumers to broadcast their opinions of a brand to a
global audience, taking the concept of ‘word of mouth’ to a new level. Organisations across
many industries recognise the power of social media and have acted accordingly to manage their
online presence. They can use it to monitor brand perception and interact with stakeholders, from
a number of different perspectives.
According to Watson & Anumba (1991) the construction industry has historically been
conservative and reluctant to change, particularly in technological advances. This has also been
the case with the uptake of construction IT, for example the industry was slow to realise the
benefits of Computer-Aided design (CAD) compared to some other industries (Anumba, 1998 pg
1). This also seems to be the case with social media, as there are very few construction
companies utilising it.
With today’s digital and world-wide-web technologies, communication has never been
easier and faster. The construction industry has adopted web technology and some
projects already have their own websites. Nevertheless, the application has been limited
to providing basic information such as project participants, construction area, and
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contact information. Some projects also have a web cam to provide real-time pictures of
the site. (Nuntasunti & Bernold, 2003 pg 1).
Web technology has developed significantly since the report by Nuntasunti & Bernold (2003).
According to Schulenberg & Petlock (2007) professionals in the construction industry are
already technologically connected, for example many have access to the internet on their mobile
phone, but it remains to be seen how social media can benefit the construction industry.
1.3 Research Aim
Understand the perception of industry professionals towards the use of social media in the
construction industry in order to identify potential uses and barriers to its implementation.
1.4 Research Objectives
• To gain an understanding of social media and how it has developed since its first use.
• To research how social media is being used in other industries.
• To understand how social media can be managed in the workplace.
• To generate an understanding of how social media can be used in the construction
industry.
• To research the perception of construction industry professionals towards the use of
social media.
• To identify, through this research, the barriers to social media implementation in
construction.
1.5 Research Methodology
Both primary and secondary data will be collected in order to realise the objectives of this
research. As the concept of social media in construction is relatively new it becomes necessary to
collect primary data, whilst secondary data can be used for the research of general theories and
background information on social media.
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The aim of this research is based around people’s perceptions and a qualitative approach to data
collection could have been taken. However for the purpose of this research a questionnaire will
be employed and a scale will be used to transfer data into a quantitative format, the Likert scale
is most favourable. Subjects will be given a series of statements and will be asked to quantify
how much they agree or disagree with it. Following the question the scale may be presented as
follows:
Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree
The online survey tool, surveygizmo.com, will be used for the purpose of this research. It is
considered to be a secure site and has provisions in place to protect data. The benefit of using
electronic surveys is that they provide speedy distribution and response (Slaughter et al, 1995).
They are also cost effective and these factors are desirable in this situation.
The survey will be securely embedded into the researchers own website, where background
information and a disclaimer will accompany it. Subjects will be able to share the survey link
with their network of colleagues by easy integration of social media sites like Twitter. The
researcher already has the potential to access construction networks online and this will be a
major channel for survey recruitment.
The nature of the internet prevents us from using random sampling (Kehoe & Pitkow, 1996).
Therefore surveys will be distributed on an ‘opt-in’ basis. Random samples could then be taken
from the surveys collected if there were a sufficient amount. For this research question, using the
internet to distribute a survey on social media may lead to bias results. This is due to the fact that
people using the internet to fill out these surveys are more likely to use social media. Therefore it
is the intention of the researcher to have a method of identifying regular social media users
before they answer the survey questions.
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2 Chapter 2 - Literature Review
In this section of the research, data will be collected from existing literature. This is to help
define social media and to gain an understanding of its potential use by looking at how it can
help build upon existing business principles. Once background information has been provided an
investigation will be carried out to understand the potential uses of social media in the
construction industry. All of this information will help to build up a knowledge base from which
the survey can based later in the research.
2.1 Defining Social Media
There is no universally accepted definition for the phrase ‘social media’ but for the purpose of
this research it becomes necessary to gain an understanding. The word ‘social’ can be defined as
“the interaction humans have with one another, either as individuals or in groups”
(oxfordreference.com, 2007). The methods and tools used to interact and communicate have
evolved significantly with the introduction of new technology and the changing demands of
society.
The word ‘media’ refers to “vehicles of widespread communication and entertainment”
(oxfordreference.com, 1998). Traditionally this was concerned with mass communication, often
controlled by large organisations such as newspapers and television broadcasters. Modern
internet use has enabled a shift away from centrally governed communication; this will be
discussed in more depth later.
A commonly used definition of social media describes “a group of Internet-based applications
that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the
creation and exchange of User Generated Content.” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010 pg 61). Whilst
this may be a good summation of a very complex subject the concepts of web 2.0 and user
generated content can be broken down further to aid understanding.
Much debate surrounds the exact definition of web 2.0 but Sankar & Bouchard (2009) explain
that it is concerned with the enablement of new social, economic and business models; rather
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than just a categorisation of new technologies. Shuen (2008) and Campesato & Nilson (2011)
describe web 2.0 as a shift towards dynamic and interactive web content, in contrast to the static
content of web 1.0. Much of the literature available backs this up as a common attribute.
User generated content is the corner stone of web 2.0. With access to the internet any individual
can publish content to a global audience or interact with content published by others. This
characteristic of social media is contrastive to the traditional media channels which are
professionally governed and don’t allow for the same level of consumer feedback. The
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (2007) proposed three central
characteristics of user generated content, or user created content as it is sometimes known, these
are summarised below:
• User generated content should be published to a publicly accessible website or social
networking site.
• Creative effort is required to produce the content, or value should be added to previously
published content.
• The content is usually created outside of professional routines and practices with no
commercial context.
2.2 A Brief History of Internet Communication
The earliest forms of Internet communication came in the 1970’s and 1980’s with the use of
Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs). These ‘chat rooms’ allowed users to send each other messages
on a wide range of topics including; politics, dating and music. (Waters & Lester, 2010 pg 6).
Admittedly BBS was very slow with the limited Internet speed, but nevertheless it was a form of
communication.
Since the 1980’s the Internet has evolved dramatically, with the uptake of broadband connection
speeds making Internet communication much more appealing. The World Wide Web became
much more user friendly and by 1999 users were able to publish their own content through
blogging platforms such as Blogger and LiveJournal. This was the start of an era moving us
away from static web content to the dynamic, interactive content of Web 2.0.
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Blogs aren’t the only feature of Web 2.0, there are many modern applications of the internet that
promote interaction and collaboration. Social networks have become one of the most popular
uses of the Internet today. One of the first social networking sites by today’s definition was
SixDegrees.com in 1997. The free service allowed users to make lists of friends, send messages
to each other and post to message boards. By 2002 Friendster was leading the way, followed by
MySpace from 2004-2006 and today’s leading social networking site is Facebook (Pirtle, 2010
pg 11).
There are also social networking sites that are dedicated to particular functions. LinkedIn is a
social networking site for professionals and many construction employees already use the site
regularly. YouTube has become the most popular video-sharing site, whilst Flickr is the most
popular site for sharing photographs. Micro-blogging has become a recent edition, which allows
users to search for real-time information uploaded by other users.
Today you don’t have look far to find organisations and individuals who are using social media
to promote themselves. Mac (2010) identifies some case studies that include; Nissan, Barack
Obama, and comparethemarket.com. The company behind comparethemarket.com surprised
many people, who thought social engagement was outside the reach of an insurance company.
The company have had a very successful social media campaign and have thousands of
followers to their social network profiles.
2.3 Using Social Media to Build Upon Traditional Theories
The concept of using social media in the construction industry is very new and therefore little
research has been carried out. Much of the discussion about the subject takes place online in the
form of blog posts and forums. However, there is more formal literature available for the history
of social media and the applications for which it can be used. In this section of the literature
review we will take in to account some of the traditional theories, such as communication and
collaboration, and investigate how social media can be used to enhance performance, using
examples from other industries where necessary.
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2.3.1 Communication
According to Thomas et al (1998) communication plays an important role in the success or
failure of a construction project. Effective communication will increase the chance of a project
achieving client satisfaction; this requires free communication between the project teams and
also with other stakeholders (Cleland & Ireland, 2006 pg. 401).
Communication is difficult to define as there are many theoretical approaches that could be
taken. In fact, establishing a universally accepted definition has proven impossible (Foss &
Littlejohn, 2008 pg. 3). In the broadest sense communication may be defined as “any imparting
or exchange of information between two or more people” (oxfordreference.com, 2007). It is not
felt that the theories of communication should be fully explored during this research, although
some important points are considered below.
Shannon’s mathematical theory of communication (1948) provided the foundation for which
further theories could be based upon (Ruben & Schement, 1993 pg. 50). Shannon’s model
considered communication to be a one-way process whereby the transmission ended when the
message had been decoded by the receiver. Modern communication theories have adapted this
model to reflect new research. The most significant point of interest was the addition of feedback
to the model; this illustrated the communication process as an ongoing cycle. After a message
has been sent; “the sender becomes a receiver and the receiver becomes a sender through the
process of feedback” (Gupta, 2008 pg. 98).
2.3.1.1 How Social Media is Being Used to Improve Communication in Health Care
Hello Health is an independent health care clinic in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its objectives are to
provide “fast and affordable healthcare for the uninsured” (Sparks & Villagran, 2010 pg. 129).
What differentiated this clinic from traditional health care practices was the way in which it
embraced new technology to communicate with its patients. According to Hawn (2009) the
service became popular due to its use of social media as a powerful, yet cost-effective
communication tool. Upon investigating the company’s website at hellohealth.com (2011), the
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features of this online clinic become more apparent. The service offers secure access to the
following:
• Online prescription renewal.
• Online personal medical records.
• Online lab results.
• Online appointment making.
• Instant messaging.
• Email.
• Online video consultation.
• Mobile access to the above.
This is allowing patients and physicians to communicate like never before. An important part of
the communication process is the ability to listen. Dr. Eytan, a member of the digerati, argued
that “If we cannot listen to each other, we cannot continue to innovate in health care. Web 2.0 is
all about listening” (Hawn, 2009 pg. 365). Dr. Eytan then goes on to explain how lessons can be
learned from the Toyota approach to communication.
Toyota encourage a culture of flat communication flow whereby information and ideas are taken
from every employee, regardless of their position. This leads to greater innovation and more
efficient systems of working, in essence this is a culture of listening (Hawn, 2009 pg. 365).
Social media can help to encourage this culture of listening by providing more convenient
channels of communication, giving a voice to the masses.
2.3.1.2 Communication Lessons to be Taken Forward
From this insight into communication there are two significant lessons that should be taken
forward when social media is to be considered, later in this research, as a tool in construction.
The first is the concept of feedback and how it completes the communication cycle. The second
is the idea of employing a listening culture. Essentially these two will go hand-in-hand, but it
will be important to stress that feedback should be integrated into the listening process. The
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information gathered back from the stakeholder should be taken on board and have an impact on
the next cycle of communication or action by the organisation in question.
2.3.2 Collaboration
Collaboration can be defined in many different ways and people of varying disciplines may look
at it from a different perspective. Businesses often seek to involve the many different
organisations within a supply chain, in which case, collaboration may be defined as “the means
by which companies within the supply chain work together toward mutual objectives through the
sharing of ideas, information, knowledge, risks and rewards” (Cohen & Roussel, 2005 pg. 139).
When looked at from a different point of view, collaboration has also been defined as "a process
through which parties who see different aspects of a problem can constructively explore their
differences and search for solutions that go beyond their own limited vision of what is possible”
(Gray, 1989 pg. 5).
This process of collaborative problem solving is not limited to the supply chain; in fact all
stakeholders should be involved in the process wherever possible. One definition that considers
this states that “collaboration occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholders of a problem
domain engage in an interactive progress, using shared rules, norms and structures, to act or
decide on issues related to that domain” (Wood & Gray, 1991 pg. 146). According to Trist
(1983) a problem domain refers to a situation that requires an inter- or multi-organisational
response because of its complexity.
Based on work by McCann in 1983, Gray (1989) proposed a three stage framework for
collaboration.
The first stage consists of problem-setting (identifying key stakeholders and issues), and
is followed by the second stage of direction-setting (identifying and sharing future
collaborative interpretations; appreciating a sense of common purpose). The third stage
is implementation (institutionalizing the shared meanings that emerge as the domain
develops) (Jamal & Getz, 1995 pg. 189).
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2.3.2.1 How Social Media is Being Used to Improve Collaboration at Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a global organisation that manufactures many consumer products including
familiar brands such as Braun, Gillete, Pampers, Pringles and Duracell. According to Stair et al
(2008) the company’s CEO set out to find more effective ways for their 138,000 employees to
collaborate online with themselves and with partners. The company decided to explore the route
of web 2.0 technologies.
The company set up a corporate blog, as in some instances they believed this form of
communication to be more suitable than email. They also employed Wiki’s for the purpose of
knowledge management. This meant that experienced employees could post articles and answer
the questions of others within the organisation, creating a pool of valuable information that
would remain within the company even after employees leave.
Proctor & Gamble also implemented the use of instant messaging, video conferencing and
content management within their collaboration system. Employees are able to bookmark and tag
content with descriptive words so that items of interest can easily be found in the future. There is
a social networking feature that allows users to create profiles and share information about
themselves. “The goal is to encourage employees to easily find others with expert knowledge”
(Stair et al, 2008 pg. 195). Another goal was to encourage partners, as well as employees, to
create profiles, tag documents and share bookmarks to make the content more valuable. This
allowed for multi-organisational collaboration as well as inter-organisational collaboration.
There was always the risk that if people didn’t find the collaboration tools useful then they
would not contribute to the user-generated content in order to add value (informationweek.com,
2007). According to Shuen (2008), however, the use web 2.0 technology in this case was a major
success. Over 35% of the company’s new ideas come from outside the organisation, whilst new
product development rose to an 80% success rate, compared to an industry average of 30%.
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2.3.2.2 Collaboration Lessons to Be Taken Forward
From this insight into collaboration there are some key lessons that should be considered before
social media and collaboration are applied to the construction industry. Firstly it is important to
remember that collaboration can be internal or external of the organisation. As per the first stage
of the three-stage framework, all of the stakeholders should be identified and it is recommended
that the method of collaboration with each of these parties is considered. For internal
collaboration the organisation may wish to protect all content behind a security firewall. This
may not be desirable when communicating with other companies or with the public, but a hybrid
approach could be taken whereby certain content is protected and other content is publicly
accessible. This just highlights the need to identify those who the organisation will be
collaborating with.
Another important lesson is that the selection of web 2.0 applications is critical; if they don’t
improve the efficiency of day-to-day working then employees won’t engage with the technology.
Social bookmarking and tagging appear to be a way of making user-generated content more
searchable. The use of Wiki’s can be used for knowledge management.
A company-wide social network seems to have worked for Procter & Gamble and this is
certainly something which could be applied to the construction industry in order to connect
people based on their skills and expertise. “An emerging set of applications based on social
media can be useful in boosting collaboration by allowing employees to form and amend their
own collaborative networks – and, consequently, raise the overall productivity and contribution
of those networks” (Wollan & Smith, 2011 pg. 286).
2.3.3 Customer Service
The fundamental reason for any company being in existence is to serve and meet the
expectations of its customers. “Customer service is everything a business does that increases
their customers’ perception of value in the products and/or services they offer” (Taylor &
Archer, 2005 pg. 60). This idea of perception is important as every customer has different needs
and will experience different levels of satisfaction, it is therefore important to listen to the
customer and better understand their expectations.
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The competitive nature of today’s world means that companies are looking for more ways to
differentiate themselves from competitors. According to Zemke & Woods (1999) many
companies are looking to gain a competitive advantage by offering quality customer service.
“Quality customer service satisfies customer needs in a consistent and dependable manner”
(Finch, 2000 pg. 82). According to Berndt et al (2005) the quality of service is evaluated by the
customer and this affects whether or not they want to continue their relationship with the
organisation. The main benefits of effective customer service are illustrated in figure 1.
Fig.1 - How good customer service benefits organisations. (Hayward, 2009 pg. 173).
According to Brink & Berndt (2004) there are five key elements of effective customer service,
these are illustrated by figure 2.
Fig.2 - Customer service pentagon. (Brink and Berndt, 2004, pg. 50).
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The people who are dealing with customers should be given the right training and there should
be clear policies and procedures in place to support these employees. Employees who are
assigned to a customer service role should be given access to an integrated database that allows
for customer information to be retrieved quickly. Greater customer satisfaction is achieved when
problems are resolved by those employees who have closet contact with the customer and there
should be a feedback loop to ensure that future work is carried out correctly at the first attempt
(Brink and Berndt, 2004, pg. 51).
Mokheseng (2005) explains that a company should continually monitor feedback from customers
in order to identify areas of dissatisfaction, the quality levels achieved, comparisons to
competitors and areas for future improvement. According to Carysforth & Neild (2002) feedback
can either be collected though market research or by employees on the front line. This can be
through questions from staff, general observation, questionnaires, interviews, websites or email.
BS 8477 also suggests that feedback is gathered from employees, that regular audits are carried
out to monitor performance and that there is a robust complaint handling system.
2.3.3.1 How Social Media is Being Used to Improve Customer Service at Comcast
Comcast Corporation, most commonly known as Comcast, is a cable, internet and telephone
service provider in the United States. In 2008 Comcast’s customer service manager, Frank
Eliason, decided that it was possible to interact with customers through the use of Twitter and
other social media sites. At the time the company was on the receiving end of some rather strong
criticisms online. Eliason hoped that social media could help to improve communication and the
perception of Comcast’s customers (Roman, 2010 pg. 218).
Eliason began by monitoring social media sites, watching for conversations and posts that
mentioned the company. For those that were looking for solutions to a problem he began to
contact them directly and offer his support. This was done by leaving a comment, sending a
message or phoning the customer if they gave him their number.
The widening of effort allowed Comcast to have highly valuable, one-on-one
conversations with consumers on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and forums wherever the
customer was communicating about the company. Frank suggests that “We were meeting
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customers where they already where. Listening and learning from them” (Powell et al,
2011 pg. 25).
Roman (2010) explains that the company’s instant response to customers has helped to balance
out some of the criticism they were earlier receiving. The use of social media in this case has
been successful because both senior management and customers have been engaged.
Management now has access to customer stories and concerns on a daily basis and they are in a
better position to understand consumers and make changes.
2.3.3.2 Customer Service Lessons to Be Taken Forward
From this brief insight into customer service there are a number of lessons that can be taken
forward and applied when we come to consider customer service and feedback in construction.
First of all it is important to remember that all customers will have different perceptions of the
quality of service provided. The company should be consistent in their approach to customer
service and should aim to listen to their customers. Where social media is concerned the
company should listen to online conversations about their brand and respond positively with
solutions to customer’s problems.
In addition, those who are dealing with customers should be appropriately trained in customer
service and they should have the full support of a social media policy and procedures. They
should be given the necessary access to customer databases and should be encouraged to collect
feedback from the customer.
2.3.4 Branding
Torres-Moraga et al (2008) are of the opinion that a company’s brand plays an important role in
achieving client satisfaction. A brand has been defined in a number of different ways, some of
the most used definitions and characteristics are explored below.
A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to
identify goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from
those of competitors (Kotler, 2003 pg. 418).
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Keller (1998) explains that mental association with a product or service is what adds to its
perceived value. Kotler & Pfoertsch (2006) expand on this by saying that a brand has emotional
properties and summarises the consumer’s feelings towards a business. Great brands survive
because of the connections they make with customers. According to Kapferer (2008) a brand is
an intangible asset that can be included on the balance sheet and potentially increase the value of
a business.
Chiaravalle & Schenck (2006) believe that there is one essential ingredient to creating a
successful brand and that is consistency. Companies in the past have had impressive brand
launches but the customer has been left disappointed after having a brand experience. The key is
to truly understand the message that the company wants to portray and consistently send out this
message to consumers, consistency is more important than execution.
BusinessLink.gov.uk (n.d) gives us some more practical advice on what is important when
creating a brand. Any brand campaign must begin with a ‘big idea’. This must conceptualize the
personality of the business and must also take into account the market characteristics. It is also
important to take into account the company’s values, vision and plans for future growth. The
company’s personality should be captured in the communication with customers and this can be
done through visual identity, tone of voice, dialogue and the level of customer service.
2.3.4.1 How Ford Models is Using Social Media to Create a Conversational Brand
Ford Models was established in 1946 and has become one of the best known modeling agencies
in the world, representing the top models in the industry (Hamadeh et al, 2004 pg. 169). The
agency recognised the increase in internet use by the younger generations and opted to use this
medium to secure their long-term future. Blossom (2009) provides us with an insight into this
case study which saw Ford Models build its own brand through social media, the information is
summarised below.
Ford Models provided each of their models with a video camera in order to post content online
through social media sites such as YouTube. This included “vlogs of models traveling to exotic
locations, tips from pro stylists, to behind the scenes videos of photo shoots and fashion shows.”
(Coon, 2010 pg. 13). The videos have the company’s brand incorporated into them and the
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models quite often chat informally with their audience, talking about fashion and clothing
brands. This helps the company promote their brand and the clothing they endorse, whilst
encouraging their audience to comment and join in on the conversation.
The videos posted online showed the models in a different light, away from the photo-shoot or
catwalk. Unlike a lot of magazines and television shows “the Ford videos have a more candid,
friends-sharing-secrets feel that, somewhat paradoxically, lends authority” (Inc.com, 2008). This
has helped the company to build a relationship between their brand and their consumers.
2.3.4.2 Branding Lessons to Be Taken Forward
From this brief insight into branding there are a number of lessons that can be taken forward.
First of all it is important to fully understand the company’s aims and objectives, before coming
up with an effective branding strategy that fits in with the needs of the consumer and the
marketplace. From the brief insight into branding and also the Ford Models case study it can be
seen that the idea of projecting the company’s personality is important when connecting with
customers. For example, a construction company could portray a personality of environmental
concern or as an investor in people. Whenever social media is involved it is a good idea to
incorporate the companies brand and logo, this will increase awareness. This could include video
diaries from company directors that aim to address employees or stakeholders.
2.3.5 Corporate Social Responsibility
The main responsibility for the management of every organisation is to make profits in order to
benefit their stakeholders. This is achieved by providing “returns for its stakeholders, income and
satisfaction for their employees, safe products of a high quality for its customers and
contributions to the community through taxes, for example” (Bacher, 2007 pg. 8). Companies
also have to adhere to legal responsibilities and must comply with legislation. However, the law
cannot cover everything that society expects of an organisation and so they must use their
initiative. This brings us to the concept of corporate social responsibility.
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McDonald & Puxty (1979) were of the opinion that companies of today have responsibilities to
society and not just their stakeholders. This backed up what Ackerman (1975) had identified, and
that was a need for a greater sense of community accountability. Although there is no universally
accepted definition for corporate social responsibility, one may define it as “a concept whereby
organisations take responsibility for their impact on society and the environment” (Science.org,
2008). It is about organisations doing more and looking further than their bottom line, these
“additional behaviors and activities are not necessarily codified into law but nevertheless are
expected of business by society’s members” (Carroll, 1979 pg. 500, cited in Boatright, 2003 pg.
374).
Before a company starts to implement corporate social responsibility activities, they should
clearly define their objectives and develop a strategy for achieving them.
It may be to develop the market and improve lifestyle through community building, or by
maintaining its image in conserving the environment, or to have an impact on the
community through its value chain, or anything else that would increase the mutual
benefits of the company and the community (Urip, 2010 pg. 54).
The company should have the necessary measures in place in order to implement these strategies
and should invest in the necessary training and technology. It should understand that
transparency and community involvement is also a fundamental part of corporate social
responsibility.
2.3.5.1 How Timberland is Using Social Media to Implement Corporate Social
Responsibility
Timberland is a global manufacturer of boots, shoes and clothes. The company was founded in
1978 and is based in Stratham, USA. The company recently changed the way in which it reports
on its corporate social responsibility efforts. Previously this process was lengthy and reports took
9 months to process, however they have more recently changed to a much more efficient way of
reporting. This involves the use of social media and the company’s profile on JustMeans.com, a
social responsibility network for companies and individuals.
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Timberland now publishes its reports on a quarterly basis through social media; this gives
stakeholders up-to-date information on issues related to products, services, energy and the
environment. Alex Hausman, Timberland’s corporate social responsibility reporting manager,
said “quarterly reporting will strengthen our communication with stakeholders, and also drive
progress internally against our corporate social responsibility initiatives” (JustMeans.com,
2008.). Director of corporate communications, Robin Giampa, added:
In the past, we were only able to share our sustainability initiatives with a narrow group
of other companies and sustainability experts. But Web 2.0 makes it possible for
Timberland to connect with consumers more directly. We go where consumers are
(smartplanet.com, 2009).
The use of this social media platform allows the company to gain feedback and interact with
stakeholders more quickly; it also helps to create transparency.
2.3.5.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Lessons to Be Taken Forward
From this brief insight into corporate social responsibility there are a number of lessons that can
be taken forward. First of all companies need to understand the expectations that society has of
them and that more often than not these far exceed statutory requirements. Next, the company
should define what it is setting out to achieve and should develop a strategy for achieving this.
Investments should be made into training and technology where required. As illustrated by the
Timberland case study progress, in terms of corporate social responsibility, should be
communicated to all stakeholders and society in general. This improves transparency and allows
the company to gain feedback in a timelier manner.
2.4 Managing the Use of Social Media in the Workplace
In an analysis of a number of case studies, Butler et al (2010) identified that many companies
worry that their brand will be undermined by inappropriate behavior of employees on social
networking sites. However, according to Elefant & Black (2011) the prohibition of social media
in the workplace is becoming less of an option and employees are likely to be using social
media, whether the company is aware of it or not. This point is backed up by other authors:
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In today’s mobile-enabled world, it is somewhat naïve for an organization to believe it
can actually block the use of social media within its four walls. While it might appear
that blocking access would be the safe route to protecting the organization, employees
will simply find ways around the ban (either through mobile devices or participating
outside the workplace), potentially creating even greater issues in the long term (Scott &
Jacka, 2011 pg. 65).
Rather than banning the use of social media it makes more sense to provide a set of guidelines
that limits an employee’s use of it. This would be in the form of a social media policy and its
tone would reflect the stance taken by the company.
The policy need not be complicated, but rather, should set forth general guidelines that
must be followed by all employees in a way that is easily understandable by all
employees at all levels. A simple, well-written policy provides employees with guidance
as to appropriate online behavior and emphasizes the consequences of inappropriate
behavior (Elefant & Black, 2011 pg. 163).
According to Wollan et al (2011) the social media policy should have input from a number of
different departments including human resources, legal, marketing and business operations. It
should also link to existing policies within the organisation covering issues such as ethics,
privacy and sexual harassment.
2.5 Social Media Use in the Construction Industry
An understanding of the potential use of social media in construction is essential before the
research survey is constructed. This will assess the perception of industry professionals towards
the use of social media in construction.
There are many benefits to using social media on a corporate level and other industries are
reaping the rewards. Some of these benefits have been identified in previous sections but more
benefits can include more recruitment channels, better search engine rankings, more effective
marketing and new lead-generation channels.
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Although social media in construction is not yet common practice, there are individuals and
companies out there who are leading the way. Paul Wilkinson (2009) wrote an interesting article
on his personal blog ‘pwcom.wordpress.com’. He is considered one of the most knowledgeable
individuals on the subject and has been spreading the word about social media in construction at
recent UK conferences. Wilkinson described some of the ways in which social media can benefit
a construction client. The key points to note are summarised below.
• Clients, planners and designers can engage more with local residents and stakeholders by
using web-based tools such as discussion forums (e.g. YouCanPlan and Second Life).
• Joined up thinking and problem solving by the supply chain can be encouraged by using
blogs, wiki’s and collaboration platforms.
• Online materials exchange services can be used, allowing construction companies to
recycle, minimise waste and reduce transport movements (e.g. EarthExchange and
BuilderScrap).
• Energy use associated with construction operations can be monitored, through the use of
online carbon calculation tools such as AMEE.
• Social media can be integrated into the marketing and PR of a project, this can be
monitored to see what people are saying about a particular development. Social media
can be used to respond to any raised concerns.
• Blogs, wiki’s and collaboration platforms can be used for knowledge management and
capturing ‘best practice’ and lessons learnt from a scheme.
• Environmental sensors that provide real-time data on building performance can be
integrated. Applications such as Pachube, are effectively considered as a real-time energy
performance certificate.
• Project teams can contribute to open-source mapping, such as OpenStreetMap, to help
keep the information accurate and up-to-date.
• Social media can be used to gather post-occupancy feedback.
The above examples fall into the categories already researched in previous sections and these
include communication, collaboration, customer service, branding and corporate social
responsibility. They are just a few of the ways in which a construction company or client can
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utilise social media. The truth is that there is no standard way of deploying these tools; a social
media strategy will depend on the objectives of the organisation.
Harrin (2010) talks about how management can be won over. Time should be taken to educate
people on how social media and enterprise collaboration tools can support productivity in the
workplace. It is important to identify potential risks in adopting a social media strategy and
produce a robust risk mitigation strategy. There should also be a clear way of measuring success,
management like to see how new technologies and processes are benefiting an organisation. It is
also wise to incorporate a social media policy, which provides guidelines on how it should be
used in the workplace; this was discussed in the previous section.
3 Chapter 3 - Data Analysis
The findings of the literature review helped to build up knowledge of the subject area and this
was used in order to create a survey. 86 industry professionals took part in the survey and an
analysis of the data is provided in the following section.
3.1 Survey Section 1 - Background Information
The purpose of this section of the survey was to collect background information about the
participant and to assess their level of social media use in their personal and work life.
3.1.1 Background Information Questions
Q1 which of the following best describes your role within the construction
Industry?
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Fig. 3 – Question 1Data
Q2 which age bracket do you fit into?
Fig. 4 – Question 2Data
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Q3 do you use any of the following on a personal level?
Fig. 5 – Question 3Data
Q4 how frequently do you use social media at home?
Fig. 6 – Question 4Data
Other
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Q5 for what purpose do you use social media in your personal life?
Fig. 7 – Question 5Data
Q6 what is your company’s stance towards the use of social media in working
hours?
Fig. 8 – Question 6Data
To stay in touch
Any time personal use Any time business use Personal use during breaks
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Q7 does your company have a presence on any of the following?
Fig. 9 – Question 7Data
Q8 how frequently do you use social media at work?
Other
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Fig. 10 – Question 8Data
Q9 For what purpose is social media used within your company?
Fig. 11 – Question 9Data
Communication Knowledge Collaboration Photographs
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3.1.2 Background Information Findings
Amongst the largest represented roles within the industry were marketers (22.1%), company
management (12.8%), site management (10.5%), engineers (9.3%) and architect / designers
(8.1%). However, 27.9% of survey participants placed themselves into the ‘other’ category. This
suggests that the roles listed in the survey were not defined very well and did not cover enough
of the roles within the industry. The largest represented age categories were 25-34 (31.4%) and
35-54 (43%).
Nearly all participants use social media on a personal basis with 67.1% using it daily and 23.5%
using it weekly, the most popular reasons were to stay in touch with friends and to share
photographs. Literature has suggested that the construction industry is very reluctant in its uptake
of new technologies; however the survey shows that 80% of the companies represented allow the
use of social media in the workplace. What’s more, 76.2% of the represented companies have a
social media presence; LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter being the most widely used.
3.2 Survey Section 2 - Communication
The purpose of this section of the survey was to assess the participant’s perception to the use of
social media as a communication tool. Particular emphasis was placed on instant messaging,
video calls and discussion forums.
3.2.1 Communication Questions
Q10 Instant messaging provides an efficient way of communicating with colleagues
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Fig. 12 – Question 10Data
Q11 Video calls provide an effective form of communication in the workplace
Fig. 13 – Question 11Data
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Q12 We can engage with local residents by using web-based tools such as
discussion forums
Fig. 14 – Question 12Data
Q13 We can engage with the supply chain by using web-based tools such as
discussion forums
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Fig. 15 – Question 13Data
3.2.2 Communication Findings
The Hello Health case study in the literature review demonstrated that the use of instant
messaging and video calls could be used to improve communication within the workplace. A
majority of survey participants (44.2%) agreed that instant messaging could help construction
colleagues to communicate, whilst (30.2%) took a neutral stance. A more positive response was
received to the idea of using video calls to communicate in the workplace. 51.2% agreed to this,
whilst 26.7% to a neutral stance.
Wilkinson (2009) had identified a possible use of social media within the construction industry
as engaging with local residents and the supply chain by utilising discussion forums. Again the
survey participants agreed largely with this. 45.3% agreed that they can be used to engage with
local residents, whilst 34.9% took a neutral stance. 47.7% agreed that discussion forums could be
used to engage with the supply chain, whilst 31.4% took a neutral stance.
3.3 Survey Section 3 - Collaboration
The purpose of this section of the survey was to assess the participant’s perception to the use of
social media as a collaboration tool. This included its use to aid problem solving and knowledge
management.
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3.3.1 Collaboration Questions
Q14 a company social network enables people to connect or find colleagues of a
certain skill set
Fig. 16 – Question 14Data
Q15 the use of forums and the like help us to solve problems in the workplace
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Fig. 17 – Question 15Data
Q16 Social media helps us to collaborate with project stakeholders
Fig. 18 – Question 16Data
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Q17 the use of wiki's are a good way for employees to share and store knowledge /
lessons learnt
Fig. 19 – Question 17Data
3.3.2 Collaboration Findings
The Procter & Gamble case study in the literature review illustrated how a company social
network could help employees to find colleagues with expert knowledge. The majority of survey
participants (61%) agreed that a company social network could help them to find colleagues of a
particular skillset, 20.7% of participants took a neutral stance.
One of the benefits of effective collaboration is the ability to solve problems. 61% of survey
participants agreed that forums could be used to help solve problems in the workplace, only
14.6% disagreed. Literature also showed the importance of collaborating with all stakeholders
and 45.1% of survey participants agreed that social media could help us to do this. 36.6% of
participants took a neutral stance.
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Wilkinson (2009) identified that social media could be used in the construction industry as a
knowledge management tool. The majority of survey participants (46.9%) agreed with this,
whilst 34.6% took a neutral stance.
3.4 Survey Section 4 - Customer Service
The purpose of this section of the survey was to assess the participant’s perception to the use of
social media as a tool for dealing with customer service and for collecting feedback from
stakeholders.
3.4.1 Customer Service Questions
Q18 Online surveys would be a good way of collecting post occupancy feedback
Fig. 20 – Question 18Data
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Q19 Online surveys would be a good way of collecting client satisfaction surveys
Fig. 21 – Question 19Data
Q20 General Customer service should be handled through social media
Fig. 22 – Question 20Data
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3.4.2 Customer Service Findings
The literature review highlighted the importance of gaining feedback in the customer service
process. It is essential to monitor this feedback in order to find areas for improvement and act
upon them. There are a number of ways for collecting the views of customers but one of the
methods is by way of a questionnaire or survey. When questioned on this subject, survey
participants agreed that online surveys were a good way of collecting customer feedback. 75.6%
agreed that they were good for collecting post occupancy feedback and 9.3% strongly agreed.
64% agreed that they were a good way of collecting client satisfaction surveys, whilst 20.9%
strongly agreed. One area that wasn’t met with this level of agreement was the use of social
media for general customer service. 38.8% disagreed that this was a good idea, 11.8% strongly
disagreed and 27.1% of participants took a neutral stance.
3.5 Survey Section 5 - Branding
The purpose of this section of the survey was to assess whether the participants felt that social
media could be used as a tool for creating brand awareness in construction and whether they felt
it could be used for recruitment.
3.5.1 Branding Questions
Q21 Social media helps a company to strengthen its brand
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Fig. 23 – Question 21Data
Q22 Social media presence will increase company exposure
Fig. 24 – Question 22Data
Q23 Social Media can help construction companies to recruit people
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Fig. 25 – Question 23Data
3.5.2 Branding Findings
Within the literature review the Ford Models case study was a good example of how social
media can be used within a company branding strategy. However, the construction industry is
very different to the modeling industry and it appeals to a much different client base. In the
absence of a construction case study this section of the survey set out to see if industry
professionals thought that social media could be used as part of a branding strategy and the
responses were very positive. 45.6% of participants agreed that social media can help to
strengthen a company’s brand, whilst 31.6% strongly agreed. The majority (57.3%) agreed that it
can help to increase company exposure, whilst 29.3% strongly agreed. In terms of reaching out
to potential new employees, 57.3% of participants agreed that social media can help companies
to recruit people and 24.4% strongly agreed. These results suggest that there is real potential for
a branding strategy to incorporate social media.
3.6 Survey Section 6 - Corporate Social Responsibility
The purpose of this section of the survey was to assess whether the participants believed that
construction companies could fulfill their obligations under corporate social responsibility.
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3.6.1 Corporate Social Responsibility Questions
Q24 Social media helps to create transparency
Fig. 26 – Question 24Data
Q25 Social media helps to create a sense of community
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Fig. 27 – Question 25Data
Q26 a projects environmental performance should be shared via social media
Fig. 28 – Question 26Data
Q27 Online materials exchange services can help us to recycle, minimise waste and
reduce transport movements
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Fig. 29 – Question 27Data
3.6.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Findings
The literature suggests that an important part of corporate social responsibility is transparency
and connecting with society as a whole by creating a sense of community. Certainly, the
Timberland case study gave an example of how social media could be used to increase
transparency by sharing information with stakeholders regularly. The question that needed to be
answered was whether social media can help to increase transparency in the construction
industry. A large proportion of the survey participants (48.8%) agreed with this and 29.1% took
a neutral stance. In terms of social media helping to create a sense of community, 69.4% of
participants agreed that it could whilst a further 15.3% strongly agreed.
Research also highlighted the responsibilities that organisations have towards the environment.
Wilkinson (2009) suggested two ways in which social media could help to fulfill these
obligations. Firstly there is the potential to measure and share a project’s environmental
performance by using online tools. 47.7% of survey participants agreed that this information
should be shared via social media, whilst 34.9% took a neutral stance. Secondly there is the
potential to use online materials exchange services to recycle, minimise waste and reduce
transport movements. 52.3 % of survey participants agreed that social media could help us to
achieve those things, whilst 24.4% took a neutral stance. These findings show a positive attitude
towards the use of social media as a tool for building upon corporate social responsibility.
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3.7 Survey Section 7 - Barriers / Enablers
The purpose of this section of the survey was to further understand the factors that may affect the
uptake of social media within the construction industry.
3.7.1 Barriers / Enablers Questions
Q28 what may prevent people from using social media in the construction
industry?
Fig. 30 – Question 28Data
Q29 what could facilitate the uptake of social media in the construction industry?
Impact on productivity Lack of support Does not add value
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Fig. 31 – Question 29Data
Q30 If you would like to share any other thoughts on the use of social media in
the construction industry, then please do so below
Some of the most useful responses included:
• Social media must be controlled and used appropriately.
• Data protection / client confidentiality must be taken into account.
• Employees must be careful not to confuse professional social media use with personal
social media use.
• Could be incorporated into a BIM delivery product tool.
3.7.2 Barriers / Enablers Findings
Literature suggests that the construction industry is slow to adopt new technologies and the
purpose of these questions were to understand what may prevent the industry from using social
media and what may speed up its adoption. The area of most concern was the lack of knowledge
and training, with 75.6% of survey participants highlighting this as a problem. The area of
second largest concern was the lack of support by management, with 64.6% of participants
highlighting this as a potential problem. The results for the other areas of concern were; fear of
impact on productivity (59.8%), lack of policy / guidelines (54.9%) and the idea that it does not
add value to the business (31.7%).
In terms of the things that can be done to increase the uptake of social media in construction, one
might expect these responses to directly correlate to the barriers for its use. However this was not
Awareness by management Social media policy Case studies
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exactly the case as the most popular answer was for greater awareness by management (71.3%).
Clearly the use of a social media policy is considered important as 66.3% of survey participants
selected this answer. 60% highlighted the need for staff training, 51.3% thought that there was a
need for case studies and 20% believed that incentives could improve the uptake of social media.
The final question gave survey participants the chance to share any views on areas that had not
already been covered in the survey. Most of the responses here can be linked to the need for
effective management of social media in the workplace. This was a topic covered in the literature
review and a social media policy that links to other company policies can help overcome some of
the problems highlighted in the survey. This will be further discussed in the conclusion of this
research.
3.8 Overall Analysis
One of the objectives of this research was to understand the perception of industry professionals
towards the use of social media in the construction industry. Overall the responses were positive
and this suggests that maybe the industry in not as reluctant to use this type of technology as
literature suggests. The most positive responses came from the idea of using social media to
collect feedback from clients / building occupants, for branding and increasing exposure, and for
recruitment. It also appears to be a good way of implementing corporate social responsibility.
The only area of its use that was met with a majority disagreement was the idea of using social
media for general customer service.
4 Chapter 4 – Conclusion and Recommendations
4.1 Aim
The aim of this research was to ‘understand the perception of industry professionals towards the
use of social media in the construction industry in order to identify potential uses and barriers to
its implementation’. In order to achieve this aim, the research was broken down further into six
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objectives. The following sections will demonstrate how each of these objectives have been
realised.
4.2 Objectives
To gain an understanding of social media and how it has developed since its first use
This objective was achieved by defining social media, identifying its key characteristics and
researching the history of internet communication. Social media is different to traditional media
as it allows for interactive communication, with feedback, and utilises user-generated content. It
moves mass communication away from centrally governed organisations and allows individuals
to communicate globally. Online communications used to be one-way, as the literature suggested
this was not an effective form of communication. The concept of two-way interaction in social
media highlights the evolution from web 1.0 to web 2.0.
To research how social media is being used in other industries
This objective was achieved by researching how other industries were utilising social media.
Once there was an understanding of this, research was carried out to further understand some of
the traditional theories and business principles of communication, collaboration, customer
service and feedback, branding and corporate social responsibility. Small case studies from other
industries were used to further understand how social media could build upon these principles
and valuable lessons were learnt. Refer to each of those sections in the literature for those lessons.
To understand how social media can be managed in the workplace
This objective was achieved through a review of the literature. This suggested that banning
social media in the workplace was not a sensible stance for the management of a company to
take. Instead a social media policy should be implemented in order to manage its use. This policy
should be easily understandable and should set guidelines as to what is acceptable and what is
unacceptable use of social media. It should also be linked to other company policies such as
ethics, privacy and sexual harassment where necessary.
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To generate an understanding of how social media can be used in the construction industry
This objective was achieved by reviewing existing literature, blog posts and online discussion
forums. It found that social media can be used for a number of things in the construction industry.
It can help companies to engage with stakeholders, collaborate and solve problems with the
supply chain, save and monitor energy use, create brand awareness, manage knowledge within a
company, and gather feedback from clients and building occupants.
To research the perception of construction industry professionals towards the use of social
media
This objective was achieved by creating and sharing a survey online. 86 people participated in
the survey and responses were very positive towards the use of social media in the construction
industry. Participants perceived the best uses of social media to be for collecting feedback from
clients / building occupants, branding and recruitment. There was also a perception that general
customer service should not be handled through social media.
To identify, through this research, the barriers to social media implementation in the
construction
This objective was achieved by analysing the results from the survey. It suggested that there
could be a lack of support from management, potentially because they may fear it will have an
impact on productivity. There was a fear amongst some survey participants that there would be a
lack of data protection / client confidentiality and little use of a social media policy. Much of
these concerns could be alleviated with a solid social media policy that would give management
more confidence and would be linked to privacy policies and the like.
4.3 Recommendations
From the research carried out there are a number of recommendations to be put forward to any
construction company considering the use of social media. It is important to integrate social
media into the overall business strategy but first it is necessary to consider the objectives of its
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implementation. It is worth consulting with employees before any new technology or system of
work is introduced, findings from this research apply to the industry generally and every
company will face different challenges and levels of resistance.
It is apparent that a social media policy will be required and this should provide unambiguous
information. It should demonstrate exactly what social media can be used for and what it cannot
be used for. Existing company policies, such as those covering privacy and harassment, should
be integrated. Training should be given where necessary but as many people use social media in
their personal life this shouldn’t be a huge operation.
The literature review provided some valuable lessons, of which companies can take advantage
of. When using social media for communication it is important to adopt a listening culture,
taking onboard feedback from stakeholders. Social media can help to improve collaboration but
it is important to select the right applications in order to improve efficiency and not hinder it, it is
also important to have sufficient security measures in place.
In terms of customer service, employees should be given the right amount of training for dealing
with stakeholders online and the company should adopt a listening culture and use customer
feedback to make improvements. When looking to strengthen the company’s brand through
social media it is important to portray a personality of, for example, an organisation that is
committed to achieving client satisfaction or to minimising its impact on the environment.
Overall the company should be transparent about its business operations and this will help to
boost its corporate social responsibility obligations.
4.4 Limitations of Research
It has been acknowledged that there have been some limitations to this research. Whilst 86
survey respondents is respectable, a less restricted timescale would have allowed the opinion of
even more people to be taken into account. The survey itself was shared online through email
and social networking because of the timescale. Although every effort was made to provide a fair
coverage of the industry it is recognised that the survey may have had a slight bias as it was
shared mainly with those who already use social media. That said, the results showed no obvious
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change in opinion between those who used social media on a personal level and those who
didn’t. To complement the information gathered from the survey it may have been beneficial to
carry out a case study on a construction company already using social media.
4.5 Further Research
It is recommended that further research is carried out on the use of social media in the
construction industry. It would be particularly useful to gather a number of case studies from
which the industry can use as a starting point in order to encourage a wider use of social media.
Further into the future, research could be carried out to measure the return on investment and the
changes in stakeholder satisfaction when social media is used.
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