what is the construction industry’s perception to the use of social media?

Discipline Research Project

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Daniel Barry Maddocks

Bsc (Hons) Construction Project Management (Yr 3)

The University of Salford

School of the Built Environment

BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management


What is the construction industry’s perception to the use of social media?


2011


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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


Collaboration at Procter & Gamble………………… 10

2.3.2.2 Collaboration Lessons to Be Taken Forward……..... 11

2.3.3 Customer Service……………...……………………………. 11


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?


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Q3 do you use any of the following on a personal level?


Q4 how frequently do you use social media at home?


Other

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Q5 for what purpose do you use social media in your personal life?


Q6 what is your company’s stance towards the use of social media in working

hours?


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?


Q8 how frequently do you use social media at work?

Other

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Q9 For what purpose is social media used within your company?


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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Q11 Video calls provide an effective form of communication in the workplace


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Q12 We can engage with local residents by using web-based tools such as

discussion forums


Q13 We can engage with the supply chain by using web-based tools such as

discussion forums

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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


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


Q15 the use of forums and the like help us to solve problems in the workplace

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Q16 Social media helps us to collaborate with project stakeholders


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Q17 the use of wiki's are a good way for employees to share and store knowledge /

lessons learnt


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


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


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Q19 Online surveys would be a good way of collecting client satisfaction surveys


Q20 General Customer service should be handled through social media


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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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Q22 Social media presence will increase company exposure


Q23 Social Media can help construction companies to recruit people

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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


Q25 Social media helps to create a sense of community

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Q26 a projects environmental performance should be shared via social media


Q27 Online materials exchange services can help us to recycle, minimise waste and

reduce transport movements

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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?


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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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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