The Social Media as a Strategic Tool for Organizational Communication in the Service Industry: a Quantitative Approach

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of social networks into organisational communication within the service industry, emphasising their dual role as drivers of engagement and sources of potential risk. Existing literature identifies platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Telegram as strategic tools for branding, client interaction, knowledge management, and cross-team collaboration, with growing influence from trends such as AI-driven personalisation, short-form video, social commerce, and influencer marketing. However, studies also highlight risks including misinformation, reduced productivity, and algorithmic amplification of sensational content. Building on these insights, the present research investigates patterns of professional social media use, perceived benefits and limitations, and strategies for mitigating negative impacts, with a focus on the phenomenon of fake news. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design, using a structured online questionnaire distributed to 250 employees across multiple service sectors. Data analysis, conducted in SPSS v.26, included descriptive statistics and correlation tests. The research questions addressed platform preferences, frequency of use, perceived impact on organisational communication, and the effectiveness of proposed solutions. Results reveal high daily engagement with multiple platforms, particularly combinations including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Respondents reported strong perceived benefits in transparency, speed, and external interaction, alongside concerns about digital skills gaps and misinformation. Proposed solutions included formal guidelines, targeted training, content verification measures, and integrated communication strategies. The findings reinforce the importance of aligning platform selection with organisational objectives and stakeholder profiles. The paper contributes to the literature by offering a data-driven analysis of professional social media use in the service industry, integrating platform-specific insights with practical recommendations for risk management and strategic communication. The results have implications for policy design, training frameworks, and the deployment of technological tools to optimise organisational performance in an evolving digital environment.