Week Six: Workplace Blogging

The increasing prominence of social networking and blogging sites in our everyday lives has offered the opportunity to share our opinions to a worldwide audience with a simple click of a mouse. A topic commonly discussed by online bloggers surrounds workplaces and the various incidents which occur throughout day-to-day working life. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and online blogs have provided an avenue for employees to discuss the happenings of their workplace, with both positive and negative results.

According to Richards and Kosmala (2013), workplace bloggers 'display a strong sense of loyalty and dedication to their job, profession or occupation. However, even the most loyal employees are also capable of being cynical and making cynical comments about their employing organisation.' This comment recognises both the positives and negatives associated with blogging about the workplace.

On the positive side of things, blogging has allowed employees to engage in 'settled and organised social movements' (Richards and Kosmala, 2013). In simple terms, this means employees now have the opportunity to discuss ways to improve the workplace environment in an online forum. For example, online 'think tanks' can be conducted where employees are able to bounce their ideas to improve the organisation off one another. While workplace blogging does bear some positives, I believe the negatives associated with the practice are far more prominent.

Richards and Kosmala (2013) believe those who regularly blog about work 'have taken such critical commentary and discussions to rapidly emerging and expanding internet platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.' Posting about work and other employees on social media sites is where the practice of workplace blogging can become a problem. In my relatively short time in the workforce, I have encountered many cases of employees being sanctioned for negatively discussing the workplace, management or other employees on social media sites. Guarding an organisation from social media attacks is an increasing focus for management with social media policies (such as Swimming Australia's) an important tool used to govern employees.

The ability of employees to discuss workplace practices on online forums and social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter undoubtably offers both positive and negative repercussions for organisations, ensuring this remains an area for management to closely monitor.

References

Richards, J & Kosmala 2013, 'In the end, you can only slag people off for so long’: employee cynicism through work blogging, 'New Technology, Work and Employment', p. 69, 72

Swimming Australia Social Media, Blogging and Internet Guidelines for the Australian Swim Team, Coaches, Staff and other Swimming Australia members, retrieved 10/9/13, URL-http://www.swimming.org.au/assets/console/document/documents/Swimming%20Australia%20Social%20Media%20Guidelines1.pdf