SMP & Digital Natives in the Workforce

Social Media Policies
and the Integration of
Digital Natives into the
Workforce
MBA Research
Project
Stephen Troughton 2155583
December 2014

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Acknowledgements
This paper has been written at the end of a three-year academic pursuit that has furnished
me with a wider appreciation of business disciplines, friendships developed through
collective challenges and mutual support, and a greater respect for the lecturers of the
University of Auckland. Having a predominantly engineering and financial background, this
research paper presented the toughest of all the MBA challenges and its completion yields
personal satisfaction that has been achieved only through the support of fellow students
and the University. To that end I would like to thank Giles Burch and Margot Bowker for
their time, encouragement, guidance and apparent faith. I would also like to thank Rachel
Pizey for her assistance in proofreading this paper.
The greatest acknowledgement ultimately goes to my wife, Janine, who has patiently
watched the boat lay idle in the garage on many great fishing days as I worked through the
demands of the MBA. Well honey, today summer has arrived and the wait is over.

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Executive Summary
The digital revolution is changing the way we learn, work, play and interact in our personal
lives and subsequently how we act as consumers and employers. The effect of the
revolution is most profound on the younger generation who are deemed to be ‘early
adopters’ of technology and have been labelled as ‘Digital Natives’. Given the rapid
advancements in technology and the slower pace of adoption by non-Natives (also known as
‘Digital Immigrants’), the intergenerational knowledge gap is potentially widening; creating
different levels of expectations with regards to the everyday use of technology and could
cause issues as Digital Natives start to move into the workforce.
Much has been written about ‘Digital Natives’ since the concept was introduced by
Marc Prensky in 2001 and it is evident that due to the digital age, the way they live their
lives and think about the world is fundamentally different to previous generations.
Information and Communication Technology is affecting business also and by embracing
advancements, educational institutes are finding better ways to relate to and stimulate
these students who present with different characteristics, learning styles and also speak the
digital language. Moreover, digital advancements can provide direct commercial benefits to
businesses and many are turning to social media to promote their brands, share knowledge
quickly and interact with their customers – many of who are Digital Natives. However, not
all businesses are as keen to allow their own staff to access social media for private use at
work and this can affect the perceived person-organisation fit by a Digital Native looking to
join their business.
The second generation of tech-savvy Digital Natives have a major part to play in
helping businesses leverage off the digital revolution, however their successful integration
into a workforce of Digital Immigrant co-workers and managers will require concession by
all parties. Educational Institutions have embraced technology and effectively adapted to
the evolving needs of these Digital Natives and so too must employers if they want to
appeal to this digitally-ready resource. To attract and retain this new generation, managers
and businesses need to understand their unique set of needs and expectations and must
balance them with the needs of the business. A Social media policy that serves only the
needs of a business is unlikely to appeal to the generation that is accustomed to interlacing
personal and work/study related tasks and thrive on collaboration. Conversely, tailoring a

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policy to serve the demands of Digital Natives is unlikely to provide adequate safeguards or
deliver high levels of productivity. Thus equilibrium must be found.
The aim of this paper is to examine a sample of global social media policies set by a
variety of businesses to determine what elements of a policy are likely to amplify or
suppress the ability to attract and retain this newest generation of employees. It also aims
to determine whether there is a difference in approaches to social media polices across
industries and therefore, identify if some are better placed to appeal to a Digital Natives
perceived level of person-organisation fit. It is hoped that the findings of this research will
enable employers and industries to measure their own policies for balance to ensure they
are safeguarded and positioned to benefit from the digital revolution and this newest
generation of workers.
Keywords: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Social Media, ICT, Policies, Networking, Collaboration, Employers

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents......................................................................................................................................................4
1.0 Introduction: the Motivation for the Research..............................................................................7
2.0 Literature Review...................................................................................................................................8
2.1 Digital Natives - What we think we know..................................................................................8
2.1.1 Concept.........................................................................................................................................8
2.1.2 Digital Native Characteristics................................................................................................9
2.1.3 Alternative Views on the Digital Native concept ......................................................... 11
2.2 Digital Natives in the education system................................................................................... 14
2.2.1 The problem............................................................................................................................ 14
2.2.2 Information and Communication Technology – classroom acceptance............... 14
2.2.3 ICT & Social Media – a common ground for teachers and students?..................... 15
2.2.4 Digital Natives and the role of teachers.......................................................................... 15
2.3 Digital Natives in the workplace ................................................................................................ 17
2.3.1 The transition from student to worker........................................................................... 17
2.3.2 The generation gap – why it needs to be closed .......................................................... 18
2.3.3 Social Media, Technology –common ground with benefits?.................................... 19
2.3.4 Balancing Access and Security........................................................................................... 20
3.0 Summary, Key Issues and Research Questions.......................................................................... 22
3.1 Literature Review Summary................................................................................................... 22
3.2 Key Issues ..................................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.1 Does a third generation Digital Native exist already?................................................ 22
3.2.2 Do Social Virtual Worlds affect the stress levels (positively or negatively) of
Digital Natives? ......................................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.3 Are e-learning channels more or less appropriate for Digital Natives................. 23
3.2.4 Potential workforce integration issues and opportunities....................................... 23
3.2.5 Workplace Social Media Policies and perceived POF................................................. 23
3.3 Research Questions.................................................................................................................... 24
4.0 Methodology and Data Sources....................................................................................................... 25

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4.1 Methodology..................................................................................................................................... 25
4.1.1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................... 25
4.1.2 Research Design..................................................................................................................... 25
4.2 Data Collection, Policy Elements & Scoring............................................................................ 25
4.2.1 Data Collection for Literature Review............................................................................. 25
4.2.2 Data Collection for Research.............................................................................................. 26
Table 1: Policy Elements............................................................................................................................. 27
Table 2: Policy Elements............................................................................................................................. 27
5.0 Analysis and Results........................................................................................................................... 30
5.1 General Analysis.............................................................................................................................. 30
Figure 1: Key Score distribution.............................................................................................................. 30
Figure 2: Total Score distribution............................................................................................................ 30
Fig 3: Policy age and Key score relationship........................................................................................ 31
Fig 4: Percentage of policy elements and Total score relationship .............................................. 31
5.2 Industry Comparisons................................................................................................................... 32
Table 3 & Figure 5: Industry policy rankings ...................................................................................... 32
5.3 Country Comparison...................................................................................................................... 33
Table 4: Country policy rankings............................................................................................................. 33
5.4 New Zealand ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Table 5: NZ Industry policy rankings..................................................................................................... 33
Table 6: NZ Entity Policy ranking............................................................................................................ 34
Table 7: Council Policy ranking................................................................................................................ 34
5.5 Other General Analysis.................................................................................................................. 35
Table 8: Top 10 policies.............................................................................................................................. 35
6.0 Discussion and Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 36
6.1 General ............................................................................................................................................... 36
6.2 Industries........................................................................................................................................... 37
6.3 Countries............................................................................................................................................ 39
6.4 New Zealand ..................................................................................................................................... 39

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6.5 Implications...................................................................................................................................... 42
6.6 Limitations........................................................................................................................................ 44
6.7 Recommendations.......................................................................................................................... 45
6.8 Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 46
References ........................................................................................................................................................... 47
Appendix 1........................................................................................................................................................... 55
Appendix 2........................................................................................................................................................... 56
Appendix 3........................................................................................................................................................... 57
Appendix 4........................................................................................................................................................... 58
Appendix 5........................................................................................................................................................... 59
Appendix 6........................................................................................................................................................... 60
Appendix 7a ........................................................................................................................................................ 61
Appendix 7b........................................................................................................................................................ 62
Appendix 7c......................................................................................................................................................... 63
Appendix 7d........................................................................................................................................................ 64

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1.0 Introduction: the Motivation for the Research
The digital revolution is having an effect on the younger generation to such an extent
that it impacts on how they relate and interact with each other and with other
generations.
Educational Institutions have had to grapple with the evolving needs of these
Digital Natives and now so too must employers. The literature review section of this
paper examines the claims about the characteristics and learning styles of Digital
Natives that have been propagating ever since the inception of the Digital Native
notion in 2001. It looks at how technology has potentially changed their thought
patterns, needs and expectations from previous generations and reflects on the
potential implications for businesses if these differences are not realised and
addressed by management and employers.
Digital Natives have grown-up in an environment of choice and constant
accessibility and are considered to be highly social online users. Thus, the research
section of this paper considers whether the social media policy of a workplace (or a
component of) could impact on the ability of a business to attract, integrate, retain
and get the best out of Digital Natives. This has been driven by the desire to
understand whether a disconnect between the social media policies of a business or
industry category (predominantly implemented by Digital Immigrants) and the needs
and expectations of Digital Natives exists and whether some businesses or industries
are better placed to appeal to a Digital Natives perceived level of person-
organisation fit.
In researching this potential management problem and highlighting any areas
of concern, it is hoped that employers and industries can address areas of weakness
in their policies to ensure they are attractive to the emerging Digital Native
workforce – the next generation who will eventually drive the transformation of
businesses and industries on the back of the digital revolution.

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2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Digital Natives - What we think we know
2.1.1 Concept
The term ‘Digital Native’ was introduced by Prensky (2001a) in his address of the
issues facing the American education system in light of “the arrival and rapid
dissemination of digital technology” (Prensky, 2001a, p.1) and that “today’s students,
represent the first generations to grow up with this technology having spent their
entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players,
video cams and cells phones” (Prensky, Marc 2001a, p.1).
Prensky (2001a) went on to suggest that the net effect of this disruption was
that all students were Digital Natives, spoke the digital language and thought about,
socialised and processed information differently to their predecessors (Prensky,
2001a) and partially qualified this in his follow-up article suggesting that “different
kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures” (Berry as cited in Prensky,
2001b, p.1) and as a result of their experiences Digital Natives crave interactivity”
(Prensky, 2001b, p.4).
Prensky (2001a) aptly dubbed all non-Digital Natives as ‘Digital Immigrants’
allowing him to fashion a direct connection between digital and traditional
immigrants in that some “immigrants learn to adapt to their environment better
than others - but all retain some degree of their accent” (Prensky, 2001a, p.3). This
raises a few questions; if the Digital Immigrant population can be segmented into
varying degrees of integration, is it possible and would it be beneficial to segment
Digital Natives in some way? Ignoring geographical and economic influences to
instead focus on age, (Joiner, Gavin, Brosnan, Cromby, Gregory, Guiller, & Moon,
(2013)), drew a distinction between first generation Digital Natives, born between
1980 and 1993, and second generation Digital Natives, born thereafter.
Fundamentally, they found that the “newer generations had a more positive attitude
towards the internet, i.e. higher scores on internet identification, lower scores on
internet anxiety and higher internet usage. But contrary to popular belief, neither

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generation were using Web 2.0 technology (i.e. micro blogging or visiting virtual
worlds)” (Joiner et al., 2013, p.7).
Splitting Digital Natives into two generations and concluding that neither
generation is particularly fixated with Web 2.0 technology (W2T) raises the question
as to whether a third generation or a sub-set of the second generation actually exists
and is more actively involved with W2T?
2.1.2 Digital Native Characteristics
2.1.2.1 Thought and Process Patterns
Crude distinctions between Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants have been
established and, having recognised that the Natives can be divided, at least
generationally, it leads us to ask what other characteristics of this new wave of
students and future employees has been assigned to them in publications since their
discovery?
Prensky (2001a) claimed that Digital Natives thought and processed
information differently (multi-tasking and parallel processing), “had little patience
for lectures, step-by-step logic, and “tell-test” instruction and preferred gaming over
“serious” work” (Prensky, 2001, p.4).
In addition to multi-tasking, Firat (2013) believes Digital Natives are prone to
continuous partial attention (CPA) - which differs from multi-tasking (efficiency
based) as it can lead to a reduction of productivity as the inflicted constantly scan
available sources of input in the desire to stay connected. As a consequence
“individuals addicted to the internet, have no time to react, focus on anything or
decide thoughtfully; rather they live in a permanent crisis” (Firat, 2013, p.271).
We have been told that process and thought patterns are being changed and
that this is potentially impacting on productivity, but how else are the lives of Digital
Natives being shaped by new technology?

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2.1.2.2 Individuality
Mäntymäki & Reimer (2014), demonstrated that the advent of Social Virtual Worlds
(SVW) “enable Digital Natives to cross the border between real life and digital to
extend or to take a break from their offline environment” (Mäntymäki et al., 2014,
p.217). Interestingly, whilst Joiner et al., found no real uptake of Web 2.0
technology, those Digital Natives that do frequent SVWs are “primarily driven by
hedonic gratifications obtained from experiences inside the SVW – not what they
gain in the ‘real world’ or because of others opinions” (Mäntymäki et al., 2014,
p.217). This suggests that whilst Digital Natives like to interact and be connected,
SVWs allow them to explore their individuality and make their own decisions without
the influence of peer and other real world pressures. Perhaps, this form of escapism,
into a benign environment, is a way for youths to reduce general stress and offers
more restorative qualities than online games such as combat games?
2.1.2.3 Patience and Predisposition to Rewards
Digital advancements have also created new marketing opportunities for business
and, as early adopters; Digital Natives make great guinea pigs and thus Richard &
Meuli (2013) conducted a study to determine what was required for Digital Natives
to accept Permission based Location Aware Mobile Advertising (PBLAMA). In line
with common views, they noted that Digital Natives exhibited a narrow level of
patience and responded well to rewards, therefore determined that “they are more
likely to adopt (PBLAMA) if it is entertaining, informative, not irritating and includes
some form of incentive”, but unlike Mäntymäki et al., (2014), they found that “Digital
Natives would be more likely to adopt PBLMA if their friends and influences also
found it attractive”. (Richard, & Meuli, 2013, p.710).
2.1.2.4 Communication Preferences
So we are starting to see, through subtle differences within the findings of the
literature published to date, that Digital Natives are more of a multifaceted and
continuously evolving subset of the population than Prensky (2001a) had originally
thought and that “their relationship with technology is more complex than the
Digital Native characterisation suggests” (Bennet, Maton, & Kervin, 2008, p.783).
This is exemplified by the findings of separate studies from Friedl & Verčič (2011) and

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Verčič & Verčič (2013). The first study on “media preferences of Digital Natives for
internal communication” (Friedl & Verčič, 2011, p.84), found that “Digital Natives
demonstrated a high preference for traditional media (over social media) for internal
communication at work” (Friedl & Verčič, 2011, p.85). However, contrary to that
finding, the latter study determined that within a university setting, Digital Native
“students expressed an explicit preference for the use of social media over
traditional media for function communication” (Tkalac Verčič, & Verčič, 2013, p.602).
This difference in preferences is possibly down to a number of factors; such
as the increasing pervasiveness and general acceptance of social media and digital
technology, or the strict ICT governance imposed by some businesses having an
influential effect on communication methods and workers expectations, or that
students regard teachers, lecturers and learning institutes as more approachable, or
even that different attitudes and generational differences exist within the Digital
Native spectrum. Whatever the drivers are, it is clear that not enough research has
been conducted for us to determine the absolute attributes of the Digital Native.
Furthermore, as the next section demonstrates, a wider review of the literature and
research conducted to date uncovers several bodies of work that (in the extreme)
question the existence of Digital Natives or, at least, have determined that not all of
those born since 1980 are tech savvy or have developed greater skills than those
that aren’t so digitally engaged.
2.1.3 Alternative Views on the Digital Native concept
The notion that all students within the perceived Digital Native spectrum exhibit the
same or similar characteristics to one another i.e. the way they process information,
socialise and readily speak the digital language, has been questioned in a number of
studies over the past 13 years. However, whilst many articles suggest the general
discourse across the numerous reviews on Digital Natives is beset with hype and
misnomers, there is an underlying recognition that it is imperative that both learning
institutes and employers appreciate that the digital revolution is taking place and it is
adding increasing complexity to the relationships between institutes and students
and between employers and employees. Moreover, whilst the effects of this

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revolution may initially manifest through the characteristics displayed by the
younger generation, it will unavoidably permeate through institutes and then
businesses over time as the digital and technological revolution marches on. Perhaps
businesses owners would benefit from understanding how educational institutes
have learnt to adapt.
There has been a lot written and many statements made about the
characteristics of Digital Natives over the last decade or so and an extensive review
by Smith (2012) has rendered the literature down to some common themes:
“There are eight dominant yet controversial (due to a lack of supporting data)
claims concerning Digital Natives that continue to paint the Net generation
students in higher education as:
1) Possessing new ways of knowing and being;
2) Driving a digital revolution transforming society;
3) Innately or inherently tech-savvy;
4) Multitaskers, team-oriented, and collaborative;
5) Native speakers of the language of technologies;
6) Embracing gaming, interaction and simulation;
7) Demanding immediate gratification; and
8) Reflecting and responding to the knowledge economy.” (Smith, 2012, p.10)
In her summary, Smith (2012) concludes that not enough research has been carried
out to date to support the common claims, but recognizes that technology
advancements are affecting educational systems and also that perceptions of
stakeholders are too. In an effort to distil what is critical to today’s learners’ needs,
Smith (2012) suggests that by reframing the issues, researchers may “move beyond
the Digital Native debate toward other authentic understandings of today’s learners”
(Smith, 2012, p.10). If we accept that not all Digital natives are digitally tethered or
driven, then following this advice may help educators (and potentially employers) to
meet the needs of, and relate to, a wider spectrum of the next generation and
understand the similarities that do exist between the generations.

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A study by Thompson, (2013) also found some of the wider claims; such as
needing constant attention and embracing all things technological; wanting
(Thompson, 2013). Such is the interest in Digital Natives that all manner of claims
have been made and then contested such as the notion that Digital Natives “are the
most visual of all learning cohorts” (Coats as cited in Brumberger, 2011, p.20). In this
instance, a subsequent study found that “rather than possessing a significant degree
of visual literacy, Digital Natives’ ability to respond critically to visual material
appears rather weak” (Brumberger, 2011, p.44).
The same study concludes with a message I believe should be received by all
educators, researchers, employers and those willing to make assumptions about
Digital Natives without the evidence to back it up:
“Living in an image-rich world…does not mean students…naturally possess
sophisticated visual literacy skills, just as continually listening to an iPod does
not teach a person to critically analyse or create music” (Felton as cited in
Brumberger, 2011, p.45).

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2.2 Digital Natives in the education system
2.2.1 The problem
The idea that Digital Natives exist, coupled with the statement that “Today’s
students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach”
(Prensky, 2001a, p.1), has created a stir within educational institutes across the
world. Adding accelerant to this was the suggestion that “The single biggest problem
facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an out-
dated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that
speaks an entirely new language” (Prensky, 2001a, p.3).
Preying on the native/immigrant divide, Prensky (2001a) suggested that
teachers couldn’t relate to the students’ language and preference for non-linear and
interactive learning methods (as they were markedly different to the way they
themselves had learnt), and that it was time for teachers to adapt (Prensky, 2001a).
2.2.2 Information and Communication Technology – classroom acceptance
Accepting that an information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge gap
between students and teachers exists and presuming that use and acceptance of
technology in and out of schools was “radically different” (Gu, Zhu & Guo, 2013,
p.392) for the two groups, Gu et al., (2013), set out to determine “the difference
between teachers and students’ acceptance of technology” (Gu et al., 2013, p.392).
The results substantiated common perceptions of the Digital Natives, i.e. earlier
adoption and higher self-perceptions and outcome expectancies of ICT in the class
room than teachers and also found a positive correlation between grade levels and
reported ICT usage (Gu et al., 2013), suggesting that if ICT is not being successfully
integrated into the classroom, the students will not achieve their full potential.
Coupled with “not complying with ‘native’ students expectations who have already
established their ICT practices and habits outside of school” (Gu et al., 2013, p.400),
this could have significant longer-term ramifications for any institute competing for
government funding and/or the student dollar and may result in lower levels of
commercial success if ICT is not successfully integrated in the business world.

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2.2.3 ICT & Social Media – a common ground for teachers and students?
We have learnt that “Digital Natives crave interactivity” (Prensky, 2001b, p.4) and it
has been suggested that “by allowing students to learn in an engaging manner, they
would gain a deeper understanding of the content and begin to develop a more
critical understanding” (Waring, & Scheiner-Fisher, 2014, p.11). Thus, utilising ICT
effectively may improve results and potentially close some of the expectancy gap
previously mentioned.
But what about the relationship gap - if teachers and students aren’t talking
the same language, then how are teachers expected to effectively impart knowledge
to students who possess ill-matched receptors? To close this gap Tkalac Verčič et al.,
(2013) suggests using social media; “For university professors, utilizing social media
in university settings – and particularly in their interaction with students– represents
new ways of transforming teacher and student relationships” (Verčič et al., 2013, p.
602). The interactive and informal nature of social media can be used to improve a
student’s rapport with a teacher, which in turn will help to align the transmission
and reception between the parties and thereby improve the efficacy of the
knowledge exchange.
2.2.4 Digital Natives and the role of teachers
With Google and other search engines at their fingertips, today’s students can
readily find answers to questions that they once would have turned to their teacher
for. So where does this leave the teacher – destined for redundancy? No, for a start,
not all answers are available and may need interpreting. Secondly, Digital Natives are
perhaps more easily influenced and distracted than previous student generations
and thus Thompson (2013) believes teachers will:
“play a critical role in preparing students for success in the digital world.
Digital Native students may need scaffolding from teachers before they will
go beyond the rapid communication technology they are most comfortable

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with and learn the wide variety of technology tools that are important for
productivity in school and the workplace” (Thompson, 2013, p.23).
But, if teachers will still be required (perhaps even more so in a ‘mentoring’ capacity)
and traditional learning methods aren’t adequate, then what can we equip future
teachers and classrooms with to foster a learning environment more conducive to
the needs of the next generation?
One method that, according to Prensky (2001b), is starting to gain popularity
is digital game-based learning (DGBL) which is seen as highly relevant and suitable as
it taps into the very things that can capture their attention- interactive technology.
But this opens up more questions. Is DGBL going to be suitable for everyone? We
have been told there is a relatively low uptake of Web 2.0 technologies from Digital
Natives to date, so will DGBL engage them and will some sections be disadvantaged
i.e. those with low computer self-efficacy, by this new method of learning?

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2.3 Digital Natives in the workplace
2.3.1 The transition from student to worker
The composition of the workforce is changing. In the decade to 2013; “U.S. citizens
over 65 were predicted to increase 26%, those 40-54 to fall by 5%, and those 25-30
to increase by 6%” (Connelly as cited by Eisner, 2005, p.4). Such change in
composition would mean that businesses would not only lose knowledgeable and
experienced workers/managers through one door, but would gain inexperienced and
unpredictable employees in through another.
In reviewing the literature on the combined effects of Digital Natives and
technological advancements on education, we see that as technology continues to
evolve, so will the characteristics and needs of those hardwired or interfacing with
the movement – be they natives or immigrants. We have also seen that in a
competitive environment, where universities compete for headcount, there is a
natural desire to try and understand, predict and serve the needs of their current
and future customers. But as these students graduate and move on, how will their
expectations (that the learning institutes strive so hard to meet), be received in the
workplace when the students become the employees of businesses predominantly
owned and managed by Digital Immigrants?
Recognizing that differences exist between teachers and students with
respect to their understanding and willingness to readily adopt ICT, we must expect
similar gaps to exist between managers and junior employees and, if left to fester,
this may be unproductive as “a company’s lack of consideration for millennials’
higher values toward social media may result in a communication conflict” (Cho,
Park & Ordonez 2013, p.798). Moreover, employees are seen as assets with
associated running costs and, in the commercial context, businesses look to
maximise revenue from their assets whilst minimising operational expenses. Thus, as
Digital Natives transition from students to employees, they face an uphill battle to
both prove themselves as worthy investments and establish a common language and
suitable norms with their employers. This is unlikely to be an easy task, given that as

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customers, these ex-students are more accustomed to a sympathetic ear than a
demanding manager.
2.3.2 The generation gap – why it needs to be closed
Technology is leading to the convergence of industries and this is highly visible in the
service sector where banks are now selling insurance and power companies are
adding internet services to their portfolios. Aside from traditional roles such as
butchers, doctors and bus drivers etc., many jobs that exist today do so because of
the advance of technology. Furthermore, other jobs that currently exist are unlikely
to do so in the future for the same reason. This is relatively good news for the Digital
Natives who have grown up with change and technology, but for their immigrant
counterparts, the prospect maybe more daunting especially if they have business
investments and cannot speak or think in digital terms. Thus, whilst we recognize
that language barriers may exist and expectations may be misaligned, employers not
only need the labour skills of this next generation to produce goods or service
customers, but many will also need their digital-readiness to keep pace with the
competition. Through servicing this latter need, businesses will be arming
themselves for the future also - as this next generation will, over time, mature and
develop business skills and move into management roles whilst keeping pace with
technology.
So how do these two parties find the right match? Employers have
recruitment agencies that can appreciate the skill sets of the new generation and
sort the candidates appropriately. As for the Digital Natives, with so many job titles
on the web that never existed whilst they were seeking careers advice back at
school, this task is not necessarily easy. Having grown up with choice and constant
connectivity and given the “significant relationships among the millennials’ values of
social media, their attitudes toward different social media policies, and their job-
seeking patterns” (Cho et al., 2013, p.798), Digital Natives carry a different basket of
considerations and expectations when evaluating person-organization fit (POF)
including the compatibility of social media policies. This means that many companies

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may need to reconsider their social media and technology use policies if they are to
attract and retain the best of this generation in the first place.
2.3.3 Social Media, Technology –common ground with benefits?
“Social media offers many opportunities for organizations but present, at the same
time, many challenges too” (Hauptmann & Steger, 2013, p.1). Many businesses are
indeed developing more open approaches to technology and social media in the
workplace and even use the latter externally to attract new and engage with existing
customers. Focusing on the internal use of social media, it “connects people in
different ways” (Evans as cited in Hauptmann et al., 2012, p.2) but at the same time
the content can be difficult to control and thus managers must take a leading role in
demonstrating acceptable conduct in the use of social media – something that a
number of Digital Immigrants will not relish, but it will, ultimately, help them relate
better to their junior staff (Hauptman et al. 2012). As for technology, particularly
with regards to the successful integration of e-learning, Digital Natives could be used
to complement management’s support in helping Digital Immigrants overcome their
hesitancy as “acceptance and adoption of e-learning is mainly determined by the
perceived usefulness and ease of use of the systems” (Lee, Hsieh, & Chen, 2013,
p.185). This attribute may assist Digital Natives with the integration into the
workforce as it is an opportunity to demonstrate not only their technical knowledge,
but also their collaboration skills and usefulness to management and other
generations.
Social media can socialize knowledge quickly and businesses that understand
this concept find it attractive. “Knowledge is key to competitive advantage, and the
social reach of knowledge can amplify its power in terms of organizational
performance. Leveraging such amplification, social media applications are expected
broadly to improve the performance of organizational work.” (Nissen, & Bergin,
2013, p. 102). This is being practiced today as many knowledge workers are using
publicly available online services (PAOSs) such as Google Docs, Twitter and LinkedIn
to complete tasks” (Ferro, & Zachry, 2014, p.18).

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However, an air of caution is advised. Whilst social media and other forms of
technology can assist workers, it can also place increasing pressure on employees to
collaborate with colleagues, adding pressure and reducing productivity if not
governed effectively by managers (Cross, & Gray, 2012). Digital Natives, with their
desire to be permanently connected to their associates, may be especially
susceptible to this.
2.3.4 Balancing Access and Security
Information security and brand integrity are crucial elements that organisations must
maintain and therefore, whilst even the most accommodating of employers may
want to provide employees with the freedom to access knowledge, data and social
media at their discretion, there are very good reasons for not doing so. Especially
when, establishing the right balance of access and security is not easy, particularly
when worker’s rights are at stake as seen in the U.S where:
“attempts by employers to restrict or place conditions on their employees’
use of social media have the full attention of the National Labour Relations
Board’s (NRLA) and recently the subject of instructive reporting by its Acting
general Counsel” (Brice, Fifer, Naron, 2012, p.13).
Whilst recognising the desire of businesses to safeguard intellectual property rights
and confidential information, the U.S. NRLB fiercely defends the access and privacy
rights of workers as established under the National Labour Relations Act (NRLA) and
consequently businesses must tread very carefully and cannot afford to issue a
blanket ban. This is clearly a hot, yet poorly understood topic making it difficult for
businesses and courts to define clear guidelines in their endeavours to provide the
right measures to protect confidentiality, privacy and access rights and employee
relationships. However the issues are slowly being addressed and “as the U.S. waits
for norms to evolve, relevant international case law provides a potential normative
point of reference and insight for lawmakers, especially those not immersed in the
technologies” (Sánchez Abil, Levin, & Del Riego, (2012), p.124).

21
Businesses would be wise in taking a similar, observant, approach and look to
retain some flexibility or at least a level of leniency when deciding policies. With
more and more companies turning to and receiving the benefit of revenue
generation through social media 24/7, they are affectively inviting would-be
customers to interact with them at any time of the day - including normal working
hours. If businesses are happy to receive the commercial benefits of social media, it
may appear hypocritical to then restrict access to social media for their own
employees. Digital Natives are likely to air their dissatisfaction over social media, or
leave, if they are required to live within a state of hypocrisy. Again, commercial
norms are still yet to be established, but the right balance could have a positive
effect on employee attitude towards the employer.

22
3.0 Summary, Key Issues and Research Questions
3.1 Literature Review Summary
A lot has been written about the Digital Native but as to date nothing really
conclusive has been struck. This is not surprising given that the distinguishing
differences between Digital Natives and their predecessors is largely due to the leaps
and bounds witnessed in technology – and that train is still rolling. What is agreed is
that technology is having an effect on the lives of the youth of today (in varying
degrees) and it impacts on how they relate to each other and how the rest of us
currently (and will in the future) relate to them in work and play.
3.2 Key Issues
3.2.1 Does a third generation Digital Native exist already?
We have seen a second generation of Digital Natives being segmented by age and
that they exhibit a more positive attitude to technology but are still yet to embrace
Web 2.0 technologies. Further research on the Digital Native across gender or socio-
economic differences may help to distinguish what technological applications appeal
to the majority of Digital Natives and what are type-specific. Furthermore, perhaps
there is room for a third generational split that is driven by the recent growth in
hand held device sales.
3.2.2 Do Social Virtual Worlds affect the stress levels (positively or negatively) of
Digital Natives?
With respect to Social Virtual Worlds (SVWs), we have been told that this presents a
form of escapism for youth. Research to determine whether or not any health
benefits that can be attributed from regular use of SVW, with regards to the increase
and reduction of stress and/or anxiety levels, may help to define what adds and
alleviates pressure on the youth of today in this digital age.

23
3.2.3 Are e-learning channels more or less appropriate for Digital Natives
Digital game based learning is starting to see some heavy investment, particularly
from Silicon Valley operators. But with a relatively low uptake of Web 2.0
technologies from Digital Natives to date and the potential for some sections of the
upcoming generations likely to be more engaged by the prospect than others, it may
be worth researching the possible implications (such as student disaffection) from
transitioning away from traditional forms of learning.
3.2.4 Potential workforce integration issues and opportunities
Digital Natives face many challenges as they enter full time employment and one of
the biggest challenges is the intergenerational gap that is growing due to
technological advances and the early-adopter nature of the younger generation.
With the advent of the digital revolution and ever new ways of “doing business”, it
can be hard for the different generations to bond at work. Perhaps there is an
opportunity and where Digital Natives can improve their work integration by helping
Digital Immigrants with their technology ‘accents’.
3.2.5 Workplace Social Media Policies and perceived POF
This new generation is understood to be team-oriented and collaborative (Smith,
2012) and is surrounded by technology and use it in all facets of their lives including
work (Ferro, & Zachry, 2014) and play. We understand that social media can socialize
knowledge quickly and can therefore “provide a competitive advantage” for
businesses (Nissen, & Bergin, 2013), but if those businesses fail to recognize the
value that Digital Natives also place on Social media, then this could be a source of
conflict. Digital Natives have experienced educational institutes adapting to their
needs but are other industries and businesses likely to be as liberal or open to
tailoring as educational institutes or have they designed ICT policies (such as social
media policies) with varying degrees of bias towards safeguarding their IP rights and
brands with less consideration for how this could affect an employees perceived
level of person-organisation fit?

24
3.3 Research Questions
Five Key issues were highlighted in the literature review, however determining the
level of variation between social media policies of entities within and across
industries and countries is the most pertinent, measurable and tangible from a
managerial perspective as the results could enable them to implement social media
policies and strategies that allow them to capture the commercial benefits of social
media, protect their IP, brands and employees whilst positively influencing the
person-organisation fit criteria of Digital Natives. In order to achieve this position,
the following question must be satisfied:
Is there evidence that some businesses are more progressive in their approach to
social media polices than others and is the difference significant enough to provide a
better level of POF for Digital Natives and what could this mean for those that exhibit
a less progressive approach?

25
4.0 Methodology and Data Sources
4.1 Methodology
4.1.1 Purpose
The primary purpose of this paper is to source publicly available samples of social
media policies from a spectrum of employers from around the world to examine the
differences in relation to how the policies (or components of) are likely to contribute
to attracting and retaining Digital Natives in their respective workplaces given their
different needs and expectations compared to other generations.
4.1.2 Research Design
4.1.2.1 Industry Sectors
For the research a qualitative approach was undertaken with four broad industry
categories; Education, Government Agencies, Private Business and Healthcare
identified. Secondary data, in the form of online and publically available social media
polices of 12 entities within each category were sourced and examined (48 samples).
The different categories were created to help determine whether the social
media policies of different types of entities and sectors significantly differed enough
to leave some employers in a less favourable position than others with regards to a
Digital Native’s view on POF. The inclusion of Education and private Business is
consistent with the topics covered in the Literature review whilst the Government
and Healthcare categories were included to help draw some distinct comparisons
between sectors. Furthermore, a mix of country of origin was desirable to ensure an
acceptable level of New Zealand and global representation was achieved. New
Zealand entities represent 1/3 of each category and total sample.
4.2 Data Collection, Policy Elements & Scoring
4.2.1 Data Collection for Literature Review
In reviewing the e-literature, over 40 articles were retrieved through online
databases such as Business Source Premier and Google Scholar through searches

26
using the phrases “Digital Natives”, “Digital Immigrants”, “Millennials” and “e-
learning”.
4.2.2 Data Collection for Research
4.2.2.1 Secondary Data
The decision to use publically available secondary data rather than approach entities
directly was driven by two key points:
a) Sourcing the data for qualitative analysis would be quicker and the
interpretation of the data should be more consistent and insulated from
the potential influence of an entity with a desire to wrap a story around
its respective policy.
b) An online search is more akin to how a Digital Native, highly connected to
the digital world, would hunt for information to help him or her
determine the level of POF. Moreover, conducting this research online
provides an insight as to the ease or difficulty that Digital Natives will
experience if they conduct their own research.
4.2.2.2 Data Collection
Social media policies from entities around the world were sourced online and
identified as relevant to the research using the search phrases “Social Media Policy”
and “Social Networking” accompanied by either “NZ”, “Australia”, “USA” or “UK” (or
country thereof) to provide the diversity. One website in particular,
www.socialmediagovernace.com provided links to 234 social media policies (and
associated policies); however only 19 were used in the analysis due to:
a) A heavy U.S. representation; ruling out a proportion of policies to ensure
that New Zealand entities represented one third in each industry.
b) 74% (37% average) of the links being Government Agencies or business
entities – exceeding the equal-representation target of 25% across the
four industry categories.
c) Not all of the links were still valid and not all of the material was relevant
to the research.

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4.2.3 Policy Elements & Scoring
4.2.3.1 Policy Elements
To assist the analysis in determining how progressive a business or industry
category’s social media policy is, the following nine policy elements were developed
over the course of the data retrieval process, as common themes within the social
media policies were realised:
Table 1: Policy Elements
Policy Element Potential Indicator
Age of the policy To gauge relevance in the fast-paced arena of social media
Date of next review Indicate the life cycle of a policy (and hence its relevance)
Purpose Provides reasoning and direction of policy
Policy Outline Provides a feel for the extent/scope of the policy
Prohibitions Possible source for general person-organisation fit
Private use Key area for general person-organisation fit
Disclaimers
Provides an insight into the businesses understanding of the
risks
Consequences Supports the key elements to round out the policy intent
Related policies Supports the key elements to round out the policy intent
4.2.3.2 Element Scoring
Once sourced then 7 of the 9 elements of each policy was scored using a four-band
system to generate quantitative data that would enable policies to be ranked across
various combinations of elements:
Table 2: Policy Elements
Band Score Reasoning
Unqualified 0 No clear information on the element in question
Moderate 1 Information that moderately encouraged or discouraged
employee use of social media (work and/or play)
Good 2 Information that encouraged employee use of Social Media
(work and/or play)
Not Good -2 Information that discouraged employee use of Social Media
(work and/or play)
The bands and related scores were set from the perspective of how a particular
element of the social media policy would be perceived by a Digital Native when

28
trying to determine the likely POF. With this is mind, if no specific information on an
element was available it would leave the viewer in a position of not being able to
rate that particular element and thus a score of zero was applied. For moderate
levels of social media encouragement, discouragement or general guidelines, then a
score of 1 was adopted on the basis that at least the policy was presenting some
guidance from which the viewer could draw conclusions upon in conjunction with
other elements when trying to determine the intent of the whole policy. For strong
levels of encouragement or discouragement, scores of 2 and -2 were applied
respectively as these were most likely to provide the viewer with a sense (rightly or
wrongly) of the organisation’s attitude towards the use of social media by its
employees.
4.2.3.3 Key Scores, Total Scores of Progressiveness
1) A Key score is based on 4 of the 9 categories recorded. The purpose of this
analysis was to focus on the four key elements that were likely to indicate how a
Digital Native would perceive the overall policy in terms of POF. The four
elements are; purpose, policy outline, prohibitions and private use.
2) A Total score is based on the scores of 7 of the 9 categories recorded. The
purpose of this analysis was to determine how complete the social media policy
was i.e. would a Digital Native be in a position to make an informed decision
from the policy and or related policies?
The Key score forms the focal point of the research as it provides the best
indication of a social media policy’s compatibly with the needs and expectations
of the Digital Native and will help answer the questions 1 & 2; however other
minor data-capture (social media presence) and analysis was also conducted to
help answer question 2.
The term ‘progressive’ is used extensively throughout this paper and is to be
read in the context of how contemporary and liberal a policy of a business or
industry category is (as potentially perceived by a Digital Native) as it tries to

29
balance the needs of the business (i.e. protecting IP, the brand and capitalising
on the competitive advantages associated with social media) and the needs and
expectations of Digital Natives (multi-tasking, collaboration, interactivity, non-
linear processing etc.).

30
5.0 Analysis and Results
5.1 General Analysis
5.1.1 Key and Total Scores
The first analysis explored the spread of scores to determine the level of similarities
amongst the policies. The respective spreads were similarly wide suggesting that a generic
policy is not widely adopted. Note, with 7 scores available, not 4, the Total scores naturally
exhibited higher results. Refer Appendix 1 for policy ranking and Appendix 7 for policy
element samples.
Figure 1: Key Score distribution
Figure 2: Total Score distribution
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
-4 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
No. of
Policies
Key Score
Policies per Key Score
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
-2.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00
No. of
Policies
Total Score
Policies per Total Score
· Analysis of the 48 policies
sampled produced a 10
point spread and average
and median Key scores of
2.92 and 4 respectively.
· The mode matched the
median.
· Standard Deviation 2.31
· Analysis of the 48 policies
sampled produced an 11
point spread and average
and median Key scores of
4.6 and 5 respectively.
· The mode was 6.
· Standard Deviation 2.16

31
5.1.2 Policy age and percentage of elements addressed in policy
The average age of the 48 policy sample is 1.73 years and removing the ‘Live’ policies lifts
the average of the remaining 35 policy sample to 2.51 years.
Regression analysis found no significant relationship to exist between the age of a
policy (Fig 3: P-value of 0.66) and its Key score, nor between the percentage of elements
addressed (Fig 4: P-value of 0.41) within a policy and its Total score. Note that for the age of
the policy analysis, in the 13 cases where a policy was found to be ‘Live’ online an age of 0.5
years was adopted. Removing the 13 ‘Live’ sites did not result in a significant relationship
being found in the sample of 35. (Refer Appendices 3 & 4 for regression tables)
Fig 3: Policy age and Key score relationship
Fig 4: Percentage of policy elements and Total score relationship
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
0 2 4 6 8
KeyScore
Age of Policy
Age of Policy Line - Fit Plot
Key Score
Predicted Key Score
Linear (Predicted Key
Score)
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
0% 50% 100% 150%
TotalScore
% of Elements addressed
% of Elements addressed Line - Fit Plot
Average of Total
Score
Predicted Average of
Total Score
Linear (Predicted
Average of Total
Score)

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5.2 Industry Comparisons
A comparison of scores across industries revealed Healthcare as the most progressive in its
attitude towards social media in the workplace, topping both the Key and Total score
categories. Education trended second in the Key Score, but below the total pool average.
The private business sector’s Key and Total scores were below the average whilst
Government Agencies scored the lowest in Key but second highest in Total.
Table 3 & Figure 5: Industry policy rankings
Industry
Average of Key
Score
Average of Total
Score
Healthcare 3.75 5.17
Education 2.83 4.33
Business 2.75 4.42
Government Agency 2.33 4.50
Weighted Average 2.92 4.60
Whilst healthcare held the highest Key and Total scores, the Key and Total scores for the
remaining industries appeared to be inversely related (i.e. as the Key score trended down,
the Total score trended up). Refer Appendix 2 for complete Industry and results.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
Average of Key Score
Average of Total Score

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5.3 Country Comparison
A comparison of average scores of entities within countries reveals Spain as the most
progressive in its attitude. However with only one Spanish entity present within the 48
policies sampled, it is more appropriate to consider USA entities as the most progressive.
New Zealand polled poorly - completely off the pace with an average Key Score of 1.5, whilst
Australia polled better than the UK and Canada. Section 5.4 analyses the New Zealand result
at industry and entity levels to see which specific industries (if any) draw the average score
down as this could have serious implications for that industry/business in question and for
and ‘NZ Inc.’ if not addressed.
Table 4: Country policy rankings
Country
Average of Key
Score
Average of Total
Score
Spain 5.00 6.00
USA 4.85 6.08
Germany 4.00 5.00
Australia 3.14 4.57
Canada 2.50 5.00
UK 2.44 4.56
New Zealand 1.50 3.38
5.4 New Zealand Analysis
5.4.1 New Zealand industries Analysis
With exception of Healthcare, the average scores for New Zealand Industry categories are
well below their respective global industry averages and Government Agencies delivered a
very negative “Key” result. Section 5.4.2 unpacks the Industry categories into Entities to
provide a granular view of New Zealand’s low score. Refer to Appendix 5 for NZ Ranking
flowchart.
Table 5: NZ Industry policy rankings
Industry (NZ)
Average of Key
Score
Average of Total
Score
Healthcare 4.00 5.25
Education 1.75 3.50
Business 0.75 3.00
Government Agency -0.50 1.75

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5.4.2 New Zealand Entities Comparison
Despite Government Agencies scoring the lowest average Key score, the New Zealand
Government positioned top equal with the University of Waikato and the Waikato and
Canterbury District Health Boards (DHBs). Driving the overall score down for the
Government Agencies were the three councils with an average Key score of -2.
Table 6: NZ Entity Policy ranking
Entity
Average of Key
Score
Average of Total
Score
New Zealand Government 4.00 6.00
University of Waikato 4.00 6.00
Waikato DHB 4.00 6.00
Canterbury DHB 4.00 6.00
Mercy Hospital 4.00 5.00
Toll 4.00 5.00
University of Auckland 4.00 5.00
Nursing Council of New Zealand 4.00 4.00
Massey University 1.00 3.00
PGG Wrightson 0.00 3.00
Ryman Healthcare 0.00 3.00
Auckland Council 0.00 2.00
Freightways -1.00 1.00
Hamilton City Council -2.00 1.00
University of Otago -2.00 0.00
Northland Regional Council -4.00 -2.00
Overall Average 1.50 3.38
Further analysis found that the policies of the New Zealand councils rank the lowest of the 6
councils and that the US councils rated higher than the 48 sample average. The single UK
council did not rate much better than the best of the NZ councils (Auckland).
Table 7: Council Policy ranking
Entity
Average of Key
Score
Average of Total
Score
City of Seattle 5.00 7.00
State of Oklahoma 5.00 7.00
Manchester City Council 1.00 4.00
Auckland Council 0.00 2.00
Hamilton City Council -2.00 1.00
Northland Regional Council -4.00 -2.00

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5.5 Other General Analysis
5.5.1 Top 10 Analysis
The Thames Valley Police’s Social media policy scored the overall highest mark with Key and
Total scores of 6 and 9 respectively. 80% of the Top 10 policies were from US entities whilst
the Government and Healthcare sectors commanded 70% of the Top 10 between them.
Table 8: Top 10 policies
Industry Country Entity
Key
Score
Total
Score
% of
elements
addressed
Policy
Age
(Yrs)
Government UK Thames Valley Police 6 9 86% 1.92
Business US IBM 6 8 71% Live
Healthcare US Sutter Health 6 7 71% 3.17
Business US Coca Cola 6 6 43% Live
Healthcare US US Medical Supplies 6 6 43% Live
Government US City of Seattle 5 7 86% Live
Government US State of Oklahoma 5 7 71% 4.67
Education US Harvard University 5 6 57% Live
Healthcare ES Hospital Sant Joan de Déu 5 6 71% 2.67
Government AU Australian Government 4 7 86% 1.83
69% of the elements were specifically addressed within the top 10 Key score policies (in line
with the general average of 68%) and around half the policies held a “Live” status online.
The average age of the Top 10 policies is 2.85 years – well above the total sample average of
1.73 years.
5.5.2 Facebook and Twitter presence
47 of the 48 entities sampled have a presence on Facebook and/or Twitter. The only
company not to tap into these forms of social media to reach its customer is Freightways
(NZ).

36
6.0 Discussion and Conclusion
6.1 General
With the average and median Key scores sitting at 2.92 and 4 respectively and assuming
that Digital Natives would understand that social media policies are predominantly set to
protect Brand, IP and to some extent, workers, the results suggest that most of the sampled
policies would be considered relatively acceptable and balanced. Only 14 policies fell short
of the average and are in danger of contributing negatively to the POF.
25 polices sat just above the average with scores of 3 or 4 and these are likely to
have a moderately positively effect on POF and a further 9 policies scored marks of 5 or 6
and are likely to have a higher positive effect on POF.
Finding no significant correlation between age or elements covered and the respective Key
and Total scores of a policy was unexpected on the basis that a newer policy should contain
more contemporary thinking and a more complete policy should satisfy the need for clear
boundaries to eliminate doubt (i.e. if the information is scant then how could a worker know
what is permitted and what is not). Possible reasons for this are:
a) Social media and their corresponding policies are still evolving and gaps in
many policies would appear to exist (32% of individual scores were zero
indicating gaps or non-specific comments in the policy).
b) Some industries may have a penchant for writing and revising policies
regularly regardless of whether the company is progressive or embraces
technology i.e. Governments have only a 25% gap but hold the lowest score.
c) Some critical elements may be embedded in the associated policies not
available to a Digital Native when researching POF online.

37
6.2 Industries
Given that educational institutes have been servicing the needs of Digital Natives for many
years and exist to impart knowledge, it is perhaps surprising that Healthcare attained the
highest Industry Key and Total scores - especially when one also considers that private
businesses stand to benefit financially if they can appropriately harness the commercial
opportunities that social media present. However, rather than purely financial and
customer service drivers, healthcare entities often deal with life or death situations that are
time critical and so the industry may have polled well due to the need for:
a) clear and fast communication to provide the best medical service, and
b) the preservation of patient confidentiality, and
c) Process improvement (bookings, cross-functional collaboration etc.).
The notion that hospitals rely heavily on cross-functional collaboration is supported by an
article on entitled “Better Patient Flow Mean Breaking Down the Silos” (Institute for
Healthcare Improvement, n.d.), which recognizes that if one part of the organisation
improve its own efficiency but fails to address how this may affect another part of the
organisation, then it is potentially just shifting a bottleneck further up or down the supply
chain. Bottlenecks and lapses in confidentiality in a healthcare environment have the added
pressure of human welfare considerations and therefore perhaps it’s entirely logical that
this industry is leading the charge and maybe similar drivers have led the Thames Valley
Police (TVP) to the very top of the table across the 48 policies. Some key excerpts from their
policy include:
“This policy is designed to support and encourage the effective, safe and appropriate use of social
media in a way which enhances the reputation and integrity of the Force in line with our values.”
(Thames Valley Police, n.d.), and:
“Thames Valley Police recognises the growing importance of social media channels by which many
people communicate and share content. The Thames Valley Police Social Networking Strategy clearly
sets out the direction of travel for the Force regarding the use of Social Media as a means of
communication and engagement with the public.” (Thames Valley Police, n.d.), and:

38
“TVP permits reasonable use of personal social media during the working day using Force equipment,
providing it does not affect the individuals’ performance. Users should not use their own device for
personal social media use while on duty in a public area.” (Thames Valley Police, n.d.).
Whilst Education landed ahead of Business and Government, it failed to attain the average
mark, but this is primarily due to the low Key scores of Massey University and, in particular,
the University of Otago due to its insistence on blocking certain sites during work hours,
only allowing internet access for personal use outside normal working hours and for only up
to 3 hours per week. If the University of Otago adopted an approach similar to the higher
scoring universities, New Zealand Universities would have been considered as progressive
with an average Key score of 3.25.
Similarly to the Education sector, private business received a lower than expected score due
to a number of low-scoring NZ entities. At the other end, IBM and Coca-Cola (US and global)
spearheaded the sector which is not surprising given that the other entities in the category
(save Vodafone) are less consumer and/or technology focused. Coca-Cola in particular
knows the value of staying relevant to its consumers and really encourages its staff to tap
into social media to remain visible and relevant. Some excerpts from their very progressive
social media policy look like this:
“Countless conversations take place online about Coca-Cola every day, and we want our Company's
more than 150,000 associates in more than 200 countries to join those conversations, represent our
Company, and share the optimistic and positive spirits of our brands.”(Coca-Cola, n.d.), and:
“To get you started or to help you improve your social media skills, we offer training to our associates
and our agency partners through our online learning portals, and we’ll continue to regularly evaluate
our training classes and update them as social media evolves.” (Coca-Cola, n.d.)
The Government Agency result is relatively unremarkable save for the fact that 3 of the 4
New Zealand councils occupy the lowest places within the industry sample and that the

39
sector carried the highest differential between the Key and Total scores – probably a
reflection that the creation and maintenance of policies is central to their key objectives.
6.3 Countries
As previously mentioned, 9 of the Top 10 polices are held by US entities and this is not
surprising given that the country is the home of the global technology firms such as Apple,
IBM and Intel (the policy of the latter two were used in the research) and is responsible for
the Twitter and Facebook phenomena.
The UK’s low score is largely down to low council and healthcare scores, the latter of
course being in conflict with the overall industry standings. However, the greatest concern is
much closer to home - but it’s not so much New Zealand’s low ranking that is of issue, but
rather the relatively low score that signals an apparent lag in addressing the area.
6.4 New Zealand
As highlighted in 5.4.2, New Zealand’s score is predominantly driven down by the 3 councils,
but there are also concerns over a few other entities in other industries that have
contributed to 44% of the policies scoring less than 1. Perhaps this reflects a general
domestic rather than global focus from New Zealand businesses or that there are other
potential issues affecting the attitude to social media in general such as:
a) Is the cost of internet bandwidth in New Zealand more expensive than overseas and
therefore less conducive to a more liberal staff access approach?
b) Does New Zealand’s more reserved culture play a part in businesses not arming their
employees with modern-day megaphones such as Twitter and Facebook accounts?
Unless New Zealand Digital Natives are deemed to be so driven by their need for
connectivity and online collaboration that they are prepared to emigrate, then potential
factors a) and b), are unlikely to be recognised by NZ companies as a threat to attracting
Digital Natives. However there are plenty of global businesses operating in New Zealand
such as Coca Cola, SAP and Vodafone that carry liberal policies even in New Zealand which
will appear more attractive to the Digital Native workforce. Therefore, these businesses or
industries that aren’t embracing social media holistically may not only miss out on the
potential competitive advantage or even hygiene factors that the digital revolution offers,

40
they may not attract the very workforce most likely to drive the advantage home and this
could also have serious consequences for NZ Inc. in the long term.
Fortunately there are 8 entities that scored marks of 4, well above the average; however
this also serves to highlight the potential that some entities will miss out on attracting and
retaining new talent as their policies appear less conducive to the POF of a Digital Native
than others in the same industry.
6.4.2 New Zealand Entities
With respect to councils, it is accepted that they exist to serve the public and are expected
to be prudent with the public’s money; however 5.4.2 demonstrated that the US councils
take a more lenient view and in fact carry Key scores of 5 simply by creating an environment
that encourages sensible and appropriate participation and use of assets similar to the City
of Seattle’s policy:
“To address the fast-changing landscape of the Internet and the way residents communicate and
obtain information online, City of Seattle departments may consider using social media tools to reach
a broader audience. The City encourages the use of social media to further the goals of the City and
the missions of its departments, where appropriate.” (City of Seattle, n.d.), and:
“City owned technology resources may be used for personal purposes on a limited basis, providing
the following requirements are met: No marginal cost to the City, No interference with work
responsibilities, No disruption to the workplace. City computers must not be used to store
music/audio files for personal use.” (City of Seattle, n.d.)
Moreover they provide boundaries that empower managers if use becomes a problem
through the prohibition of:
“Excessive use of online shopping, Excessive use of social networking sites for personal use; Excessive
use of streaming media for entertainment during work hours; The Use of "Soft" VOIP phones, e.g.
Skype, Vonage, etc.” (City of Seattle, n.d.)

41
The State of Oklahoma takes a similar view:
“During normal business hours, State agency employees may use personal social networking for
limited family or personal communications so long as those communications do not interfere with
their work and are in line with any State agency policies governing usage of these technologies.”
(State of Oklahoma, 2010)
These policies portray very progressive culture compared to the culture portrayed in the
Northland Regional Council’s (NRC) policy with statements such as:
“The use of Council assets (computers, internet access, email, mobile phones, etc.) for engaging in
social media is permitted as long as your use:1) directly relates to the nature of your work at the
Regional Council; 2) is reasonable and does not impact on your productivity and ability to carry out
your primary duties; 3) does not negatively impact on our Council computer systems; and 4) does not
contain defamatory, confidential, sensitive or inaccurate information about the Regional Council, its
staff or our citizens.” (Northland Regional Council, 2010)
At the very best, the NRC’s policy is ambiguous on personal use of social media and at
worst; it forbids access unless directly related to work. Regardless of the intent, it is poorly
written (perhaps intentionally) and thus scores poorly – especially when coupled with
complete prohibitions on video/audio streaming that can impact on a work groups ability to
collaborate remotely. The US and New Zealand Councils are trying to achieve the same
things through their policies; however the former has demonstrated that a more liberally
biased policy with clear boundaries, coupled with trust and empowerment in management
can please both a Digital Native’s palate and the entities risk management requirements.
That said, even if the councils of New Zealand addressed this issue and lifted their scores
closer to the average, private New Zealand businesses would also need to address their low
scores in order to lift New Zealand’s total average.
Freightways (FRE) scored the lowest mark of all private business with -1 and has no
Facebook or Twitter presence. This probably says more about the corporate governance of
the company rather than any business it is missing out on due to its absence in social media.
This notion is supported by the tone of its policies - written in a style that focuses on
protecting the company’s assets rather than providing parameters to guide employees, it
instead provides reminders of the consequences of stepping out of line:

42
“FRE people must ensure that FRE assets and property are used only for the purposes of FRE and in
accordance with appropriate authorisations.” (Freightways, n.d.), and
“FRE people are expected to follow the standards set out in this Code. Failure to do so may lead to
disciplinary action that could include dismissal.” (Freightways, n.d.)
Freightways would not score well with Digital Natives for POF and for a logistics company,
failure to embrace social media is likely to affect its competitiveness in market from both a
process perspective and its ability to appeal and attract customers and talent from the new
generation.
Finally, it is worth noting that in order to locate 4 social media policies of private
New Zealand businesses, a pre-prepared link (Kompass search engine) to the websites of
Top 100 businesses was utilised. The research revealed that 46 of the Top 80 New Zealand
businesses do not post their social media polices online, whilst another 30 could not be used
as they are government agencies, educational institutes or healthcare businesses. Thus of
the 80 websites, only 4 sites post their social media policy online (Refer Appendix 6 for
Kompass Top 100 list).
6.5 Implications
6.5.1 Research Question Implications
The research found a large variation in the way social media policies are worded and the
number of elements they address. Some entities demonstrate a progressive approach by
clearly communicating the commercial benefits of social media, providing reasonable
boundaries and encouraging their staff to actively participate. Some businesses such as Coca
Cola even offer staff training. However at the other end of the spectrum, others implement
policies that appear to exist simply to protect their assets and IP and actively discourage the
use of social media at work regardless of the fact that many of them pursue commercial
gain through channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, these varying levels of
progressiveness exist within and across industries and countries which suggest that not only

43
are some businesses failing to adopt a balanced approach to social media, but some
industries and countries are too.
The 10 point spread in Key scores indicates that the more progressive businesses have
crafted policies that are likely to be appeal to a Digital Native’s needs and expectations (i.e.
collaboration, interactivity and multi-tasking etc.) and thus provide a better level of POF
than those that are less progressive. This does not bode well for businesses and industries
with below average Key scores as they are likely to struggle to attract and retain the top
talent of the Digital Native workforce. The implication for these businesses and industries is
that without Digital Natives, progression of collaboration and communication methods may
be slower and opportunities to capitalise on the advantages that social media and other ICT
advancements have to offer, may be missed. The implication for countries such as New
Zealand with low Key scores is not the difficulty in attracting Digital Natives, as a large
portion of the talent is unlikely to change country on the issue alone, but that its
constituents who score poorly, are likely to lag the technology curve and this could cost
them and NZ Inc., crucial competitive advantages.
6.5.2 Management Implications
If businesses are to provide online access to the general public they should consider how it
is likely to be interpreted in that environment, particularly if they wish to attract talent
within the Digital Native workforce. The implication of sending less than progressive signals
in social media policies could have the effect of repelling this section of the workforce
before they even apply for roles within the respective organisations.
Gauging the progressiveness of a business’s own policy is as simple as an online
check and can identify ways to set out elements of a policy that satisfies the needs of the
business and employees. However, attracting Digital Natives is only part of the issue and
managers must also be seen to embrace the progressive nature of the policy in their
processes if they wish to remain relevant to and get the best out of this new generation.
PAOS such as Facebook and Twitter provide excellent marketing and staff engagement
opportunities, but carry risks if employees are not properly trained as Chrysler found out
when one of its staff published an obscene tweet on its website (The Canadian Press, 2011).
Thus PAOS can be used for work collaboration; however safer and potentially more effective

44
micro-blogging applications, i.e. Chatter, are available. These applications appeal to Digital
Natives and are being employed with success by management of businesses like Amcor to
breakdown divisional silos and improve productivity through the promotion of cross-
function project collaboration and information sharing (Trevor, 2013).
6.6 Limitations
The majority of the social media polies analysed in this research often referred to related
policies that were not always available online. Thus the results could be skewed if the
content of those policies conflicted with the rating of any of the elements of the respective
social media policy. Similarly, interpreting these policies in isolation of other company
policies that are not related to social media, or without meeting pertinent staff, is unlikely to
provide an accurate picture of the organisation’s true culture and thus the anticipated POF
may not reflect the ultimate POF. It should also be noted that only 12 samples in each
category were sampled and thus the in-category analysis should be considered as indicative.
Whilst every care was taken to provide an unbiased view, to the extent that the
policies were rated twice to eliminate familiarity bias (i.e. as the general structure of social
media policies became clearer there was the potential for the latter policies to be analysed
through a different lens - hence the intent of the a re-score was to provide a more even
approach), an independent assessment of the policies (and/or the scoring methodology)
may have provided a slightly different set of results.
Finally, the discovery of an online database yielded 40% of the 48 policies sampled
and the websites of 50 of New Zealand private businesses were scoured to source just 4
policies. These two statistics may distort the true level of progressiveness of social media
policies globally as the research cannot anticipate the nature of the offline policies nor how
many businesses do not have policies.

45
6.7 Recommendations
6.7.1 Recommendations for Businesses
The Waikato DHB’s social media policy was clearly intended to (and was) used by others:
“As the lines between private, personal life and public, professional life become increasingly
blurred (insert name) District Health Board (DHB) urges employees, students, volunteers, locums
and contractors to take care when using social media.”
This collaboration is potentially a contributing factor in the Healthcare scoring highly and
other sectors such as Government Agencies (New Zealand’s council in particular who scored
poorly but have a similar public-serving mandate), could benefit from adopting the
approach they have taken and also from exploring the policies of the higher rated entities
within their own industries.
The research has demonstrated that social media policies can be analysed and ranked
through simple online investigation. The spread in Key scores confirms that some policies
are more progressive than others and are likely to have a more positive effect on the
perceived POF by Digital Natives. Thus, there is an opportunity for the less progressive
businesses, industries and countries to close the gap and improve their appeal to the new
generation of workers and this could lead to improved competitiveness for them. To that,
New Zealand businesses especially should be encouraged to:
a) Look to adopt the more progressive policies that also provide balance between the
business’s and employees’ needs and expectations.
b) Collaborate with similar businesses to produce more generic policies that set
common expectations amongst the wider workforce so that players are competing
on the right things that carry the whole industry (and therefore NZ Inc.) forward, not
on issues that simply serve to entice employee switching, or worse still, fail to
provide appropriate guidelines or encouragement.
c) Publish their policies online so those prospective employees that wish to gauge the
likely POF can do so. This will make the recruitment process more efficient and
should promote the generation of more universal policies over time as the whole
social media movement evolves.

46
6.7.2 Recommendations for Future Research
The research focused on businesses within certain broad industries and then across
countries and determined that differences exist and has offered some potential
explanations as to why. However, further research that samples businesses with a more
distinct global focus and compares them to a sample of businesses with a national focus
may provide further insight as to the differences across industries. A look the
communication costs and capacities across different countries may help to determine
whether these are key factors that contribute to New Zealand’s low score. This research
should be carried out in conjunction with research that helps to identify how much a
nation’s culture influences the setting of social media policies by businesses within that
country.
6.8 Conclusion
As early adopters of technology (Richard et al., 2013), the next generation of workers (and
consumers) will shape the way businesses operate, communicate and collaborate in the
future and will drive business and industry transformation. However, as Digital Natives who
have grown up tethered to technology are used to different ways of knowing and being
(Smith, 2012), they carry different needs, expectations and ways of processing and
socialising information to their predecessors (Prensky, 2001a). Thus businesses and
managers, with a less progressive attitude towards social media, that wish to harness the
competitive advantages that the digital revolution offers, must strike a more pragmatic
balance between the needs of the business and of their workers in order to avoid conflict
(Cho et al., 2013.) and attract and successfully integrate this progressive generation into
places of work. Fortunately, this research has demonstrated that sourcing examples of
progressive social media policies is relatively easy and should be encouraged. Furthermore,
the DHBs’ collaborative approach and relative level of progressiveness, suggests that
increased online socialisation and development of social media policies will assist their
evolution, standardisation and increase their importance to stakeholders and business
performance (Nissen, & Bergin, 2013). Successful integration of Digital Natives into the
workforce is crucial if businesses are to keep pace with the digital revolution and therefore
management must ensure their social media policies are balanced and relevant.

47
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