How Royal Darwin Hospital use Facebook and Twitter to enhance their social identity during economic uncertainty

How Royal Darwin Hospital use Facebook and Twitter to enhance their social identity during economic uncertainty

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Institution Affiliation

How Royal Darwin Hospital use Facebook and Twitter to enhance their social identity during economic uncertainty

Introduction

Value creation within the healthcare industry through quality products and services has been an essential factor for enhancing the level of competition of an individual healthcare organization. Similarly, fostering effective social identity has also been an essential aspect of proper market operations. Social identity forms the primary element that gives an individual organization a unique and distinguished view within its environment. An organization’s culture is essential in generating a positive social identity that ensures effective operation within an individual organization’s environment. The Participants within the Australian healthcare industry have to ensure enhanced social identity through the use of different platforms available in the contemporary world including social media.

Social media platforms are highly viewed as essential tools to achieve high self-organization among individual organizations. These platforms help in the transformation of time, human, and space in the real world into big data used in the virtual world. Through this, it ensures the production of high-quality goods and services, which generates and enhances the social identity of individual organizations. Burnasheva, Suh & Villalobos-Moron (2019), asserts that the intense use of technology ensures effective projection and prediction of macroeconomic factors like economic uncertainty

Background of the study

Effective market operations within the Australian healthcare industry require an enhanced social identity regardless of an organization’s status as either public or private facility. Royal Darwin hospital is a public hospital with a capacity of 360-bed space (Royal Darwin Hospital, 2020). The organization is located within the northern territory of Australia and has been the largest healthcare provider within the region with a wide variety of services in all specialty areas. The organization employs more than 1500 individuals within its ranks (Royal Darwin Hospital, 2020. The organization’s marketing operations involve both traditional and contemporary marketing techniques with intense use of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Social media dominates and dictates several proceedings in the contemporary world. Almost half of the world’s population is frequent users of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In the United States, almost 80% of internet users heavily use social media platforms (Adam, 2020). Similarly, 71% of Australians use Facebook (Adam, 2020). The rate of growth witnessed in social media usage on an annual basis is 5.6% (Adam, 2020). These sites form the primary platforms that are used by the millennial generation in ensuring effective social integration. Business organizations from different sectors including the healthcare sector use social media in generating insights, stimulating demand, and creation of new products that satisfy the existing consumer demands. However, these platforms form the primary grounds that perpetuate cyberbullying and cybersecurity challenges. Though such challenges discredit the effectiveness of these social media platforms in ensuring effective social integration of all stakeholders involved within an organization, still social media platforms dominate social identity operations within the contemporary world.

Research questions, objectives, and Purposes

The business environment in the contemporary world is highly volatile in which individual organizations have to put in place a robust system and procedures that can generate an effective response to the different challenges faced like economic uncertainty. Similarly, the concept of social identity has emerged as an essential tool in fostering effective competition among individual organizations as well as ensuring the general wellbeing of individual employees through enhanced human resource practices. In consideration of all these the primary purpose of this study is to discern how Royal Darwin Hospital utilizes Facebook and twitter in enhancing its social identity during economic uncertainty.

Research objectives

• To extensively examine the concept of social identity and its impacts on the stage for business operation in the contemporary world
• To analyze the significance of Facebook and twitter in establishing and enhancing an individual organist ion’s social identity
• To discern the different techniques used by Royal Darwin Hospital in generating and establishing its social identity
• To discern how effective are Royal Darwin Hospital’s human resource management strategy in generating social recognition among individual employees
• To analyze how Royal Darwin Hospital is using its Facebook and twitter during economic uncertainty

Research questions

1. What impact does social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have in the manner in which businesses operate in the contemporary world?
2. What are the different techniques utilized by Royal Darwin Hospital in establishing and enhancing its social identity as well as that of its stakeholders?

• Are Facebook and twitter effective tools for enhancing an organization’s social identity during economic uncertainty?

Literature Review

How large companies establish their social identity

Kuo & Hou (2017), defines social identity as an individual’s of who they are based on their group membership. Thus, social identity can be from the organization’s side, or from individual stakeholders. Kuo & Hou (2017), observes that organization utilize several techniques in acquiring their social recognition. Some of these include the use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and socially responsible Human Resource Management (SR-HRM). Corporate social responsibility entails the formulation and use of viable policies that take into account the impact that an individual organization’s activities have on its stakeholders. The stakeholders considered in this case include the community in which the company carries out its operations and the employees (Wood, Berger & Roberts, 2017). Corporate social responsibility gives an organization the opportunity to increase its brand awareness to relevant stakeholders as well as the opportunity to increase brand loyalty among individual consumers.

On the other hand, socially responsible human resource management entails policies that are directed to ensure the social wellbeing of individual employees. SR-HRM is essential in motivating individual employees within the organization, which goes all the way to quality goods and services in the form of enhanced customer relations (Kuo & Hou, 2017; Reiche, Harzing & Pudelko, 2017). These are essential in creating a long-lasting social mark and effective competition. Some other SR-HRM include appropriate recruitment of competent staff members as well as the use of robust training regimes that ensure they are highly equipped in handling the several emerging challenges in the contemporary world, in relation to, consumer tastes and preferences as well as increased competition.

Ambrose, Matthews & Rutherford (2018), also posits that human resource management in the contemporary world does not only ensure effective competition by enhancing the competency of individual employees but also focus on generating an organization’s social identity and social exchange since the employees are the primary social agents of an individual organization. Thus, the building blocks of social exchange theory in the form of high commitment and high performance have a significant influence on the level of social commitment of an individual employee.

On the same note, the social identity theory asserts that individual employees will only want to be identified as part of an organization if socially the organization has a good reputation. Rather & Camilleri (2019), asserts that such a reputation enhance the self-esteem of employees.  Through the use of SR-HRM that has a well-structured corporate social responsibility that benefits the external stakeholders increases the positive reputation of an organization in its external environment. It makes employees feel proud to be part of the organization, an effect that spreads to the social environment and consequently the organization establishes a social identity. Sieger et al., (2016), asserts that though such gestures provide an avenue that individual organizations can use to establish social identity within the community, maintenance of such an identity in the long term requires a robust and well-planned operational framework that balances the cost-effectiveness of each operation. Therefore, the study recommended the use of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) in managing employees through proper motivational techniques like a person-based remuneration system as well as a robust training framework among others.

Uzuegbunam (2016), also asserts that the social exchange theory is essential in explaining the reciprocal behaviors of employees as primary ambassadors of an individual organization. Enhanced human resource management practices may help employees in acquiring and developing enhanced organizational identification. It is essential in triggering positive reciprocal behaviors that benefit the organization within its social environment. Enhanced social exchange framework between employees and their organizations always renders individual employees with the obligation of socially enhancing the organization’s operations within the community. Thus, individual organizations establish their social identity within the community.

Wang, Yuan & Wu (2017), defines corporate social responsibility as the promotion of social good beyond the immediate expectation of an organization together with their internal stakeholders as well as beyond the social good that is required by the law. Therefore, the study proposes two forms of corporate social responsibility. These include external CSR and internal CSR.  External CSR are the specific operations channeled to enhance the social good within the external environment of an organization they may include activities directed to positively impact the consumer’s experience with the organization and those directed to address environmental issues as well as local community issues lack inadequate social amenities. Some environmental conscious investments involved in external CSR activities include pollution prevention and ecological initiatives focused on enhancing the natural environment for sustainable growth aimed at benefiting the future generation.

On the other hand, internal CSR are operations channeled to enhance the social wellbeing of employees and other internal stakeholders involved in the organization. Lasrado & Arora (2018), supports the two forms of CSR advanced by Wang, Yuan & Wu (2017), but states that the external CSR is the most beneficial form of CSR as it has a direct impact to the external environment hence allow the company to gain instant social identity. The internal CSR used the employees as an intermediary in generating social identity. Bals & Tate (2018) and Banks, Kepes, Joshi & Seers (2016), also asserts that the long term impacts of external CSR ensures easy maintenance of established social identity and require relatively low use of strategies as it generates an instant emotional attachment from the social environment. However, social identity generated from internal CSR requires robust strategies that can be effective in its maintenance into the future.

How big companies establish and enhance their social identity using Facebook and Twitter

The emergence of several technological innovations and inventions in the contemporary world has rendered the traditional one-way marketing obsolete. Through this, individual companies have to use a two-way-interchange framework to ensure effective marketing operations. Several social media platforms are primarily designed to promote a two-way-interchange communication system that is heavily utilized by a significant number of large corporations in the contemporary world (Tiago, Tiago, Faria & Couto, 2016). Through this, several studies have examined the effectiveness of social media as part of a company’s brand’s marketing scheme while others have studied the effectiveness of these platforms in soliciting an organization’s social identity as well as enhancing it. On the same note, other studies have also examined the chronological developments in the application for social media in enhancing an organization’s social presence.

Nevin et al., (2017), Posits that the linking of hypertext tech to the Internet in the 1990s initiated the use of the World Wide Web. Similarly, the realization of a common worldwide foundation through this ensured the establishment of networked communication. The emergence of web 2.0 in the early 2000s resulted in social media. Web 2.0 comprises of two features, which are social media and microcontent. Phua, Jin & Kim (2017), asserts that microcontent is made of pieces of contents that express a primary idea. They may be in the form of comments, blog posts, and small images. On the other hand, social media also known as social software is an organized platform with the primary objective of connecting individuals. Microcontent generated by different users creates a page of shared interest among the users, which helps them bond with one another.

Mousavi, Roper & Keeling (2017), performed a study to analyze the tendency of consumers to socially identify themselves with particular brands in relation to products or companies. The study asserts that consumption is essential in helping individuals establish an identity for themselves and for others within the community, especially in the apparel industry as well as the food and beverage industry. Thus, the consumption of popular culture helps individual consumers acquire social status and social placement. The study observed that the generation of a strong online presence gives individual consumers the room for enhancing their social identity based on an individual organization’s enhanced social identity (Mousavi, Roper & Keeling, 2017). The increased social identity as a result of strong social media presence for both consumers and an individual organization also results from promised functionality and perceived symbolic benefits especially from a company to a consumer. Due to all these the social media has matured into the primary channel used for regular interaction among stakeholders involved within an organization, which helps in developing a brand-customer relationship, a concrete recipe for developing an organization’s social identity. Social media platforms like Facebook and twitter have ensured brand-customer interaction beyond the point of sale into virtual interchange.

There are several opportunities that individual organizations generate from the use of social media platforms as their main marketing tool. First of these opportunities is the combination of different marketing strategies to ensure effective marketing operations (Wang, 2017). Some of these strategies include outbound marketing activities like dissemination of promotional messages and inbound marketing activities like receiving consumer feedback instantly. The interaction between these activities helps in achieving an optimized balance of promotion. Secondly, the viral chatter and exposure individual organizations gain from the use of social media platforms like Facebook and twitter helps them capitalize on potential connections, consequently establishing a strong brand-customer relationship with the communities involved (Wang, 2017; Fujita, Harrigan & Soutar, 2018). Thirdly, the social ties that exist between the brand-customer relationship initiate a framework for exchanging resources like shared vision and trust. All these opportunities are essential for an individual company to establish a social identity. Large corporations operating in different countries always use social media platforms like Facebook and twitter in enhancing their social identity. Observes that they primarily use these platforms in updating their consumers of the different internal CSR and external CSR the company engages in and those under their plans.

Kane & Levina (2017), identifies Facebook and twitter to be essential tools used by companies in executing their viral marketing operations. Viral marketing involves getting individual consumers to pass along an individual company’s marketing messages to their family, friends, and colleagues. Through this, they initiate a web circulation facilitated by these two social media platforms. Viral marketing has been in existence outside the internet within the form for the word of mouth, which is still utilized today. However, the application of social media in this regard ensure organizations reach a significant number of targeted consumers and members of the community. Therefore, it generates instant social identity recognition. Burnasheva, Suh & Villalobos-Moron (2019), also observe that word of mouth (WoM) has evolved with time and has since assumed an electronic form through the use of social media as eWoM. Urbach & Röglinger (2019), also have a similar observation and advance that though virtual communication cannot replace the internal assurance of face-to-face communication, it is effective in responding to changes in consumer behavior.

Carmeli, Brammer, S., Gomes & Tarba (2017), assert that the millennial generation forms a significant number of current consumers in which organizations have to consider every element involved in their consumption patterns. Millennial generation comprises individuals born between the 1980s to 2000s. One key characteristic among individuals in this specific generation is that they were born and raised in an error of intense use of technology. Through this, they derive a significant share of their utility from technologically enhanced systems and processes. Through this, the millennial perceive that communication is conveniently available and it is instant and obstacles like geographical locations and time are never in existence. Fatma, Ruiz, Khan & Rahman (2020), also asserts that the emergence of generation y and generation z as a powerful market segment has changed the nature of business operations as technology has become part of effective systems and procedures. Through this, these two generations heavily utilize social media platforms as a means of acquiring emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Carmeli, Brammer, S., Gomes & Tarba (2017), Characterize the millennials as digital natives and classify them into “generation we” and “generation me” given the shared platforms in which they derive their self-esteem and confidence. Individual organizations operating in the contemporary world’s business landscape marred with several uncertainties have to ensure they increase their presence within the available social media platforms since these platforms are gradually growing to be the future market places. This also provides individual organizations with an opportunity of establishing and enhancing their social identity within the community.

Arora e al., (2019), assert that the fourth industrial revolution has significant impacts on the specific procedures and processes involve among several organizations including the level of establishment and enhancement of social identity. Some of the characteristics closely associated with the fourth industrial revolution include oblique future, intense use of mobile internet, as well as the use of smaller, cheaper, and stronger sensors and intense use of machine learning and artificial technology. The majority of these can be seen from the different social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Through all these, the fourth industrial revolution can be viewed as revolutionary change that heavily depends on technologically enhanced systems and processes. Buskey, Goel & Cain (2019), also supports the definition advanced by Arora et al. (2019), in relation to intense use of technological systems and processes by advancing that the current systems and procedures within an individual business are anchored on the internet of things (IoT) and cyber-physical systems (CPSs). These include operations like high adaptation to human needs, new systems in supply chain management, and different approaches in conceiving, planning, and executing CSR.

The use of social media platforms in carrying out different activities results in an open innovation system that further fuel the emergence for the new systems, or structures, and procedures that increase uncertainty within an individual business’ environment. The contemporary world requires high self-organization for a proper and effective response to uncertainty. Buskey, Goel & Cain (2019), identifies the self-organization process among companies consists of different elements. (a) digital transformation from the real world to the virtual world; (b) the use of artificial intelligence in processing big data; (c) transformation of estimations from the real world to the virtual world.  Through these, self-organization creates value by taking into consideration the psychological needs, safety needs, and social needs of individual stakeholders.

Reactions during economic uncertainty

Economic agents always face uncertain situations in which confusion arises over the best course of action that can create value for all stakeholders involved. Urbach & Röglinger (2019), economic uncertainty is a normal occurrence given the impact that factors like inflation and rising interest rates as well as reduced consumer power have on the decision making the process of an individual business. Through this, Arora et al., (2019), developed a six-step decision-making model that individual organizations can adopt to ensure effective decision making during uncertainty. The first step in the model involves the identification of objectives. This requires individual organizations involved to consider its primary objectives like maximizing the value of cash flow or maximizing profits. Some of these objectives require quantification, a process referred to as objective function by Urbach & Röglinger (2019). The second stage in this decision framework involves the determination of possible action options. The process entails analyzing the available courses of action from several alternatives before arriving at a concrete plan of action that can ensure the survival and profitability of the organization.

The third step involves the identification of the unique characteristics that exist within the environment during such times. Specifically, this process entails the identification of unique factors that are beyond the control of an individual decision-maker. In several cases, these are primarily macroeconomic factors like political and legislations as well as changes in demographic structures. The fourth stage involved in the decision-making model is the identification of possible outcomes. Different courses of action always result in diverse outcomes. Some of these outcomes are quite compatible with the objectives and goals of an individual farm (Arora et al., 2019). Similarly, some of these outcomes are also essential in evading the challenges presented by the macroeconomic factors, which are beyond a company’s control. The next step involves measuring earnings. The objective-functions set earlier is critical in this stage as it helps an individual company choose the best alternatives among the available options. The last step involves the selection of one course of action that can be utilized by an individual company during such economic uncertainty.

Through all these, studies have adequately covered the concepts involved within the effectiveness for the social media platforms to individual corporations like Rio Tinto. The majority of studies agree that social media platforms like Facebook and twitter have immensely enhanced the marketing operations of individual companies as well as their attempt of establishing and enhancing their social identity. The two-way communication channel advanced by these platforms has been quite helpful in transforming several systems and procedures involved in an individual business. However, the concept of how individual organizations use social media platforms to enhance their social identity during economic uncertainty has not been adequately covered. This study will look to contribute to the few works of literature that have been advanced in this regard. The study will concentrate on two social media platforms, which are Facebook and Twitter.

Questions for research survey

The following research survey questions have been designed in consideration of the Royal Darwin Hospital management team and individual employees as the primary respondents to the survey.

• For how long have you been working with the company?
• What is your current position within the company?
• Are you familiar with the term social identity?
• What is your general view of social identity within Royal Darwin Hospital
• Can you please elaborate on the different techniques that you feel is used by the company to establish and enhance its social identity
• Do you think the company uses its Facebook and Twitter pages in establishing and enhancing its social identity?
• Are you proud of the existing systems and procedures within the organization?
• Can you act as the company’s ambassador within your community?
• Can you promote the company’s products and services virtually through the use of your social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter?
• On a scale of 1 to 10 can you rank the existing perception of the company’s brand within your community?

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