Perceptions and attitudes towards social media use in communication departments of regulatory authorities in Mbabane Eswatini

Abstract

Social media are common channels for organisational communication the world over. This study explores the perceptions and attitudes towards social media that encourage or impede the effective use of such media in communication departments in Mbabane Eswatini. To ascertain this, the researcher undertakes a robust literature review to determine the sources of these perceptions as encapsulated in the problem statement of the study. Thereafter, the researcher thereby conducts an exploratory study on four regulatory authorities in Mbabane Eswatini and uses an open-ended questionnaire to obtain the qualitative data. Additionally, secondary data sources are analysed which include social media pages of the study population, newspapers, reports, research papers, e-books and journals. Summartively the research finds largely positive perceptions towards social media use in regulatory authorities in Mbabane Eswatini with most communication officers taking part in this study regarding social media as beneficial platforms due to their measurability, affordability and wide reach. Furthermore, the study outlines the theory of social media usage further highlighting the growing importance of social media as salient features in the private and organisational lives of present-day societies. As established from the study, social media can be beneficial as they can foster business relationships sorely through virtual interactions as outlined in the literature review. Additionally, social predispositions and organisational norms can influence perceptions and attitudes towards social media use. Over and above the use of these media for organisational communication, they can promote departmental efficiency as expressed by the respondents in this study.