Reference no: EM131630884

Social media could themselves trigger dramatic organizational changes, as well as creating new channels of communication with regard to other changes. For example, social media are changing the ways in which museums interact with the public, and also how museum staff communicate and work with each other. Dana Allen-Greil and colleagues (2011) argue that, used effectively, social media can further the mission of the organization and foster more agile and collaborative organization cultures. There are many wider cultural, political, and social pressures encouraging openness and collaboration. Social media offer a new set of tools with which organizations can respond to those pressures. Allen-Greil and colleagues studied three museums: the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH); Monticello, a historic house and research institution; and the J. Paul Getty Trust (the Getty). These museums have adopted different approaches to the use of social media. At NMAH, social media contribute to public programming, focusing on education and visitor services, complementing the existing email newsletter, website, and other online communications. At Monticello, the focus lies with relationships building, and in particular on increasing the organization’s “social media outreach.” This means using social media to increase the number of “online visitors.” In contrast, the Getty is using social media to “get off the hill.” The Getty has a reputation for being inaccessible, as it is located on a hill above the 405 freeway, and visitors have to take a quarter-mile tram ride to get up there. Social media thus allow the Getty to “take the collections and programs into the community” and to promote their educational and research work. Sometimes the Best Thing Managers Can Do Is Get Out of the Way Staff who have collaborated on social media projects in these museums have created new channels of communication and new ways of thinking and working with each other. The leadership of these initiatives was mainly “bottom-up,” and did not rely on senior management experts. Allen-Greil and colleagues note that “effective collaboration means staff members need to cross lines traditionally drawn between different working groups, and probably across lines drawn between hierarchical levels within the institution.” Social media may thus lead to flatter hierarchies and “horizontal working.” The study also found that an increased level of online engagement with the public led to an increase in face-to-face conversations among staff. Why? Social media project staff had to meet with colleagues across the organization: human resources, legal department, registrars, publishers, educators. The authors argue: “Social media are pushing us together in a very personal way. New conversations between staff members who have never had any reason to talk before are establishing new relationships and new lines of engagement.” A Perpetually Beta State of Mind Senior managers need to encourage staff to experiment with social media to develop more efficient and effective processes. However, at the Getty, the use of different social media platforms by different groups of staff meant that initiatives were often uncoordinated, and some even competed with each other: “In a large, hierarchical institution, this kind of testing, rapid prototyping, and risk-taking is pushing the boundaries of the usual, highly-controlled content development processes.” Although exciting for staff, spontaneous experimentation may not be sustainable. However, Allen-Greil and colleagues askus to consider: “What would it really be like if we could work in a perpetually beta state of mind? If we could try, fail, and try again? We are closer than you think because it’s already happening at every museum that uses social media.” Now that you have read this case, consider the following questions: 1. In what ways could social media applications contribute to the mission of your organization?