On Air - Finnair Employees in Social Media : New Opportunities of Activism

Abstract

Social media has transformed the way customers and companies communicate with each other. The customer decision journey has changed from a linear sequence to a dynamic series of evaluation cycles. Companies that reach their customers with emotional appeal are often winners.

Employees have not stood still, either, as social media has provided a new medium of activism. Organizations have started to realize both the risks and the opportunities that await them when employees identify themselves publicly with their employer. Some of the pioneering companies that have harnessed the potential of social media have been successful in finding new ways of doing marketing and customer service while empowering their employees.

I researched Finnair employees’ habits and views on social media with an online survey that gained responses from 694 participants. Although the majority of employees were either not active in social media or shared some concerns regarding their privacy, there still were a number of those who were active in sharing content on social media while bringing out their employment with Finnair. Since the survey Finnair has started to promote employee activism in social media, and in particular on the microblogging service Twitter.

Social media may not be for everybody, but assuming more and more employees are adopting new channels, new devices and new abilities, organizations cannot ignore the enormous potential that its employees hold to tint the company image with brilliant colours.