Editorial "Strategic management and social media: the leading edge"

This volume is a bridge made up by exemplary contributions linking strategic perspectives with the use of social media — the most recent family of technologies that are evolving rapidly and exciting businesses as well as all sectors of society. Social media, defined by Kaplan and Haenlein (2010, p. 61) as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content,” is a term that describes a wide variety of ICTs whose common denominator is the ability to connect users in ways that enable bridging distance, time, and other traditional barriers. Even though several “electronic facilities” have captured both general and business attention, it is clear that a high degree of environmental turbulence or high velocity exists, as both software (e.g., social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Xing, facebook, Google+, Orkut, or MySpace; blogging sites such as Wordpress, Blogspot, or Twitter; personal or organizational rich-media facilities like YouTube, Skype, Spotify, etc.) and hardware platforms (e.g., tablets, smartphones, thinbooks, and other emerging innovations) keep evolving at a very rapid pace. Whatever software or hardware context we may take, social media aims to complement or even replace traditional media and communication, and will be the locomotive via which the World Wide Web evolves during the next decade or so (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010, p. 68)

Editorial "Social Media and Human Resource Management: It Takes Two to Tango"

We believe that the chapters that comprise this volume reveal some of the major conceptual and methodological tensions, paradoxes, and doubts that HRM research and practice currently face with the introduction of social media. Nevertheless, we also see significant support for healthy optimism as it shows the way toward the next phase of social media-enabled HRM research development. The key issues presented in this book lead us to the conclusion that this research is in a transformational stage and is now moving toward crystallizing its theoretical backgrounds and broadening its methodological approaches, as also demonstrated in our previous volum

Social Media in Human Resources Management

We believe that the chapters that comprise this volume reveal some of the major conceptual and methodological tensions, paradoxes, and doubts that HRM research and practice currently face with the introduction of social media. Nevertheless, we also see significant support for healthy optimism as it shows the way toward the next phase of social media-enabled HRM research development. The key issues presented in this book lead us to the conclusion that this research is in a transformational stage and is now moving toward crystallizing its theoretical backgrounds and broadening its methodological approaches, as also demonstrated in our previous volume (Olivas-Luján & Bondarouk, 2013).\u

Editorial "Strategic management and social media: the leading edge"

This volume is a bridge made up by exemplary contributions linking strategic perspectives with the use of social media — the most recent family of technologies that are evolving rapidly and exciting businesses as well as all sectors of society. Social media, defined by Kaplan and Haenlein (2010, p. 61) as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content,” is a term that describes a wide variety of ICTs whose common denominator is the ability to connect users in ways that enable bridging distance, time, and other traditional barriers. Even though several “electronic facilities” have captured both general and business attention, it is clear that a high degree of environmental turbulence or high velocity exists, as both software (e.g., social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Xing, facebook, Google+, Orkut, or MySpace; blogging sites such as Wordpress, Blogspot, or Twitter; personal or organizational rich-media facilities like YouTube, Skype, Spotify, etc.) and hardware platforms (e.g., tablets, smartphones, thinbooks, and other emerging innovations) keep evolving at a very rapid pace. Whatever software or hardware context we may take, social media aims to complement or even replace traditional media and communication, and will be the locomotive via which the World Wide Web evolves during the next decade or so (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010, p. 68)

Practicing Social Innovation: Enactment of the Employee–Organization Relationship by Employees

Purpose The purpose of this conceptual study is to explain the way in which employees influence social innovation in the employee–organization relationship, such as job crafting, i-deals, New World of Work, talent management, or high performance work practices. Methodology/Approach This study applies a practice perspective in order to explain how employees affect their employee–organization relationship and thus influence the outcomes of social innovation. Implications The theoretical exploration suggest that employees can engage in the enactment of the employee–organization relationship in three ways: enacting employment relationships, enacting employment practices, and enacting employment practices’ outcomes. In doing so, they can draw on interpretive schemes, resources, and norms for realizing the benefits of social innovation for themselves and/or their employer. Originality/Value Although organizations have started social innovation initiatives that allow employees to actively shape the employee–organization relationship, existing studies still treat employees as inactive recipients in the relationship with their employer. As a result, it remains unclear how social innovation in employee–organization relationships is implemented in practice and thus, how social innovation provides benefits to the employee and the organization. The originality of this study is its focus on how employees, as (pro-)active constituents, shape the employee–organization relationship, for finding better explanations of the outcomes of social innovation initiatives

Innovating HRM implementation: The influence of organisational contingencies on the HRM role of line managers

Purpose-The social innovation of devolving HRM responsibilities to line managers results in many debates about how well they implement HRM practices. The implementation constraints line managers perceive in their HRM role are researched by taking organisational contingencies into consideration. Design/methodology/approach-We present four case studies in which our findings are based on quantitative and qualitative data from the cases. The qualitative data allow us to explain some of our quantitative results in terms of organisational differences. Findings-The HRM implementation effectiveness as perceived by line managers depends on the line managers' span of control, his/her education level and experience and his/her hierarchical position in the organisation. Each HRM implementation constraint knows additional organisational contingencies. Research limitations/implications-We did not consider possible influences of one organisational characteristic on another, and the effect of this combined effect on the HRM implementation factors. In order to overcome this limitation, we would suggest using a structural equation model (SEM) in future research. Practical implications-This chapter offers HR professionals solutions on how to structure the organisation and design the HRM role of line managers in order to implement HRM practices effectively. Social implications-We see many differences on how HRM implementation is managed in organisations. This chapter offers solutions to policy makers on how to equalise the HRM role of line managers. Originality/value-The focus of this chapter is on the line manager (instead of HR managers) as implementer of HRM and the impact of organisational contingencies on HRM implementation