Current issues in information technology

Current Issues in Information Technology Project Use of social media in business of the overall aims of the research Internet hasbecome one of the integral tools used in everyday life communication, registering an increase in usage in the last couple of years (Qualman, 2012; Barnes et al., 2009). The focus of this research will be to highlight the evolution of marketing strategies within businesses as it relates to communication based on the influence of social media. This research focuses on the fact that all companies in the current society whether small or big sized, requires social media services for the purposes of adapting their business models to the competition within the market (Zappalà and Gray, 2006; Zarrella, 2009). The study will analyze and evaluate the impact of social media on business performance. In this case, the social media provides a platform for doing business where business companies can reach greater market and make their products and services visible on the global scale. The invention enables all companies to reach target market at minimized costs, therefore providing opportunity for competition on an equal footing for small sized businesses (Gilmore and Altan-Erdem, 2008; Baker and Hart, 2007; Barker et al., 2013).
Objectives
i. To examine the concept of social media strategies in business processes
ii. To evaluate the impact of social media on business operations
iii. To assess the effects of social media in relation to business to business and e-commerce in general
iv. To identify the extent to which organizations use social media as a platform for gaining competitive advantage within the market
Data sources
The overall research design for this study will be more descriptive in nature applying semi-structured interviews and surveys to solicit information from participants (Bryman and Bell, 2011; Strauss and Corbin, 1998). Primary research will include semi-structured interviews with business managers from different departments such as sales and marketing. Secondary research will be used in the analysis of company policies and providing background on organizations under study. At the same time, the method will examine information communication technology evolution within the corporate sector (Wilkinson, 2003; Kuter and Yilmaz, 2001; Patton, 2002).
Brief Timeline
Time (Week)
Activity
1-5 weeks
Desk research
5th -7th Week
Fieldwork
8th week
Availing both qualitative and desk research reports
9th week
Development of the questionnaire
10th week
Pilot
11th week
Pilot debriefing
12th -13th week
Quantitative stage
13th -14th week
Coding and data preparation
14th week
Analysis
16th week
Compiling of the report
17th -19th week
Presentation of the final report
References
Baker, M., & Hart, S. 2007. The Marketing Book. London: Routledge.
Barker, M., Barker, D., Borman, N., & Neher, K. 2013. Social Media Marketing: A strategic approach. Connecticut: South-Western CENGAGE Learning
Barnes, C., Blake, H., & Pinder, D. 2009. Creating & Delivering your Value Proposition. Kogan Publishers: London
Bryman, A., & Bell, E. 2011. Business Research Methods. Oxford: OUP
Gilmore, W., & Altan-Erdem, S. 2008. The Future Of Online Internet Marketing: A Solution To Behavioral Marketing Using Biometrics. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 6. 2 (2), 23-26.
Kuter, U., & Yilmaz, C. 2001. Survey Methods: Questionnaires and Interviews. University
of Maryland, Maryland, USA.
Patton, M . 2002. Qualitative research and evaluation methods. 3rd ed. Sage Publications, California
Qualman, E. 2012. Socialnomics – how social media transforms the way we live and do business. John Wiley & sons, Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Cambridge, McGraw Hill
Wilkinson, D. 2003. Using Research Instruments: A Toolkit for Researchers. Routledge Farmer
Zappalà, S., & Gray, C. 2006. Impact of e-commerce on consumers and small firms. Ashgate Publishing Group, Aldershot, UK
Zarrella, D. 2009. The social media marketing book. O’ Reilly Media, Inc. Sebastopol, California