Introduction
Corporate Social Responsibility is concerned with the relationship between society and business. A recent development in business, it evolved in response to the need for business organisations to act and conduct business responsibly for sustainable development. A business exists to make profit. That however is not the sole aim and so it does not operate for profit making alone. It is part of a society and is expected to make its contributions towards the development of that society.
Social responsibility is important because it affects every person in the society, directly or indirectly. The stakeholders consist of government, employees, customers, shareholders and local communities, among others. That is why it is necessary for individuals and groups to monitor the activities of business organisations; this is for them to know if social responsibility is being carried out and if activities of the business have a negative impact on society.
Digital Literacy is the process of using technological tools in a web 2.0 web environment. These tools include among others; blogs, RSS Feeds, social book marking, social networking, maps, locative media, mobile phones and other hand held devices.
The aim of this research is to find out the impact of digital literacy on social responsibility, its benefits and possible challenges.
Blogging
Blogging can be used in Corporate Social Responsibility as a tool for communication. It can improve the flow and speed of communication and save time because it creates the opportunity for increased participation among stakeholders, between stakeholders and organisations; it encourages the creation and exchange of information and feedback. It saves the time that would have been used in physical movement from one destination to another to get information across. It is also a very convenient source of information. This is because blogs can be accessed/viewed from any location, as long as there is a broadband, using hand held devices and mobile phones.
A blog is a portfolio of sorts. Since it is a journal, daily activities, including pictures can be posted. It helps to keep detailed records of an organisation’s activities and can be viewed by anyone that may want to trace records.Stakeholders are given the opportunity to express their feelings about an organisation’s corporate social responsibility programs and make comments. These comments can be positive or negative, helping the organisation to know what the feelings of the stakeholders are. It can also give the organisation different perspectives of its programs, based on comments received and those perspectives can be used to change or modify a program and increase performance.
Stakeholders are given the opportunity to make faster decisions concerning business organisations based on published information from such organisations. This is important because sometimes organisations claim to be involved in social responsibility projects that are not actually carried out. These blogs can therefore serve as a check, because those supposed beneficiaries can make comments denying such claims and present the true information. Organisations can therefore be rewarded or penalised by stakeholders, depending on their performance and responsibility. “Research has shown that a company that fulfils its social responsibility can improve its profits in the long run.” (Thorne, Ferell and Ferell, 2008).
People can spend a lot of time searching for blogs and may end up taking too much time carrying out activities that might not be productive. Sometimes blogs may require the use of passwords and this can limit the number of individuals and groups that may want to participate. It means that an organisation will get to choose the participants that will be involved in its blogging process. This may have negative implications because it is an indication that comments may not necessarily be objective and honest since those participants may feel loyal to the organisation and therefore feel obliged to make only comments that will promote them. The blog might therefore not be a true representation of a situation.
RSS Feeds and Social Book marking
Corporate Social Responsibility activities generate an additional cost for an organisation. Since organisations try to maximise profits while minimising cost, using strategy is usually part of the planning process. Having a strategic Corporate Social Responsibility plan involves being able to communicate activities effectively. Social bookmaking will make that possible because it will give the most current information about an organisation at a very fast rate. It is cost effective because it saves an organisation the additional cost of having to use costly advertising strategies and human resources. It also serves as a form of advert which can also increase an organisation's customer base.Social bookmaking can be useful in Corporate Social Responsibility where organisations can use them as a forum to enable stakeholders share and save information concerning their activitieswhen they subscibe for feeds. It can help organisations to know how popular their sites and their activities have been so that they can improve. It can increase the number of people that visit an organisations’ website which can also increase patronage of such an organisation. Organisations can share ideas and partner with other organisations in the same field or those who share similar interest, to promote themselves and the society at large. It provides a forum for organisations and stakeholders to share and exchange ideas.RSS helps an organisation to be more specific about its activities, place them in categories and make it more organised and easier to see and know the specific activities that they have been involved with and the exact areas that are covered. This is important because right now, some of the important areas of Corporate Social Responsibility attention are environmental issues, standard products, employee issues and charity. When stakeholders are aware of an organisation's involvement in such areas, it can result in an increased customer base for the organisation.
A business will be able to display quality information in a unique style, giving the organisation the chance to inform stakeholders of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities. This ensures that stakeholders do not have a wrong perception of an organisation, and also ensures that its activities are known. This is important because it can determine an organisations customer base. It gives organisations a chance to compare with other organisations in the same field who may share similar interest to see how they can improve on their activities.
Stakeholders save the time and the stress of otherwise having to search for information manually on the net. It automatically updates and shows the most recent information, constantly keeping stakeholders informed on the Corporate Social Responsibility activities undertaken by organisations.
Social networking
Socialising was for a long time only a physical activity. The advent of information technology and the web has brought about a new dimension to socialising and networking. The web has become a major information provider. It has also become a new kind of environment, creating a base for a variety of other activities to take place. Social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, LinkedIn exist, some multipurpose and others single purpose sites. According to CSR Wire News, a majority of Americans identify the internet as their top source of information. Most people use blogs and social networking sites that are not directly linked to organisations to get information on such organisations’ Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Their rationale being that they want to get objective information from sources that cannot be influenced by such organisations. (CSR Wire News, 2007).
Stakeholders can use social network sites to form pressure groups that can advocate for addressing of issues of societal concern. This is because they have access to a huge number of people on the net. This can have grave implications for an organization because stakeholders can form opinions of organizations’ from a combination of factors including other stakeholders’ experiences. This information can spread at a very fast rate which means good or bad information can travel fast with positive or negative outcomes for the organisation as the case may be. Stakeholders are also given an additional variety of information source apart from an organisations’ annual and audit reports.
Social networking sites empower customers, making them better informed and aware. These consumers want to be heard, and would want to make their contributions towards finding a solution for themselves and the society at large. Some stakeholders may be aware of activities that are detrimental to an organization that the organization itself may not be aware of, such forums present an opportunity for the organization to have that knowledge and act on it. Organizations can gain from these comments and concerns from consumers and other stakeholders because it results in a large pool of resources of different views and needs of stakeholders. This feedback can be used for better performance, if organizations learn to listen. Organizations can also use this to their advantage by providing a neutral opportunity for communicating with stakeholders through the use of social networking sites for open discussions. Social networking sites can therefore act as vehicles for fast exchange and flow of information between stakeholders and organisations.
CSR used to be entirely up to a company to decide and for the society to accept. This led to some CSR programs that were not successfully implemented because they were not in harmony with community needs. Social networking creates an exchange of information forum which means that stakeholders and organisations will be more in tune with each other. There is a higher tendency for programs to be successful because stakeholders are involved directly from the beginning to the end, there is the sense of ownership and so they would want to support and participate towards its successful implementation.
Companies are forced to perform better because social networking sites provide a fast way of finding out if they are not. Most organisations are forced to be transparent, honest and committed.
Maps and Locative Media
Maps were initially available in printed form only. Technology and the Internet have changed that. Maps are now available on the net and that means that they can be accessed from any location as long as there is a connection and a device. Maps are important because they provide information which helps people to from an opinion or an impression of a place.
Maps used to be designed and labelled by cartographers and it used to be an entirely professional task. Locative media however makes it possible for anyone that is interested in using them to gain access. The internet maps provide an avenue for individuals and groups to place mark locations and add information based on their experiences or thoughts of such locations using text, pictures or audio. It provides an avenue for interaction between people themselves and these locations and also provides different style options of mapping locations for use.
Accessibility to maps has been increased. Maps used to be limited to libraries and could only be viewed or used with permission for a short period of time. Now you don’t need permission to view them because they are available on the net.Maps can help to change the way people perceive and treat their environment because mapping increases people’s sense of ownership of the environment and influences the way they live. It can be useful as a communication tool because information is created, exchanged and feedback gotten, using maps. It can also be used to give directions of locations.
Locative media involves the use of a combination of technological tools like Global Positioning Systems, Google maps, Geographic Information system, mobile phones, lap tops and other mobile devices in physical places and locations to generate content which can be audio or visual about that location and is linked to the net. It provides a forum for generation of content, forming relationships, sharing information, getting feedback, analysing, making comparison and general social interactions.It creates the opportunity to cut across borders and combine the physical and virtual environment, creating an entirely new environment from the mix; it provides detailed information about a location which would otherwise not be immediately obvious.
Organisations adopt a strategic approach to Corporate Social Responsibility partly because of its cost implication to business. In corporate social responsibility, relevant, accurate and timely information is essential for both the organisation and the stakeholders. Locative media makes this possible.It is useful for giving instructions for directions to locations and tracing routes; comparing between alternatives to get the most useful and timely option in getting to a destination. A company can make different maps of its products and services, its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, also in various categories, which makes it easier for stakeholders to find.
Locative media makes it possible to have more detailed information which includes pictures, audio and which can also be instant, using mobile phones and devices.It is easy for finding and tracking locations and addresses; it can be used to estimate distance and time from one location to another and it is also useful for getting instant first hand information directly from source which can be very useful in clearing doubts. It makes it possible for people to become generators of content, sharing and exchanging the information generated.
Place marks and voice messages give private opinions which may not necessarily give a true picture or give misleading information. An individual may therefore make decisions based on another person’s private experience.
It replaces physical activities and interactions among people, which has its unique benefits.It can make people dependent on technology and it may make people lazy both mentally and physically.It reduces the uniqueness of cartography and the professionalism attached to it.
Conclusion
The aim of this project was to examine the relationship between digital literacy and corporate social responsibility. Various technology tools were used which included blogs, RSS Feeds, Social book marking, Social networking, maps and locative media.
From the examination, digital literacy is useful in Corporate Social Responsibility as a communication tool for stakeholders and organisations because it provides easy access and variety. Since CSR involves almost everyone directly or indirectly, everyone should be able to find one tool or the other that works for them.
Digital literacy seems to have limitless possibilities. It largely depends on the user; meaning that the tools are available and so it is up to the user and what the users’ needs are at a particular moment. Knowing this, stakeholders and organisations can manipulate them to suit whatever purpose they want. These tools can be mashed up to create another tool for a unique or combination of different purposes.
It provides an opportunity for everyone to participate and become a creator of content; it also provides an avenue for having and managing relationships on line, sometimes with stakeholders and organisations of shared interest and other times not necessarily.
Digital literacy tools can be used with mobile phones and other hand held devices. This makes it very convenient and cheap for organisations. It also provides an opportunity for sharing views, widening networks, links and having a bigger pool of resources with less effort, while having fun.
It is worthy of note that it is very fast evolving. It is therefore very important to be constantly updated so that one can maximise the opportunities available.
Users have to be time conscious while using these tools so as to effectively manage time.
It reduces physical activity which has its own unique benefits among which is physically and mentally active and fit.
Users also need to use critical analyse skills to evaluate information to ensure they get the objective information available.
It is also necessary for individuals and groups to be aware of the limitations/ involved in the use of these tools; which I have enumerated above so as to achieve the most from their use.
References
Boyd, D. M. and Ellison, N. B. (2007) Social Network Sites: Definition, History and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. [online]. Vol.13(1).available: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html[31 August 2008].
CSR Wire . Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire (2008) TIG blog. Communication Generation Gap. [online] 25 August 2008.Available: http://www.tigblog.org/group/csrwire/ [31 August 2008].
CSR Wire .The corporate social responsibility News (2007) Americans continue to define Corporate Social Responsibility As Treating Employees Well. [online] 6 December 2007. Available: http://www.csrwire.com/News/8871.html/ [31 August 2008].
GeoGrafitti Voice Mark the World (2008) [online]. Available: http://www.geograffiti.com/ 1 September 2008.
PR Newswire. United Business Media. (2008) PR Newswire Creates Social Network for CSR Experts. Industry-leading ProfNet service to become interactive forum on Corporate Social Responsibility issues [online] 4 February 2008. Available: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/31696/ [31 August 2008].
Thorne, D.M., Ferell, O.C. and Ferell, L. (2008) Business and society; A Strategic Approach to Social Responsibility 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Urban Tapestries/ Social Tapestries (2008) Public Authoring in the wireless city [online] 07th April 2008. Available: http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Furbantapestries.net%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFrqEzcOrRjngiLjf5y5Y2XVA-iEJ6RBmQ 1 September 2008.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Friday, 5 September 2008
Maps/Locative Media and Corporate Social Responsibility
Every week reveals new possibilities in Digital Literacy and I find it quite amazing that these technological tools have been in existence for a while now with me having no idea about them. I feel very pleased with myself for taking this course. I feel more aware, informed and better equipped to make meaningful contributions. Digital literacy seems to have limitless possibilities. I think it largely depends on the user; meaning that the tools are available and so it is up to the user and what the users’ needs are at a particular moment. Knowing this, one can manipulate them to suit whatever purpose one wants. It is also interesting that one can mash up these technologies to create another tool for a unique or combination of different purposes.
I feel that digital literacy is very useful for individuals and groups because it provides variety. With that, everyone should be able to find one tool or the other that works for them. It is worthy of note that it is very fast evolving. It is therefore very important to be constantly updated so that one can maximise the opportunities available. This week’s tools which are the map and locative media are very interesting. I have always thought of maps as having just two uses; getting directions and storing records, but I find it very interesting that apart from the fact that they are no longer only in printed form but are available on line; they can be tagged, marked or edited with so many other uses to it. Another point is the multi use of mobile phones which are increasingly making it possible to create a new kind of space from the combination of physical and virtual environments. It has indeed been a very interesting week for me.
Maps were initially available in printed form only. Technology and the Internet have changed that. Maps are now available on the net and that means that they can be accessed from any location as long as there is a connection and a device. Maps are important because they provide information which helps people to from an opinion or an impression of a place.
Maps used to be designed and labelled by cartographers and it used to be an entirely professional task. Locative media however makes it possible for anyone that is interested in using them to gain access. The internet maps provide an avenue for individuals and groups to place mark locations and add information based on their experiences or thoughts of such locations using text, pictures or audio. It provides an avenue for interaction between people themselves and these locations and also provides different styles options of mapping locations.
It increases accessibility to maps which used to be limited to libraries and could only be viewed or used with permission for a short period of time. Now you don’t need permission to view them.
It can help to change the way people perceive their environment because mapping increases people’s sense of ownership of the environment and influences the way they live. It helps to merge the physical and the virtual environment; it is convenient, timely and can be useful as a communication tool. It can also be used to give directions.
Locative media involves the use of a combination of technological tools like Global Positioning Systems, Google maps, Geographic Information system, mobile phones, lap tops and other mobile devices in physical places and locations to generate content which can be audio or visual about that location and is linked to the net. It provides a forum for generation of content, forming relationships, sharing information, getting feedback, analysing, making comparison and general social interactions
It creates the opportunity to cut across borders and combine the physical and virtual environment, creating an entirely new environment from the mix; it provides detailed information about a location which would otherwise not be immediately obvious.
Organisations adopt a strategic approach to Corporate Social Responsibility partly because of its cost implication to business. In corporate social responsibility, relevant, accurate and timely information is essential for both the organisation and the stakeholders. Locative media makes this possible.
It is useful for giving instructions for directions and tracing routes, comparing between alternatives to get the most useful and timely option in getting to a destination.
It can be useful for finding activities or services. Corporate Social Responsibility has different areas and maps can be marked putting these areas in different categories which makes it easier to find.
It is easy for finding and tracking locations and addresses; it can be used to estimate distance and time from one location to another and it is also useful for getting instant information directly from source.
It makes it possible for people to become generators of content, share and exchange the information generated.
A company can make different maps of its products and services, its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, also in various categories, which makes it easier for stakeholders to find.
It gives a more detailed information which includes pictures, audio and which can also be instant, using mobile phones.
Place marks and voice messages give private opinions which may not necessarily give a true picture or give misleading information. An individual may therefore make decisions based on another person’s private experience.
It replaces physical activities and interactions among people, which has its unique benefits.
It makes people dependent on technology and it may make people lazy both mentally and physically.
It reduces the uniqueness of cartography and the professionalism attached to it.
I feel that digital literacy is very useful for individuals and groups because it provides variety. With that, everyone should be able to find one tool or the other that works for them. It is worthy of note that it is very fast evolving. It is therefore very important to be constantly updated so that one can maximise the opportunities available. This week’s tools which are the map and locative media are very interesting. I have always thought of maps as having just two uses; getting directions and storing records, but I find it very interesting that apart from the fact that they are no longer only in printed form but are available on line; they can be tagged, marked or edited with so many other uses to it. Another point is the multi use of mobile phones which are increasingly making it possible to create a new kind of space from the combination of physical and virtual environments. It has indeed been a very interesting week for me.
Maps were initially available in printed form only. Technology and the Internet have changed that. Maps are now available on the net and that means that they can be accessed from any location as long as there is a connection and a device. Maps are important because they provide information which helps people to from an opinion or an impression of a place.
Maps used to be designed and labelled by cartographers and it used to be an entirely professional task. Locative media however makes it possible for anyone that is interested in using them to gain access. The internet maps provide an avenue for individuals and groups to place mark locations and add information based on their experiences or thoughts of such locations using text, pictures or audio. It provides an avenue for interaction between people themselves and these locations and also provides different styles options of mapping locations.
It increases accessibility to maps which used to be limited to libraries and could only be viewed or used with permission for a short period of time. Now you don’t need permission to view them.
It can help to change the way people perceive their environment because mapping increases people’s sense of ownership of the environment and influences the way they live. It helps to merge the physical and the virtual environment; it is convenient, timely and can be useful as a communication tool. It can also be used to give directions.
Locative media involves the use of a combination of technological tools like Global Positioning Systems, Google maps, Geographic Information system, mobile phones, lap tops and other mobile devices in physical places and locations to generate content which can be audio or visual about that location and is linked to the net. It provides a forum for generation of content, forming relationships, sharing information, getting feedback, analysing, making comparison and general social interactions
It creates the opportunity to cut across borders and combine the physical and virtual environment, creating an entirely new environment from the mix; it provides detailed information about a location which would otherwise not be immediately obvious.
Organisations adopt a strategic approach to Corporate Social Responsibility partly because of its cost implication to business. In corporate social responsibility, relevant, accurate and timely information is essential for both the organisation and the stakeholders. Locative media makes this possible.
It is useful for giving instructions for directions and tracing routes, comparing between alternatives to get the most useful and timely option in getting to a destination.
It can be useful for finding activities or services. Corporate Social Responsibility has different areas and maps can be marked putting these areas in different categories which makes it easier to find.
It is easy for finding and tracking locations and addresses; it can be used to estimate distance and time from one location to another and it is also useful for getting instant information directly from source.
It makes it possible for people to become generators of content, share and exchange the information generated.
A company can make different maps of its products and services, its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, also in various categories, which makes it easier for stakeholders to find.
It gives a more detailed information which includes pictures, audio and which can also be instant, using mobile phones.
Place marks and voice messages give private opinions which may not necessarily give a true picture or give misleading information. An individual may therefore make decisions based on another person’s private experience.
It replaces physical activities and interactions among people, which has its unique benefits.
It makes people dependent on technology and it may make people lazy both mentally and physically.
It reduces the uniqueness of cartography and the professionalism attached to it.
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
References
Urban Tapestries/ Social Tapestries(2008) Public Authoring in the wireless city[online] 07th april 2008. Available: http://urbantapestries.net/ 1 september 2008.
GeoGrafitti Voice Mark the World (2008) [online]. Available:http://www.geograffiti.com/ 1 September 2008.
GeoGrafitti Voice Mark the World (2008) [online]. Available:http://www.geograffiti.com/ 1 September 2008.
Locative Media for Learning
For the student
It allows the student to have a variety of learning styles and since individuals are different, it creates the opportunity for each to find something that works for them; which makes learning more effective.
It makes subject areas more approachable and less intimidating especially for people that may be shy and may not be open enough in a proper physical class.
It provides a forum for students to express themselves better because they generate their content.
Students are able to understand in their own way and that makes it easier to remember.
It increases the students’ resource base; provides easy access to materials; and makes the student responsible for their learning;
Searching for appropriate content can be time consuming.
It can be distracting because the student may be tempted to engage more in the social than the academic aspect of work.
It is easy to plagiarise.
For the tutor
It increases the tutor’s resource base; helps to increase student participation; gives the tutor a variety of teaching tools to choose from; saves the tutor the extra time of having to source materials for the class and provides a forum for easy feedback.
It may make it harder for the tutor to enforce the formal aspect of learning
It allows the student to have a variety of learning styles and since individuals are different, it creates the opportunity for each to find something that works for them; which makes learning more effective.
It makes subject areas more approachable and less intimidating especially for people that may be shy and may not be open enough in a proper physical class.
It provides a forum for students to express themselves better because they generate their content.
Students are able to understand in their own way and that makes it easier to remember.
It increases the students’ resource base; provides easy access to materials; and makes the student responsible for their learning;
Searching for appropriate content can be time consuming.
It can be distracting because the student may be tempted to engage more in the social than the academic aspect of work.
It is easy to plagiarise.
For the tutor
It increases the tutor’s resource base; helps to increase student participation; gives the tutor a variety of teaching tools to choose from; saves the tutor the extra time of having to source materials for the class and provides a forum for easy feedback.
It may make it harder for the tutor to enforce the formal aspect of learning
Locative Media
Urban Tapestries/ Social Tapestries
This is a software research project of Proboscis in collaboration with some organisations and schools for mapping and sharing knowledge and also for public authoring. It investigates combining the web and geographical information systems to create an avenue for people to write about their environment. Its aim is to make everyday people creators of content about their daily activities and environment which can be recorded and shared through relationships formed across boundaries.
It enables people to build relationships between places using stories, pictures, information, sounds and videos and seeks to help people participate in marking territory so as to increase their sense of ownership.
It also provides a platform for a series of engagement with communities to explore public authoring in real world settings. These projects are recorded in form of installations, software, essays, pictures, videos, project reports and academic papers.
People can author and therefore contribute, instead of only receiving. This includes their virtual annotations of a city, adding new locations and threads that allow individual locations to be linked to local locations using hand held devices. It helps a community’s collective memory to grow.
GeoGrafitti
It is a community generated information site using voice marks from specific locations from mobile phones.
This information can be sent and viewed from the website on a map with place marks of the different information from the specific location. One can search, listen or publish voice mark messages on the website. Voice marks can also be rated and tracked by others.
It is useful for getting timely information, responses, sharing information, ideas and thoughts and increasing the pool of information available.
It can be useful for getting directions.
Urban / Social Tapestries versus GeoGrafitti.
Both sites have community generated content; information concerning events and the environment; encourage the increased sense of ownership in the community; use maps; they cut across boundaries; they enable formation and management of relationships; sharing of information and exchange of ideas and they are both forms of record keeping.
GeoGrafitti uses only voice messages while Urban/Social Tapestries uses installations, software, essays, pictures, videos, project reports and academic papers.
GeoGrafitti uses only mobile phones while Urban/Social Tapestries uses mobile phones and other devices.
This is a software research project of Proboscis in collaboration with some organisations and schools for mapping and sharing knowledge and also for public authoring. It investigates combining the web and geographical information systems to create an avenue for people to write about their environment. Its aim is to make everyday people creators of content about their daily activities and environment which can be recorded and shared through relationships formed across boundaries.
It enables people to build relationships between places using stories, pictures, information, sounds and videos and seeks to help people participate in marking territory so as to increase their sense of ownership.
It also provides a platform for a series of engagement with communities to explore public authoring in real world settings. These projects are recorded in form of installations, software, essays, pictures, videos, project reports and academic papers.
People can author and therefore contribute, instead of only receiving. This includes their virtual annotations of a city, adding new locations and threads that allow individual locations to be linked to local locations using hand held devices. It helps a community’s collective memory to grow.
GeoGrafitti
It is a community generated information site using voice marks from specific locations from mobile phones.
This information can be sent and viewed from the website on a map with place marks of the different information from the specific location. One can search, listen or publish voice mark messages on the website. Voice marks can also be rated and tracked by others.
It is useful for getting timely information, responses, sharing information, ideas and thoughts and increasing the pool of information available.
It can be useful for getting directions.
Urban / Social Tapestries versus GeoGrafitti.
Both sites have community generated content; information concerning events and the environment; encourage the increased sense of ownership in the community; use maps; they cut across boundaries; they enable formation and management of relationships; sharing of information and exchange of ideas and they are both forms of record keeping.
GeoGrafitti uses only voice messages while Urban/Social Tapestries uses installations, software, essays, pictures, videos, project reports and academic papers.
GeoGrafitti uses only mobile phones while Urban/Social Tapestries uses mobile phones and other devices.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Sunday, 31 August 2008
References
Boyd, D. M. and Ellison, N. B. (2007) Social Network Sites: Definition, History and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. [online]. Vol.13(1).available: http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html [31 August 2008].
CSR Wire . Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire (2008) TIG blog. Communication Generation Gap. [online] 25 August 2008.Available: http://www.tigblog.org/group/csrwire/ [31 August 2008].
CSR Wire .The corporate social responsibility News (2007) Americans continue to define Corporate Social Responsibility As Treating Employees Well.[online] 6 December 2007. Available: http://www.csrwire.com/News/8871.html/ [31 August 2008].
PR Newswire. United Business Media. (2008) PR Newswire Creates Social Network for CSR Experts. Industry-leading ProfNet service to become interactive forum on Corporate Social Responsibility issues [online] 4 February 2008. Available:http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/31696/ [31 August 2008].
CSR Wire . Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire (2008) TIG blog. Communication Generation Gap. [online] 25 August 2008.Available: http://www.tigblog.org/group/csrwire/ [31 August 2008].
CSR Wire .The corporate social responsibility News (2007) Americans continue to define Corporate Social Responsibility As Treating Employees Well.[online] 6 December 2007. Available: http://www.csrwire.com/News/8871.html/ [31 August 2008].
PR Newswire. United Business Media. (2008) PR Newswire Creates Social Network for CSR Experts. Industry-leading ProfNet service to become interactive forum on Corporate Social Responsibility issues [online] 4 February 2008. Available:http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/31696/ [31 August 2008].
Corporate Social Responsibility and Social networking
According to CSR Wire News, a majority of Americans identify the internet as their top source of information. Most people use blogs and social networking sites that are not directly linked to organisations to get information on such organisations’ CSR activities. Their rationale being that they want to get objective information from sources that cannot be influenced by such organisations. (CSR Wire News, 2007).
Consumers can use social network sites to form pressure groups that can advocate for addressing of issues of societal concern. This is because they have access to a huge number of people on the net. This can have grave implications for an organization because stakeholders can form opinions of organizations’ from a combination of factors including other stakeholders’ experiences. This information can spread at a very fast rate.
It gives the stakeholders an additional variety of sources of information apart from an audit report.
Social networking sites empower customers, making them better informed and aware. These consumers want to be heard, and would want to make their contributions towards finding a solution for themselves and the society at large. Some stakeholders may be aware of activities that are detrimental to an organization that the organization itself may not be aware of, such forums present the opportunity for the organization to have that knowledge and act on it. Organizations can gain from these comments and concerns from consumers and other stakeholders because it results in a large pool of resources of different views and needs of stakeholders. This feedback can be used for better performance, if organizations learn to listen. Organizations can also use this to their advantage by providing a neutral opportunity for communicating with stakeholders through the use of social networking sites for open discussions. Social networking sites can therefore act as vehicles for fast exchange and flow of information.
CSR used to be entirely up to a company to decide and for the society to accept. This led to some CSR programs that were not successfully implemented because they were not in harmony with community needs. Social networking creates an exchange of information forum which means that stakeholders and organisations will be more in tune with each other. There is a higher tendency for programs to be successful because stakeholders are involved directly from the beginning to the end, there is the sense of ownership and so they would want to support and participate towards its successful implementation.
Companies are forced to perform better because social networking sites provide a fast way of finding out if they are not. Most organisations are forced to be transparent and honest.
Consumers can use social network sites to form pressure groups that can advocate for addressing of issues of societal concern. This is because they have access to a huge number of people on the net. This can have grave implications for an organization because stakeholders can form opinions of organizations’ from a combination of factors including other stakeholders’ experiences. This information can spread at a very fast rate.
It gives the stakeholders an additional variety of sources of information apart from an audit report.
Social networking sites empower customers, making them better informed and aware. These consumers want to be heard, and would want to make their contributions towards finding a solution for themselves and the society at large. Some stakeholders may be aware of activities that are detrimental to an organization that the organization itself may not be aware of, such forums present the opportunity for the organization to have that knowledge and act on it. Organizations can gain from these comments and concerns from consumers and other stakeholders because it results in a large pool of resources of different views and needs of stakeholders. This feedback can be used for better performance, if organizations learn to listen. Organizations can also use this to their advantage by providing a neutral opportunity for communicating with stakeholders through the use of social networking sites for open discussions. Social networking sites can therefore act as vehicles for fast exchange and flow of information.
CSR used to be entirely up to a company to decide and for the society to accept. This led to some CSR programs that were not successfully implemented because they were not in harmony with community needs. Social networking creates an exchange of information forum which means that stakeholders and organisations will be more in tune with each other. There is a higher tendency for programs to be successful because stakeholders are involved directly from the beginning to the end, there is the sense of ownership and so they would want to support and participate towards its successful implementation.
Companies are forced to perform better because social networking sites provide a fast way of finding out if they are not. Most organisations are forced to be transparent and honest.
Comparing Myspace/Facebook and Flickr
Social networking sites are very diverse. Some exist for a single purpose while others exist for multiple purposes. Social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace which are egocentric are different from a social working site like Flickr which is object centric.
All these sites provide a forum for uploading and sharing information. For my space and Facebook, this includes photos, videos, content and links to other websites. For Flickr, it is only concerned with sharing pictures.
All these sites provide an avenue for having and managing relationships on line, sometimes with people of shared interest and other times not necessarily.
They all provide an opportunity for having fun, sharing views, widening networks and links and having a bigger pool of resources with less effort.
They support the use of mobile devices.
Myspace and Facebook allow a public display of profiles and friends, with an opportunity for people to leave messages for friends.
Pictures on flickr can be edited and tagged, while pictures on facebook and myspace cannot.
Pictures on flickr can have notes added on to them, and the pictures can also be tagged while pictures on facebook and myspace cannot.
Pictures on flickr can be shared through emails, and blogs while pictures on facebook and myspace can only be viewed.
All these sites provide a forum for uploading and sharing information. For my space and Facebook, this includes photos, videos, content and links to other websites. For Flickr, it is only concerned with sharing pictures.
All these sites provide an avenue for having and managing relationships on line, sometimes with people of shared interest and other times not necessarily.
They all provide an opportunity for having fun, sharing views, widening networks and links and having a bigger pool of resources with less effort.
They support the use of mobile devices.
Myspace and Facebook allow a public display of profiles and friends, with an opportunity for people to leave messages for friends.
Pictures on flickr can be edited and tagged, while pictures on facebook and myspace cannot.
Pictures on flickr can have notes added on to them, and the pictures can also be tagged while pictures on facebook and myspace cannot.
Pictures on flickr can be shared through emails, and blogs while pictures on facebook and myspace can only be viewed.
My impressions of Social networking
I have been using Facebook for some time now, and the reason why I signed up was because a friend recommended it. I became a member but was dormant for a while. I started getting invitations to add individuals to my list of friends join groups and subscribe for certain features that will widen my participation and use of certain tools. It has helped me to get in touch and stay in touch with people that I had lost touch with for a long time. I have and still am able to see their pictures, chat, read their profiles and know what they are up to from the daily news portal. Because of the way the system works, I can view my friends and their own friends and so I find myself having a very extensive network and making connections that would have not been possible in such a short time space and with such little effort. I am also able to get information on current issues and concerns, read the different comments and criticism and draw my personal conclusion. I like the presence of social networking and I think they are very useful and can be used to achieve the purpose you want them to, within guidelines. One can use one site to achieve multiple purposes, or use a combination of sites.
One thing of note however has been that in all this, I have been a passive member, not contributing much. The digital literacy class that I have had has helped me to understand the importance of contributing and so I have decided to start putting up my quota, it may not be much, but it is my opinion and it will add to what there is, and who knows, I might be able to start my own thing from the scratch.
I never thought of Facebook or social networking as anything apart from a social forum where people meet, keep in touch and socialise. I just found out that even though it is, it also has more to it. (Boyd and Ellison, 2007) define social network sites as “web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site”.
Social networking can have negative implications, this is because information that is meant to be confidential can be unintentionally shared and this may result in serious consequences for organisations and employers.
It puts an individual’s private information at risk. People should choose the kind of private information posted as a safety measure.
Groups can be formed and used to promote negative activities that may have negative impact on society.
One thing of note however has been that in all this, I have been a passive member, not contributing much. The digital literacy class that I have had has helped me to understand the importance of contributing and so I have decided to start putting up my quota, it may not be much, but it is my opinion and it will add to what there is, and who knows, I might be able to start my own thing from the scratch.
I never thought of Facebook or social networking as anything apart from a social forum where people meet, keep in touch and socialise. I just found out that even though it is, it also has more to it. (Boyd and Ellison, 2007) define social network sites as “web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system; articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site”.
Social networking can have negative implications, this is because information that is meant to be confidential can be unintentionally shared and this may result in serious consequences for organisations and employers.
It puts an individual’s private information at risk. People should choose the kind of private information posted as a safety measure.
Groups can be formed and used to promote negative activities that may have negative impact on society.
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Corporate Social Responsibility Group on Facebook
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2237066135
Corporate Social Responsibility Business Group connects people that are interested in CSR. Resources are made available, latest trends in CSR and different perspectives from the members on various topics can be found. It is general in its approach, meaning it covers varied areas, so it provides an overview. Members also get notification of latest trends in CSR. I choose this group because it will give me different perspectives on the different areas of CSR while keeping me updated and incresaing my people network especially in the field of business.
Corporate Social Responsibility Business Group connects people that are interested in CSR. Resources are made available, latest trends in CSR and different perspectives from the members on various topics can be found. It is general in its approach, meaning it covers varied areas, so it provides an overview. Members also get notification of latest trends in CSR. I choose this group because it will give me different perspectives on the different areas of CSR while keeping me updated and incresaing my people network especially in the field of business.
Picture from Flickr
http://flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179170960/in/set-72157603671370361/
The benefits of social networking around images include having the opportunity to capture events in print that cannot be captured by words; having a picture evidence and record of activities; having an album with images that are available long after the originals are gone, giving generations to come something visual to see and Some pictures carry more weight than words.
Some of the problems of social networking around images include copyrights that may be violated; It can be edited and so can be altered and end up not giving a true picture; sometimes pictures may not be uploaded or displayed accurately and this can distort the true message.
The benefits of social networking around images include having the opportunity to capture events in print that cannot be captured by words; having a picture evidence and record of activities; having an album with images that are available long after the originals are gone, giving generations to come something visual to see and Some pictures carry more weight than words.
Some of the problems of social networking around images include copyrights that may be violated; It can be edited and so can be altered and end up not giving a true picture; sometimes pictures may not be uploaded or displayed accurately and this can distort the true message.
Using social networks in different ways related to CSR
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/31696/
PR newswire is a social network forum created for stakeholders and experts to share ideas. It is basically for the organisations and individuals involved in CSR to make direct contact with the media and reporters who write stories on CSR issues. Because CSR has become a major issue and a major determinant of business performance, it is important to create a CSR network community which presents first hand information and is useful for sharing current knowledge and newly developed ideas with peers using blogs, meeting planners, videos, pictures, etc.
Generation change has seen a dependence on the internet for information. This is mostly done through social networking sites which give information from sources other than the organisation or company involved, giving varied perspectives.
http://www.tigblog.org/group/csrwire/
Social networking has brought about a decentralisation of the production and distribution of content, which puts control in the hands of the people.
There is a growing need for companies to communicate directly with their customers
New roles and responsibilities are being created in marketing, public relations and customer service.It brings people with similar interests together, the world closer and helps in building online communities across boundaries.
Disadvantages
It is largely up to the user to maximise the use of social networking tools, without proper knowledge, one might underutilise them.
Groups exist that have negative impact and promote negative practices taking advantage of social networking sites.
PR newswire is a social network forum created for stakeholders and experts to share ideas. It is basically for the organisations and individuals involved in CSR to make direct contact with the media and reporters who write stories on CSR issues. Because CSR has become a major issue and a major determinant of business performance, it is important to create a CSR network community which presents first hand information and is useful for sharing current knowledge and newly developed ideas with peers using blogs, meeting planners, videos, pictures, etc.
Generation change has seen a dependence on the internet for information. This is mostly done through social networking sites which give information from sources other than the organisation or company involved, giving varied perspectives.
http://www.tigblog.org/group/csrwire/
Social networking has brought about a decentralisation of the production and distribution of content, which puts control in the hands of the people.
There is a growing need for companies to communicate directly with their customers
New roles and responsibilities are being created in marketing, public relations and customer service.It brings people with similar interests together, the world closer and helps in building online communities across boundaries.
Disadvantages
It is largely up to the user to maximise the use of social networking tools, without proper knowledge, one might underutilise them.
Groups exist that have negative impact and promote negative practices taking advantage of social networking sites.
Monday, 25 August 2008
Week 2 Review
This week, I have been able to use the RSS Feeds and social bookmaking in delicious. I find it very interesting and fascinating that there are tools that can help to get valuable details in such a short time, while sharing ideas and knowledge. This week has made me realise the importance of having professional knowledge. That is because it helps you to understand the subject better and make the most use of the tools available. My confidence has certainly increased in the use of information technology. Though I found it a bit confusing at first, I now find it interesting and useful and I know that with time and practice, I will get better, and that I intend to do.
Corporate Social Responsibility activities imply an additional cost for an organisation. Having a strategic Corporate Social Responsibility plan involves being able to communicate activities effectively. Social bookmaking will make that possible because it will give the most current information about an organisation at a very fast rate. It is cost effective because it saves an organisation the adittional cost of having to use costly advertising strategies and human resources. It can also serve as a form of advert which might also increase an organisation's customer base.
Social bookmaking can be useful in Corporate Social Responsibility where organisations can use them to enable stakeholders share and save information concerning their activities. It can help organisations to know how popular their sites and their activities have been so that they can improve. It can increase the number of people that visit an organisations website which can also increase patronage of such an organisation.
Organisations can share ideas and partner with other organisations in the same field or who share similar interest to promote themselves and the society at large.It provides a forum for organisations and stakeholders to share and exchange ideas
RSS can be useful in social responsibility. That is because it helps an organisation to be more specific about its activities, place them in categories and makes it easier to see and know the specific activities that they have been involved with and the exact areas that are covered. This is important because right now, some of the important areas of Corporate Social Responsibility attention are environmental issues, standard products and charity. when stakeholders are aware of an organisation's involvement in such areas, it can result in an increased customer base.
It can help a business to display quality information in a unique style, and gives the organisation the chance to inform stakeholders of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities. This ensures that stakeholders do not have a wrong perception of an organisation, and also ensures that its activities are known. This is important because it can determine an organisations customer base. It gives organisations a chance to compare with other organisations in the same field who may share similar interest to see how they can improve.
It saves the stakeholder the time and the stress of having to search for information manually on the net. It automatically shows the most recent information and so it constantly keeps stakeholders informed on the Corporate Social Responsibility activities undertaken by organisations.
Corporate Social Responsibility activities imply an additional cost for an organisation. Having a strategic Corporate Social Responsibility plan involves being able to communicate activities effectively. Social bookmaking will make that possible because it will give the most current information about an organisation at a very fast rate. It is cost effective because it saves an organisation the adittional cost of having to use costly advertising strategies and human resources. It can also serve as a form of advert which might also increase an organisation's customer base.
Social bookmaking can be useful in Corporate Social Responsibility where organisations can use them to enable stakeholders share and save information concerning their activities. It can help organisations to know how popular their sites and their activities have been so that they can improve. It can increase the number of people that visit an organisations website which can also increase patronage of such an organisation.
Organisations can share ideas and partner with other organisations in the same field or who share similar interest to promote themselves and the society at large.It provides a forum for organisations and stakeholders to share and exchange ideas
RSS can be useful in social responsibility. That is because it helps an organisation to be more specific about its activities, place them in categories and makes it easier to see and know the specific activities that they have been involved with and the exact areas that are covered. This is important because right now, some of the important areas of Corporate Social Responsibility attention are environmental issues, standard products and charity. when stakeholders are aware of an organisation's involvement in such areas, it can result in an increased customer base.
It can help a business to display quality information in a unique style, and gives the organisation the chance to inform stakeholders of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities. This ensures that stakeholders do not have a wrong perception of an organisation, and also ensures that its activities are known. This is important because it can determine an organisations customer base. It gives organisations a chance to compare with other organisations in the same field who may share similar interest to see how they can improve.
It saves the stakeholder the time and the stress of having to search for information manually on the net. It automatically shows the most recent information and so it constantly keeps stakeholders informed on the Corporate Social Responsibility activities undertaken by organisations.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Monday, 18 August 2008
Week 1 Review
Business organisations are expected to use their human and natural resources for the good of the people and the community that they operate in. They are also expected to engage in production while reducing to the most minimal level or stopping completely; negative effects that the production process has on the environment. This is what is referred to, as Corporate Social Responsibility.
Blogging can be used in corporate social responsibility as a tool for communication. It can improve the flow and speed of communication and save time. This is because information is constantly being updated and as soon as it is posted on a blog it can be viewed by stakeholders as soon as they log on. It therefore serves as an instant information spot.
It is a very convenient source of information. This is because it can be viewed from any location, as long as there is a broadband. It can be viewed using hand held devices and mobile phones.
It can be used as a portfolio of sorts. This is because since it is a journal, daily activities, including pictures can be posted. It helps to keep detailed records of an organisation’s activities and it can be viewed by anyone that may want to trace their records.
It gives stakeholders the opportunity to express their feelings about an organisation’s corporate social responsibility programs and make comments. These comments can be positive or negative; it helps the organisation to know what the feelings of the stakeholders are. It can also give the organisation different perspectives of its programs, based on comments received and it can use those perspectives to change or modify a program.
It gives the organisation and stakeholders a chance to have a kind of conversation and exchange of ideas. In the end it helps the organisation to know its strengths and weaknesses make evaluations and improve its performance.
It helps an organisation to make future plans based on past and current happenings to improve on their social responsibility programs. This is because it can trace its activities using the blog.
It can help stakeholders to make faster decisions on organisations based on published information from such organisations. Sometimes organisations claim to be involved in social responsibility projects that are not actually carried out. These blogs can serve as a check, because those supposed beneficiaries can make comments denying such claims and giving the true information.
Organisations can therefore be rewarded or penalised by stakeholders, depending on their performance and responsibility. Research has shown that a company that fulfils its social responsibility can improve its profits in the long run (Thorne, Ferell and Ferell, 2008).
Blogs may require the use of passwords and this may limit the number of individuals and groups that may want to participate. It means that an organisation will get to choose the participants that will be involved in its blogging process. This may have negative implications because it means that comments may not necessarily be objective and honest since those participants may feel loyal to the organisation and make only comments that will promote them. The blog might therefore not be a true representation of the situation.
Blogging can be used in corporate social responsibility as a tool for communication. It can improve the flow and speed of communication and save time. This is because information is constantly being updated and as soon as it is posted on a blog it can be viewed by stakeholders as soon as they log on. It therefore serves as an instant information spot.
It is a very convenient source of information. This is because it can be viewed from any location, as long as there is a broadband. It can be viewed using hand held devices and mobile phones.
It can be used as a portfolio of sorts. This is because since it is a journal, daily activities, including pictures can be posted. It helps to keep detailed records of an organisation’s activities and it can be viewed by anyone that may want to trace their records.
It gives stakeholders the opportunity to express their feelings about an organisation’s corporate social responsibility programs and make comments. These comments can be positive or negative; it helps the organisation to know what the feelings of the stakeholders are. It can also give the organisation different perspectives of its programs, based on comments received and it can use those perspectives to change or modify a program.
It gives the organisation and stakeholders a chance to have a kind of conversation and exchange of ideas. In the end it helps the organisation to know its strengths and weaknesses make evaluations and improve its performance.
It helps an organisation to make future plans based on past and current happenings to improve on their social responsibility programs. This is because it can trace its activities using the blog.
It can help stakeholders to make faster decisions on organisations based on published information from such organisations. Sometimes organisations claim to be involved in social responsibility projects that are not actually carried out. These blogs can serve as a check, because those supposed beneficiaries can make comments denying such claims and giving the true information.
Organisations can therefore be rewarded or penalised by stakeholders, depending on their performance and responsibility. Research has shown that a company that fulfils its social responsibility can improve its profits in the long run (Thorne, Ferell and Ferell, 2008).
Blogs may require the use of passwords and this may limit the number of individuals and groups that may want to participate. It means that an organisation will get to choose the participants that will be involved in its blogging process. This may have negative implications because it means that comments may not necessarily be objective and honest since those participants may feel loyal to the organisation and make only comments that will promote them. The blog might therefore not be a true representation of the situation.
Corporate Social Responsibility Proposal
Social responsibility is a term that describes the relationship between society and business. It is a recent development in business and it evolved in response to the need for business organisations to act responsibly for sustainable development. Social responsibility has been institutionalised and is presently a compulsory business practice.
A business does not operate for profit making alone. It is part of a society and is expected to make its contributions towards the development of that society.
Social responsibility is important because it affects every person in the society, directly or indirectly. The stakeholders consist of government, employees, customers, shareholders, local communities, among others.
It is necessary for individuals and groups to monitor the activities of business organisations to know if social responsibility is being carried out and if activities of the business have a negative impact on society.
The aim of this research is to find out the impact of digital literacy on social responsibility, its benefits and possible challenges.
A business does not operate for profit making alone. It is part of a society and is expected to make its contributions towards the development of that society.
Social responsibility is important because it affects every person in the society, directly or indirectly. The stakeholders consist of government, employees, customers, shareholders, local communities, among others.
It is necessary for individuals and groups to monitor the activities of business organisations to know if social responsibility is being carried out and if activities of the business have a negative impact on society.
The aim of this research is to find out the impact of digital literacy on social responsibility, its benefits and possible challenges.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
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