The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia case. Ilze Bērziņa MBA, Riga Business School Doctoral program, School of Business Administration Turība Agnis Stibe MBA, Riga Business School Mg. Comp. Sc., University of Latvia

Content Why? Summary of key findings of earlier researches in: Networks Social relationships Communication in network society Community Community of knowledge networks Latvia Twitter case Why Twitter? The aim of the research Methodology Data analysis Conclusions Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Internet governance Billions of users - no 1 governance tool We all are stakeholders of state, municipality, interest group Its about stakeholders - government, private sector, civil society As today is booming the concept of the individualization, there is not much hope that appointed global governance structure or its spokesperson will be the one who’s voice will be decisive Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Why? Goal Theory sources Methodology Future steps To discover whether social platforms can be an option how to govern internet through communication Theory sources Castells, Teigland, Dijk, Dutton and others Methodology Quantitative Survey of Latvia Twitter users Data mining Future steps Repeat and advance Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Networks From the mass to the network society → concentrated communication space available for everyone Network society → individualization, social fragmentation and new forms of mediated community Network society → social structures and activities are organized around electronically processed information networks that process and manage information Networks help to govern it’s participants → every receiver can become communicator → self organization of these electronic networks Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Social relationships Social relationships, whether they are strong or weak Social relationships are not planned but they are emerging based upon the interests of people in the network or community Virtual community is defined as a group of individuals who communicate and build social relationship with each other via internet- based technology Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Communication in network society One to many is the principle how works mass media Concept of mass self communication = citizen journalism Feedback and participation in communication Communicative power from news organizations to citizen The term face – to - face has got a new understanding, no more physical face – to – face communication → virtual web relations Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Community Society – community – particular network community Communities are relatively small groups of people who keep more or less direct contact, individuals therefore follow each other what results in high degree of social control Restriction could be the language Real network community is much, much smaller because part of the people are too passive in their actions to be called community Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Community of knowledge networks Knowledge networks = innovation through communities of practice → constructing “recipes” for knowledge development Limited in size, need for member interaction and learning together Motivations to share knowledge today → higher quality of knowledge in future, stronger relationships with members Knowledge has no value unless it has been shared and used in some way Knowledge is often perceived more of a public good than a private good within the community Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Internet governance The idea of social network such as Twitter to be a common platform for dialogue of many stakeholders because of the following criteria: Public sector & Private sector Control and Flexibility Stability and experimentation Centralization and decentralization Top-down and bottom-up Formal and informal Legal restrictions and permissive, laissez-faire (rules) Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case Why Twitter? Recent and fast developing community, 2006 Became popular in Latvia, 2009 Considerable amount of users in Latvia, 18.08.2010 [Data provided by SIA Soon] 32 392 – total 19 848 – active: at least one tweet within last month 14 666 – hyperactive: has tweeted 3 days out of seven days 22 659 – tweets collected per day Hard to determine more precisely Communication language – Latvian Location stated as Latvia Russian speaking people may use social networks operated in Russia Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case The aim of the survey: To detect what groups of society are using Twitter and what are the habits of using this social platform Are there any groups formed among the Twitter users What knowledge Twitter society exchanges Do the communication through Twitter benefits the society Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case Methodology Quantitative survey online Invitations 37 questions 403 responses 19.-28.07.2010. Invitations 7 tweets by authors 37 retweets 1 reference in technology blogger article 1 author’s blog entry in http://ilzeberzina.wordpress.com/ Several messages in other social networks Data mining Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Latvia case Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Conclusions Social platforms as Twitter or analogue who could emerge in the nearest future are meant for socially active members of society ready to involve in information creation and consumption, exchanging different views and discussing with wide range of perception owners within the community. It is possible to form particular group of interests within the social networks as Twitter or analogue to keep mass and also personal communication on the subject. These groups can become as platforms for the spread and discussion of particular information. Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

Conclusions Members of community each personally and community together have different kind of knowledge what becomes useful by exchange among the members of community. The knowledge can be individual, group and tacit knowledge. Personal interests of each Twitter user can be turned into the benefit of community and society through the communication of information and knowledge what each stakeholder have. Ilze Bērziņa, Agnis Stibe: The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia Twitter case. Rīga, 21.08.2010.

The role of social media networks in communication of stakeholders. Latvia case. Ilze Bērziņa @Pasniedzeja imkomunikacija@inbox.lv http://ilzeberzina.wordpress.com/ Agnis Stibe @agsti agnis.stibe@gmail.com