Group items tagged

"Social media affect the way organizations do business and communicate externally and internally. There are no longer clear boundaries of inside and outside organization life, and we need to explore how new social media can bring value for businesses in new ways. 'Value' in a strong economic sense is challenged by social media as a door opener for influence that the organizations should take seriously. Can social media increase 'value', as in strengthened brand and reputation based on the market's influence and trust, and in the end bring economic benefit for the business and organization? The virtual market isn't a huge collection of passive consumers; it is represented by networks of people having meaningful dialogues and interaction with both each other and the businesses as such, and represents new ways of market power. Social media tools open up for rethinking value in new innovative ways - and it is interesting to examine whether different organizational cultures will make different valuable outcomes, values in social, reputational, knowledgeable and networked capital senses."

Social media in a business context, as viewed through the eyes of an anthropologist. Lots of great references, but some in Norwegian, unfortunately.

From the start of the 21st century, a new form of employment has emerged in developing countries. It employs hundreds of thousands of people and earns hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Yet it has been almost invisible to both the academic and development communities. It is the phenomenon of "gold farming": the production of virtual goods and services for players of online games. China is the employment epicentre but the sub-sector has spread to other Asian nations and will spread further as online games-playing grows. It is the first example of a likely future development trend in online employment. It is also one of a few emerging examples in developing countries of "liminal ICT work"; jobs associated with digital technologies that are around or just below the threshold of what is deemed socially-acceptable and/or formally-legal.