Perceptions and attitudes towards social media use in communication departments of regulatory authorities in Mbabane Eswatini
Gumise, Vainah
Social media are common channels for organisational communication the world over. This
study explores the perceptions and attitudes towards social media that encourage or impede
the effective use of such media in communication departments in Mbabane Eswatini. To
ascertain this, the researcher undertakes a robust literature review to determine the sources
of these perceptions as encapsulated in the problem statement of the study.
Thereafter, the researcher thereby conducts an exploratory study on four regulatory
authorities in Mbabane Eswatini and uses an open-ended questionnaire to obtain the
qualitative data. Additionally, secondary data sources are analysed which include social media
pages of the study population, newspapers, reports, research papers, e-books and journals.
Summartively the research finds largely positive perceptions towards social media use in
regulatory authorities in Mbabane Eswatini with most communication officers taking part in
this study regarding social media as beneficial platforms due to their measurability,
affordability and wide reach.
Furthermore, the study outlines the theory of social media usage further highlighting the
growing importance of social media as salient features in the private and organisational lives
of present-day societies.
As established from the study, social media can be beneficial as they can foster business
relationships sorely through virtual interactions as outlined in the literature review. Additionally,
social predispositions and organisational norms can influence perceptions and attitudes
towards social media use. Over and above the use of these media for organisational
communication, they can promote departmental efficiency as expressed by the respondents
in this study.
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