Beyond the Cubicle - Corporate Culture with Teri Aulph
In the ever-changing landscape of technology, the rise of Social Media as a dominant force for communicating has penetrated every element of society. Can a virtual community possess a culture?Every company and organization possesses a definable culture. Behaviors, decision-making models, intrinsic and extrinsic actions and how people are treated may all play a part in defining it. These elements of culture are measureable and easy to define within a controlled entity.
Social media lives and breathes in a virtual reality. It permeates all corners of the world, allows people to communicate across all traditional boundaries and thrives 24 hours/day. So…does it have a definable culture?
If you have spent any time on Twitter, you quickly realize thousands of people have a need to respond to the question, “What’s happening?” Twitter has developed it’s own language with tweets, retweets, tweeple, twitpics, twibes, etc. You can follow topics with a hashtag and people with lists. What is most apparent is the need people have to share.
The culture appears to be grounded in not only a need to share, but also a desire to be recognized. Retweets – when someone sends your tweet (message) out to their followers (a term supporting the need for recognition) somehow elevates your status within this community.
There are etiquette protocols as many people publicly thank you for following them and for retweeting. Retweeting becomes a type of validation that what you are communicating is of value. Interesting, since it is unlikely you know anything about those you are following or those following you.
As you get deeper into the structure of Twitter, you can join a twibe or tweeple group, which provides inclusion – another indication that the need for recognition is systemic.
I often wonder if the need of those who Tweet to ‘voice’ runs parallel with their need to be heard. Certainly there are those who would deny this and claim they just want to throw out how they feel, regardless of being heard…much less understood. That seems counter-culture to what is evident in the virtual behavior exhibited.
It is cathartic to respond on Twitter to the question, “What’s happening?” in the allowed 140 characters. They have provided structure and boundaries to respond within, which drives you to be forthright and succinct. Interesting that it feels uncontrolled, but is, obviously, very closely controlled.
At the end of the day, it is apparent there is a type of ‘culture’ within Twitter and, most likely, within twibes and tweeple groups. There are protocols, etiquette and rules to follow. There are consequences to not adhering to the rules. Messages move quickly, and are lost seconds after they appear. Does need for recognition overshadow the fact that it only lasts a few seconds?
What is most apparent is our desire to share, be heard and, ultimately, understood. Could it be Social Media has taken us back to the future and the culture is grounded in historically traditional values? It is difficult to deny the power of words and our freedom to voice. It is comforting to know some things are constant and, in the fast-paced world we live in, there are some things that remain the same.
For more information, please visit Teri's TNNW Bio.
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