A Study on the Effectiveness of Using Social Media for Organizational Reputation Management in the Telecommunications Industry in Zambia. A case of Zamtel

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of social media usage for organizational reputation management. This study employed a descriptive quantitative research design with a population of 150 employees working at Zamtel's head office in Lusaka. A Yamane formula was used to randomly select a sample of 109 employees for data collection. The researcher designed a questionnaire for this purpose, and descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS. The study revealed that 68% of respondents believe social media is effective in managing an organization's reputation in Zambia. Zamtel has been positively impacted by social media in the past years, particularly in increasing responsiveness to customer queries and enhancing brand image, highlighting the need for the organization to continue focusing on its online presence and implement strategies to manage its reputation. The most common types of social media strategies used for reputation management by Zamtel include building brand awareness and creating engaging content, mostly through Facebook. The research also revealed challenges faced by Zamtel in using social media for organization reputation management, with a lack of resources and poor message design being the most significant challenges. The study recommends, among other things, that by establishing a social media policy, monitoring online conversations, engaging with followers, creating shareable content, utilizing influencer marketing, and responding to negative feedback, businesses can build a positive reputation online and enhance their brand image.