ETHICAL COMMUNICATION ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

Abstract

Communication is a key segment in social and business life. Through new communication channels, which have emerged as the main ones in recent years, social media enable much faster and simpler communication. By following the latest trends and using social media for communication, companies strive to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, survive in the market and compete. Using social networks to create and maintain private and business relationships also requires a certain, acceptable type of behavior. What should be paid attention to are certain limits, ie limitations and responsibilities in the application of this type of public communication. In this case, we are talking about ethics, which represent generally accepted rules that should be applied in relationships. Both in the traditional business world and in the online business world, there are certain rules that users should follow if they want to achieve and maintain healthy business relationships. For users of social networks, it is important to develop an awareness of the responsibility of what is said and written on social networks. Therefore, the application of basic ethical and communication standards, which at the same time represent universal standards, represent a key component in relationships between people. The aim of the paper is to investigate how much employees use social networks during their free time and during working hours, what their behavior is on social networks and whether they think their behavior is ethical or unethical. During the research, people who are employed in the Republic of Croatia were examined. The hypothesis is: Employees often use social networks, most often for private purposes, during working hours. The methodology in this paper uses descriptive statistics that will provide information about the variables in a particular data set and highlight the relationships between the variables in the sample. The results of the research will be shown with the help of a Likert scale. The research concluded that, although social networks are widely represented in people’s lives, their use in the business world has been reduced to a minimal level. Employees follow the instructions and rules regarding the use of social networks during working hours. Acting in accordance with company rules represents behavior in accordance with ethical norms. In the end, it can be said that it is up to individuals how they will use the opportunities offered by social networks. With proper control of behavior on social networks, respect for privacy and rules of conduct will encourage additional growth and development of social networks.