Operational Challenges And Approaches In Social Media Operations Management

Discussion

Social media data comprises diverse rich information in posts or comments written by customers. Successful extraction and evaluation of such data can facilitate modern companies to fully utilize this rich source of information. Organizations can then proficiently convert the social media data to constructive information or knowledge further enabling companies to formulate their business strategy. According to Sigala and Chalkiti (2015), these factors not only aid marketing investigation in the view of customer behaviour but further improve other management areas of disciplines. Operations Management (OM) with the fundamental aim of making decisions on product and process designs can be considered as a example of social media’s importance in operations management. Operations management constitutes a prolonged history ranging from the construction of ancient buildings to military operations in the past few decades (Houston et al. 2015). As OM has its origin in the field of scientific management approach such as Taylorism, its history since then has been appearing to be longer than a century. Ngai, Tao and Moon (2015) have stated that growing recognition of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms have resulted to the extensive availability of massive amount of important information. As a result, these social media platforms have produced an excellent foundation of data which are available explicitly to the public and most importantly to wide range of researchers. Furthermore, social media operations managers could efficiently sustain the strategy as well as social media marketing tactics for modern organizations as an individual or could manage a team of social media marketing coordinators and writers. Furthermore, in the view of Ransbotham, Kiron and Prentice (2015), social media operation managers aim to deal with daily plan, operations, and strategy for an organization’s social media and online existence. As social media is identified as essentially an effectual method in providing greater amount of resourceful consumer service with open response to questions and further engaging with your audience to clientele and stakeholders to trust and determine concerns quickly. A greater perceptive of service excellence along with its impact on customer satisfaction has facilitated in the increase of successful operations in services (Dutta 2014). The following seeks to identify possible operational challenges of the operational manager of the advert of Social Media Operations Manager on Glassdoor Job Website by assessing the operational challenges that candidates of operational managers would experience. In addition to this, the paper will assess and identify ways to address the areas of challenges with theoretical explanations.

Role of Social Media Data in Operations Management

Role of Social Media Data in Operations Management

Social media review not only capture instant emotional experiences to guide the consumers, but also inform store managers. These social media reviews help managers to identify potential future issues and to identify optimal solutions to attract new consumers, as well as retaining existing customers. Hence with the support of social media reviews, operations and marketing departments of a firm can work together to improve the customer experience and shopping satisfaction. Ransbotham, Kiron and Prentice (2015) have stated that social media data which are explicitly accessible to the public are free of charge, thus identified as a resourceful source of information for both industrial practitioners as well as investigators. Furthermore, social media have influenced the promotion mix in marketing communication domain only because consumer-to-consumer communication is easier with the help of social media websites. In the view of Rizvi (2016), consumers exhibit greater level of expediency to utilise social media websites in order to search for travelling information online that further decreases the reliance on official websites and hence the influence of the associated marketing performances. Furthermore, like other data, social media implementation in modern organizations undergoes several criticisms. Recardo and Toterhi (2014) have characterized social media as fundamentally scalable communication technologies which developed Internet based communications into useful interactive dialogue platform. However, while integrating social media data in business they develop as highly complex IT-artefacts. According to Ransbotham, Kiron and Prentice (2015), social business indicates to the successful exploitation of online social channels in order to efficiently execute business operations. Social business constitutes of a range of business performance and procedures, various information technologies along with strategic aims and tactical operations which emerge together in practices.

Challenges vis-à-vis Partnering and Alliances

With the growing prominence of advanced technology, modern business has generated rapid expansion which would consider being inconceivable few years ago. Ngai, Tao and Moon (2015) have stated that in the past there were observed several justifications to be diminutive on the customer contentment such as difficulties to envisage the customer preferences as well as demands properly and timely accomplish them from a competitive price. Furthermore, with the progress of social media, organizations have learnt to deal more with e-business ideas. With social media prominence consumers can successfully pursue the whole order receiving, generating, handling, delivery and further support procedures digitally through social media platform (Houston et al. 2015). Additionally Colombo and Rabbiosi (2014) have stated that lack of accurate and timely data has been considered as one of the primary complaints on decision making processes. Social media not only offers data not only to customers but further informs competitors and even clientele all over the world.

Challenges faced by Social Media Operations Manager

Modern companies primarily focus on maintaining their current consumer base increasing market share along with efficiently developing high margin products and services and declining operational expenses. However in the view of Montgomery and Oladapo (2014) achieving these goals are essentially based on proficient operation and organisational discipline. Successfully positioned operations management candidate might have the propensity to make positive impact on the operational performance of the organization. Meanwhile, Epstein (2018) has observed several operational challenges which can be encountered by successfully recruited operations managers. These operations of the company typically fall into ‘customer-facing ‘as well as ‘back office’ functions whereby an operational management candidate must be committed to fundamental development to successfully deal with these challenges.

Basic Operational Challenges

Source: (Rizvi 2016)

Companies operating with social media marketing must constitute utmost commitment of top ranked managers which proficiently follow, regulate and maintain corporate strategy and objectives. Candidates aiming to be positioned as operations manager must be provided with proper mechanism and tools in order to be successful and further get rewarded with the accomplishment of such challenges (Colombo and Rabbiosi 2014). Correspondingly recruited candidates must be provided with properly structured remuneration in order to discourage them from establishing realms that would shift away the focus from the common strategy. However according to Baeck et al. (2014) successful candidates will be continuously challenged to be a market maker further categorising the most efficient of breed in the market. However once the fundamental competency is characterised the candidate required to perform due diligence and further choose the most efficient associates in alliance to fill the gaps distinguished in the service offering as well as delivery. Dubey et al. (2016) have identifying strategic partners and alliances as influential for operation management candidates in order to sustain competitiveness in modern competitive market. However as partnering tends to vary, it may be instigated in order to share things like resources, financial aids, information with other companies. In majority of organisational cultures documented agreements play a valuable role and further force associates to perceive through partnership details. However at this juncture, Weerakoon (2016) has stated that partner negotiation is prevalent and those candidates should show their best quality in order to focus an associate as much as possible for the mapping them in opposition to the overall product or operational strategy. As partnership and organizational alliances serve diseases role in any business it is important for operation management candidates to take these factors in to serious consideration. These factors however may infuse all aspects of the candidate and cannot be overlooked (Colombo and Rabbiosi 2014).

Challenges vis-à-vis Partnering and Alliances

In general while entering into the market operation management candidates typically encounter challenges in focusing on core processes and for the form certain decision boundaries versus rules in order to empower the managers without constraining their influence and creativity. These boundaries according to Rizvi (2016) primarily constitute guidelines based on corporate objectives, goals, mission and vision along with business essentials financial profit and loss timing and exit. Modern organisations importance towards top and down communication has perception challenges towards the newly recruited candidates without focusing on the incorporation of bilateral methods (Colombo and Rabbiosi 2014). Furthermore Dubey et al. (2016) have claimed that because of severe lack of information at all levels of organisation employees tend to show competence in realising factors important for the stakeholders and further considering market dynamics organisational strategies primary areas of company’s issues. However Piercy and Rich (2015) have identified certain venues for every operation management employee in order to add resource resourceful input or criticism without developing any sense of feeling of their position being jeopardized.

The Provisioning, Assurance, and Usage Model

Source: (Ransbotham, Kiron and Prentice 2015)

Reports of Baeck et al.  (2014) have stated that prior to market entry, operational management candidates encounter various challenges in successfully realizing customer needs and demands and attain a distinct outline towards sales growth and revenue. Furthermore, according to the author labelling the company, its service contribution, stakeholders or affiliations are considered as essential determinants for brand awareness and recognition in the market. At this juncture, operations managers must attain utmost awareness that market distinctiveness with the brand may have adverse affects (Soon 2017). Furthermore, determining customer needs and demands are also viewed as a critical challenge for operations manager candidate. Recardo and Toterhi (2014) have identified certain issues encountering successful candidate in characterizing an explanation for a customer segment that is “needs-oblivious.” Colombo and Rabbiosi (2014) have distinguished four vital elements to understand if potential customer segments recognize a perceived need whereby they can efficiently express their issue and can recommend confirmation, economic stating about an existence of a specific problem along with proper articulation of the impact, financial or an explanation would have if the problem has found any resolution and where these candidates can record the functions where an impending resolution seek resolution.

Sigala and Chalkiti (2015) have further noted that following to the evaluation of customer necessities and supplies, operation management candidates needs to consider strategically about wide ranging services to put forward along with types of performances to execute. These bundles of functionality further will revolutionize as a purpose of the services lifecycle, product and services mix, market rivalry as well as shifting target customer markets. However, (Ransbotham, Kiron and Prentice (2015) have claimed that specific services have the propensity to be collected as a technique in order to penetrate into the target market and further be priced to acquire the marketplace as a loss leader for a definite and assured amount of time. Significantly, comprehensive studies of Houston et al. (2015) have identified sales and marketing as a challenging area for a successful operation management candidate in particular within a highly intensified market. These factors however have been consequential for operations managers to apply various sales forces which are positioned under the extensive course of direct as well as indirect. Further to this, customarily in the view of authors, sales forces have been arranged by industry matrix solution set. Such a development according to authors signifies a distinct growth in realizing customer requirements, desires and a development in the direction of review advertising (Sigala and Chalkiti 2015). Operations managers engaged in a modern organization at this juncture encounters greater number of challenges in comparison to customary product sales due to its direct impact on several divisions across the organization further implying to a more extensive transaction amount along with new decision makers drawn in each vending. Epstein (2018) has stated that deals further indicate that business decisions will be primarily taken at the executive level in the future organization.

Basic Operational Challenges

The success of business operations entirely depends on talent acquisition as well as distinct skill-sets which employee bring in. As organizational recruitment relies greatly on strategies established around cost control along with productivity objective against the operation managers’ service roadmap, successful talent acquisition can be highly critical. According to Weerakoon (2016), purpose of making an ideal employee with adequate proficiency and personality attributes the potential operations manager will call for understanding all facets of the hiring procedure and further serve as a major resource vis-à-vis all Talent Acquisition Operations topics. At this juncture, Deresky (2017) has observed several operations management candidates to be incompetent in considering the role to successfully maintain end-to-end recruitment process and supply efficient approach and support for talent acquisition ventures as well as initiatives. 

Talent Acquisition Management Network

Source: (Piercy and Rich 2015)

Talent acquisition in competitive market is identified as an activity fraught with operational threats and challenges concerning hiring the right person, the appropriate skills with desired fit resulting to have maximum impact on the company’s bottom line. Reports of Piercy and Rich (2015) have revealed that with the emergence of rapid, multifaceted along with invasive developments in the domain of competitive business setting, it has exhibited a tendency to pose impact on the long-established idea of employment, company, as well as employee relationships. Furthermore, consequentially Mediastorm has been drawing relevance towards social media and innovation regarding hiring the right talent they are strategizing their staffing processes in a tactical manner by efficiently involving external and internal recruitment actions or performances with succession scheduling as well as performance management (Media Storm 2018). Thus in the view of Tyagi et al.  (2015), ‘Lean Sigma’ & ‘Just-in Time’ principles can be implemented by company to efficiently generate  exceptional recruiting purpose and further display the fundamental link between the ‘value-added’ recruiting performance and constructive business outcomes.

Talent Acquisition Strategy

Source: (Netland, Schloetzer and Ferdows 2015)

Epstein (2018) has revealed that critical to efficiently influence Lean theoretical factors are the identification of which valuable steps in a development tend to add or refute the desired value to Mediastorm’s clientele. Moreover, following to the categorization of process performance into these two categories, the major focus of Mediastorm depends on implementing steps to advance the former and remove the latter. Additionally, successful implementation of Lean process by operation management candidate similarly evaluate the Talent Acquisition Process is considered to be feasible to consider the determinants while facing challenges during hiring process (Piercy and Rich 2015).

Talent Acquisition Process
Source:  (Tyagi et al.  2015)

According to Büyüközkan, Kayakutlu and Karakad?lar (2015), in the highly competitive market, businesses aim for an extensive process of talent flow further providing the company with utmost lack of restrictions to incline towards optimal options and further support cost-effective expenses. However, Montgomery and Oladapo (2014) have stated that in the dynamic rapid progressive knowledge of economy, primary imperative of the smooth accessibility of proper talent and skill cannot be pretentious. At this stage, it is essential to note, that critical lean concept known as Just-In-Time (JIT) is primarily being established on the standards of constant decline of all supply by further aiming to attain the satisfying altering market demand with shorter lead period along with resilient production (Colombo and Rabbiosi 2014). According to Piercy and Rich (2015), as in an unpredictable and aggressive market, inventory is significantly considered as risk and waste factors, the primary purpose of JIT is to essentially distribute the correct amount of supply in order to accomplish consumer needs and demand. Furthermore, Büyüközkan, Kayakutlu and Karakad?lar (2015) have stated that in the conceptualization of supply chain management, the areas of challenges in relation to undersupply and oversupply are mutually regarded as mismatch expenses; the primary objective is to align with the demand and requirement with the appropriate amount of supply. Thus Mediastorm by implementing the JIT concept to hiring and recruitment process can offer hiring operations managers or customers with the correct applicants at corrent right time and with appropriate skills at the correct place (Media Storm 2018). The JIT strategy primarily has been outlined in order to decrease the misuse of overproduction along with waiting time as well as deficiency and inventory (González et al 2015). Thus as a substitute of effectively building, successfully maintaining a work-in-progress candidate as well as creating a Talent Inventory without the importance of concrete recruitment needs, JIT theory model tends to accentuate on targeting raw material candidate supply such as social media networks, employee candidature along with other job sourcing networks by qualifying as well as delivering an appropriate talent pool that successfully aligns to the talent requirement of the company (Netland, Schloetzer and Ferdows 2015).

According to Weerakoon (2016), foundation of Six Sigma method primarily engages efficient size and assessment as a method to enumerate hiring process outcomes with proper focus in areas of defects and further create modifications to augment the process. Additionally research of Netland, Schloetzer and Ferdows (2015) has revealed that proper evaluation of employee recruitment as a major business development tend to demand a particular mindset which guarantees advanced quality recruits with smaller amount of errors demanding for an appraisal function concerning the impact of results can be comprehended and mishandling of resources such as incorrect employing decisions can be curtailed. Furthermore, in the view of Büyüközkan, Kayakutlu and Karakad?lar (2015), as Recruitment Operation Managers, candidates along with recruits are identified as major determinants engaged in the hiring experience. Such a ‘Voice of the Customer’ is recognized as the principal variable in accepting the existing state of the recruitment procedure and further outlining the essential skill and attribute mix in guaranteeing an optimum Quality of Hire (QOH). Additionally, potential operations managers can execute successful talent acquisition process by focusing on size of the customer base along with the intricacy of the proposal which can further be acquired from Mediastorm’s stakeholders, resources, input, procedures, production, customer (SIPOC) diagram or tools based on candidate surveys and interviews (González et al 2015).

Conclusion

On a concluding note, as an operational management executive, candidates will not only proficiently aim to be accountable for solving recruitment challenges but also purpose for process driven solutions. Furthermore, the measure of an achievable operations management candidate primarily depends on the company’s productivity as well as efficiency level. For instance, it can be stated that if Mediastorm consistently accomplishes delivery deadlines and missions for the products it offers it if there remains fewer collapse in service offerings and units are banding together to amplify their purchasing power for distributors, then Mediastorm will successfully attain desired goals and objectives.

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