Inhoudsbestuur op die vakbond Solidariteit se Facebook-blad : 'n verhoudingsbestuursperspektief

Abstract

Strategic communication management and relationship management can contribute to strong long term relationships with an organisation’s interest groups because interest groups contribute to an organisation’s success and reaching organisational goals. Strong relationships are characterised by trust, mutual control, commitment and satisfaction to achieve an exchange or communal relationship. Facebook, which is available to organisations to communicate with their users, makes it possible for organisations to talk to their interest groups fast, cost effective and personally. To build relationships by using Facebook between the organisation and interest groups, it is important that the content on Facebook is of such a nature that it influences the interest groups to learn more about the organisation, to get involved and to tell others of the organisation. To achieve the latter, the content on an organisations Facebook page must be useful, interactive and open. The trade union Solidarity was used as a case study to investigate the above mentioned subject. A qualitative content analysis was used to determine in which way the trade union Solidarity is currently applying content management on their Facebook page, semi-structured interviews were held with members of top management and the communication team of the trade union to determine what their opinions are on the use of Facebook in an organisation and whether the content on a Facebook page can lead to building relationships with their Facebook users. A quantative questionnaire was compiled to determine how Facebook users view the content on the trade union Solidarity’s Facebook page and whether they find the content useful, interactive and open, in order to build strong relationships with the trade union Solidarity. This study found that the trade union Solidarity’s Facebook users find the content useful, interactive and openly, and that the content contribute to a reciprocal relationship between them and the trade union Solidarity. Therefore, the trade union Solidarity succeeds in building a relationship with their Facebook page users by placing the correct material on their Facebook page. It was found that there is lack of a proper content management strategy, which was included in the recommendations to the trade union Solidarity.