Social Media at Work: How Networking Tools Propel Organizational Performance

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA, AND HOW DOES IT WORK? 43

Everyone wants to ‘‘be with’’ others. The need for connection

and community is deeply ingrained in our human psyche. Con-

nection gives us a sense of identity, a purpose, and a feeling

of belonging. Perhaps each of us has a deep and unconscious

awareness that we are all connected at some level; meeting each

other face-to-face need not be a criterion.

We have seen how people’s need to feel connected can drive

the formation of a never-ending list of affinity groups that share

information around common interests. In a sense, the ATP is

one such group finding benefit in being part of a community.

At the core of