Page 438 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

CHAPTER 13 • Managing Communication and Information 437
and other interested people who subscribe to Twitter. And it’s it provides as a marketing and recruiting tool, and they argue
a convenient way for the football staff and football recruiting that it’s necessary to understand First Amendment rights (part
prospects to communicate with each other. There are pretty of which includes freedom of speech). Rather than banning the
strict rules the NCAA has about contact allowed between use of social media, many universities are hiring companies
potential recruits and coaches, but NCAA rules do allow un- to monitor athletes’ posts. This, however, requires athletes to
limited direct messaging. However, coaches still are cautious give access to their accounts, which some call an invasion of
about committing recruiting violations. So, using Twitter to an- privacy. But as time goes on, social media conversations are
nounce their destinations on the recruiting trail, coaches can in- becoming more common and more expected. By the time the
directly share their recruitment news without naming names. 57 Sochi Olympics rolled around, social media had changed the
However, many universities and college coaches are moni- way Olympics news and views were conveyed. 58
toring and, in some cases, banning athletes’ use of social me-
dia. A potentially precarious issue can arise if an athlete tweets Discussion Questions
some comment that could put the university in a negative light,
offend boosters, or possibly violate an NCAA regulation. Here 13-13 What are the advantages and drawbacks of universities using
are a couple of tweeting slip-ups: A Western Kentucky running social media to communicate with various stakeholders—
back was suspended after he tweeted critical comments about students, potential students, alumni, donors, etc.?
the team’s fans; the NCAA pulled 15 football scholarships 13-14 Do you think there are more or fewer communication barriers
after an investigation based on a player’s tweet; and a Lehigh when using social media? Discuss.
University wide receiver was suspended for retweeting a ra- 13-15 What should managers do to be sure they communicate
effectively when using social media?
cial slur. We even saw how tweeting backfired at the London
Olympics. The first “casualty”—a Greek triple jumper—was 13-16 Looking at the rules and regulations that universities are
establishing, do you think that business organizations should
banned from the Games over some racially charged tweets. have rules for employees using social media? What types
That seems to be good reason for the managers (i.e., coaches of rules do you think would be necessary? Be as specific as
and administrators) of these programs to attempt to control the possible.
information flow. But is banning the answer? Some analysts 13-17 What have been your experiences—both positive and
say no. They argue that those setting up rules and regulations negative—with social media? From your experiences, what
don’t understand what social media is all about and the value guidelines could you suggest for managers and organizations?