Empowerment

Business Empowerment through Social Media Strategy Business Empowerment through Social Media Strategy Nowadays, due to the emergence of social media, retailers have extensive market coverage that allows them to interact with their customers, associates, media partners, and potential job applicants. This paper will explore the scope of empowering Publix Super Markets, Inc’s social media strategy. The term empowerment has considerable significance in every area of the business as it relates to business expansion. Kotter has proposed 8 steps to manage the leading change in the 21st century organization among which more focus is given to the concept empowerment.
To illustrate, according to Kotter, “ employees often don’t feel they can influence the vision. If they feel disconnected and removed from the issues, they will feel ineffective and powerless, and will not to want to waste their time………. there is less control and predictability in this mode, but empowerment creates the conditions where new ideas can spark and flourish” (Sourcepov, 2010). The modes of communication have undergone tremendous changes during the last two decades. In order to frame a comprehensive strategy for Publix social media, it is necessary to consider the recent development in the field of communication technologies. Facebook, twitter, and orkut are some of the most effective communication vehicles of social networking these days (what is go socially?, 2010). It is precise that any organizational or strategic change would not be effective unless management ensures active involvement of a broad base of people whose operations play a vital role in the proposed change.
Therefore, to implement such a social media change, the management has to design proper programs to empower concerned associates. For this purpose, associates must be allowed to take action in response to different situations and the management must show trust in associates’ work as well as in their decisions. Such a stance may convince the associates that they are well considered in the organizational affairs. Through this strategy, the management can prepare its associates for the proposed social media change work.
Huq (2010) strongly opines that employee empowerment may be a better way for the organization to attract associates to the change rather than forcing or pushing them to change; he also adds that a range of obstacles including compensation and performance appraisal-systems and organizational structures often become a barrier for the organization while implanting the framed changes (p. 4). It is advisable for the Publix to adequately restructure promotion and compensations systems in a way that would effectively motivate concerned associates to integrate with the implemented new social media strategy. While dealing with the social media change work, managers must consider changes in personnel structure; such as hiring new employees and training existing employees in new areas. In addition, top executives responsible for the social media promotion must be capable of effectively delegating various responsibilities among the employees.
In short, to prepare the associates for the proposed change, mangers must continuously clarify associates’ doubts, appreciate their achievements, and assist them in all troubling situations. Finally, associates must get all required information timely in order to make right decision related to social media change work.

References
Huq, R. (2010). Employee Empowerment: The Rhetoric and the Reality. UK: Triarchy Press Limited.
Sourcepov. (2010). Kotter’s 8-steps: Leading change in the 21st century organization. Driving Innovation in a Complex World. Retrieved from http://sourcepov. com/2010/04/10/org-culture-intervention/
What is go socially?. (2010). Go Socially. Retrieved from http://www. gosocially. com/