The use of social media for cooperation.
In recent years, social media has been celebrated as a revolutionary tool for collaboration. Headlines have called uprisings in Moldova, Iran, Tunisia, and Egypt “The Twitter Revolution,” highlighting the role of ICTs (information and communication technologies) and social media in enabling collective action. While technology clearly plays a part, many scholars argue that the story is more complex. Success in cooperative projects is influenced by many factors beyond the tools themselves (Stepanova, 2011).
In this text, I want to highlight some key factors organizations should consider when choosing a social media platform for collaborative projects.
Culture, Communication, and Collaboration
Malcolm Gladwell, in Outliers, shows how differences in culture and communication can lead to catastrophic results in cooperative projects. One example is a South Korean airliner crash caused by mismatched communication styles between Korean pilots and New York flight controllers (Gladwell, 2008). In any collaborative project—especially those using social media—different cultures will inevitably emerge. Understanding how these cultures form, and how they influence cooperation, is essential for project efficiency (Jackson & Rogers, 2007).
Social media can facilitate these relationships, but only if the tools are designed to support interaction and collaboration (Owyang, 2009). Without trust, social relationships won’t develop, and the potential for cooperation is lost.
Trust and Social Interaction
Trust is the foundation of any cooperative project. Orlikowski (1992) highlights how mental models, organizational structure, and culture influence how collaborative tools are used. Cooperation through computer-mediated communication is extremely difficult without trust, and trust can only exist between group members. When social media is intentionally used to foster interaction within a project, willingness to participate and share increases. Digital socializing has been shown to build trust effectively within collaborative projects (Zheng, 2002; Marlow & Dabbish, 2012).
Kaplan and Haenlein emphasize the importance of the “social” in social media. Social media is fundamentally about sharing and interaction—the roots of the Internet were built for exactly this purpose. Their definition captures this essence:
“Social Media is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content.” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010)
The social element is critical. Social media cannot function as a platform for collaboration unless it actively supports social interaction among its users.
Making Social Media Work for Cooperation
Kaplan and Haenlein suggest that organizations seeking value from social media should focus on five traits: be active, interesting, humble, unprofessional, and honest. By emphasizing these social qualities, organizations can unlock the latent value of social platforms.
David Armano also highlights social media trends, including its growing integration into business, gamification, mobile use, and the evolving nature of sharing. However, he notes that cooperation within social media remains an underexplored area, despite the technology’s clear potential for collaborative work (Armano, 2010).
Kaplan and Haenlein’s guidelines for using social media can be adapted for cooperative projects:
Choose members carefully: Understand who is social and who may need more encouragement to participate.
Design for the platform: Use existing tools where possible, but configure them to the needs of your group.
Ensure activity alignment: Make sure all members’ activities align with the project’s goals.
Guarantee access: Provide training and configure technology so all members can participate fully.
Conclusion
Collaboration through social media is not limited by technology—it’s limited by culture. The success of a cooperative project depends on how well an organization activates and maximizes social connections among its members. Technology, administrative systems, training, and recruitment can all be configured to suit the specific group. But the real power comes from fostering trust, engagement, and social interaction. ICTs and social media are incredibly powerful tools, but they are only as effective as the social environment that surrounds them.