Ethical Social Media Use in Higher Educations Institutions 255not stop them from doing so, especially at home (cf. ERC 2013). It is
therefore suggested that a values-based ethical commitment in regard to
the use of social media on the part of every staff member, and
collectively as an institution, would contribute more meaningfully and
effectively to its appropriate use and management in higher education
institutions.
King III (2009, 22: 19) asserts that “Responsible corporate
citizenship implies an ethical relationship between the company and the
society in which it operates (my italics).” It is this intra and inter-ethical
relationship between staff, students and stakeholders of the institution,
the institution itself, and the society within which it functions, that is
deserving of urgent and more concerted attention in the use of social
media.
A number of omissions can be identified at higher education
institutions when it comes to managing ethical social media use in their
institutions. These include:
- Appreciating the holistic extent and nature of the risks to the
institution and its staff and students, of untrammelled social
media access and usage. - A lack of understanding of the role of social media in the
institution, as being inclusive of ethical, professional and socially
responsible dimensions that traverses the public and private
domains. - A dearth of information around, and training available for, staff
and students on the nature, potential and pitfalls of the social
media, and the do’s and don’ts in regard to its use in relation to
the institution - No holistic social media polices in place to offer guidance and
provide a framework for monitoring, evaluation, updating and
redress. This has the effect of further disempowering institutions