A process-based framework of using social media to support innovation process

Although many organizations have deployed social media tools to support business activities such as marketing or customer relationship management in the past several years, academic research on using social media for supporting innovation process is very limited. Many organizations find it challenging to effectively integrate social media into organizational innovation practices because social media are primarily complex, informal and episodic. In this research, we would like to explore how various organizational factors can contribute to social media use for supporting innovation process. We conducted a case study of two particular cases, one with an e-learning service unit at a public university and another with a large hotel chain company. Based on the findings of this case study, we proposed a process-based framework that could help organizations use social media to support innovation process. This case study also identified situational factors that could affect the use of social media for closed innovation and open innovation respectively. In addition, some useful guidelines and proven practices are revealed from this case study.