Blog away, researchers say
It seems counterintuitive, but when it comes to employee blogs, sometimes the best posts contain moderate criticism of corporate policy, service or even products, according to a new study from a researcher at the University of Utah with assistance from colleagues at the University of Connecticut.
While some companies have reprimanded or even fired employees over negative posts, others have adopted policies tolerating or even encouraging criticism, notes Rohit Aggarwal, an information systems professor at the University of Utah”™s David Eccles School of Business.
Aggarwal and his colleagues also found that while a few negative posts served to season perceived legitimacy of corporate/employee blogs, too many negative blogs can reverse that initial, favorable reaction from readers.
In other words, all things in moderation ”“ including online criticism.
“We found that the optimal percentage for negative posts is about 15 percent to 20 percent,” Aggarwal stated. “Beyond that, you may get more readership but there also is more negative impact on the company in terms of reputation and possibly sales.”
The paper is scheduled to be published in the Information Research Journal and can be viewed at http://bit.ly/empblogs. Besides Aggarwal, authors include Ram Gopal and Ramesh Sankaranarayanan of the University of Connecticut, and Param Vir Singh of Carnegie Mellon University.
Cyber Monday sales up
Online sales transactions for Cyber Monday on Nov. 28 were up a third from a year ago, according to Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM Corp.
The National Retail Federation estimated that for the first time, more than half of adults shopped online that day.
Analysts say multiple factors contributed to the increase, including an improved economy, steep discounts offered by retailers, and a proliferation of mobile devices.
