Are you Linked…In?

By Brendon Young.

The publicly listed company, LinkedIn, is currently one of the largest social networks operating in the world.  With over 433 million users worldwide (LinkedIn, 2016), LinkedIn has become a major business networking hub with the ability to connect employer with employee through the click of a mouse. The social interaction the company offers and the technology used provide sources of power for users in an ever interconnected world.

 

Figure 1: Social Networking (Mills, 2013).

As Kuttainen (2016) discusses, “power is an incontestable feature of any type of network”, given this information, it can be argued that a subscriber to LinkedIn is able to accumulate, experience and wield power not readily available outside of this networked space. It does take more then to subscribe, however, to be witness to the power of this business network.

Allen (2003, p.2) argues that power “is a relational effect of social interaction” in other words; social interaction results in power. In this case, the business network gives power to both employer and employee, as it allows each to provide positive or negative feedback on their profiles in a professional context (Dwyer, 2016, p.645). This interaction is vital to the success of individual users and businesses, as wielding this power helps to shape their or another’s public image, for better or worse.

Moving beyond social interaction, all this could not occur without the appropriate technology readily available. Without the correct technology, power and the ability to connect are severely hindered.  In this instance, technology is the key to accumulating power. This form of technocratic power is legitimised through access to the required technology (Kuttainen, 2016). By having access to this form of power, it allows for previously unobtainable opportunities to become a reality.

In conclusion, to accumulate, wield and experience power it is a necessity to ensure that the right technology is readily available and a degree of social interaction is occurring. In the event it is not, could you really say, as a subscriber, that you are really Linked In?

References

Allen, J. (2003). In lost geographies of power. Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers.

Dwyer, J. (2016). Communication for business and the professions: Strategies and skills (6e. ed.). Melbourne, Vic: Pearson Australia.

Kuttainen, V. (2016). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 2 and 3: [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Linkedin. (2016). Linkedin. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/about-us?trk=uno-reg-guest-home-about

Mills, P. (2013). Social networking [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.edubuzz.org/plhsbbcschoolreport/2013/03/20/social-networking/

Tedx. (2014, July 14). Successful networking - the ultimate guide, christopher barrat [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAWN8U3q7eQ