Prudence Nyetanyane , Freda van der Walt
Abstract
The integration of personal social media usage into the fabric of daily life presents a complex, regulatory challenge for contemporary workplaces. This study explored how managers in South African workplaces navigated and enforced the use of personal social media by employees during work hours. This study was conducted from a qualitative research methodology. Drawing from rich interview data from twelve managerial-level participants, this study investigated the ways, or lack thereof, employed to manage such usage in the workplace, the perceived effectiveness of existing social media policies, the role of training initiatives, as well as the use of disciplinary measures to ensure compliance. Thematic analysis revealed a challenge with managers often being caught between advocating for employee autonomy while attempting to enforce organisational control. Despite the presence of formal policies in the workplace, inconsistencies in enforcement, ambiguity around acceptable and responsible use, and gaps in training persist, thus undermining uniform regulation. Participants further raised concerns about the reputational risks and performance-related consequences of unchecked personal social media engagement, especially in environments where policy distribution and monitoring remained limited. The findings suggested that there is a pressing need for more comprehensive and enforceable policy frameworks. The findings further suggested a need for effective training initiatives to cultivate employee awareness on the responsible use of personal social media in the workplace, proactive managerial support systems that balance the organisational imperatives of control and discipline with the evolving realities of personal social media usage in the workplace. This article contributes to the growing discourse on digital conduct in the workplace through providing grounded managerial insights that can inform policy development, organisational communication strategies, and workplace training interventions.