Management Research on Social Networking Sites: State of the Art and Further Avenues of Research

Abstract

This study presents an analysis of the body of research on Social Networking Sites (SNS), in the context of management sciences from 2009 to 2014. This review identifies and analyzes 100 papers related to SNS. The purpose of this study is to clarify, in a first step, the term Social Networking Sites, and to present, in a second step, the main categories of current research themes in management sciences. To highlight topics on SNS, a content analysis was made using "NVivo 10" software. The unit of analysis was the paper summary. The 100 articles found are classified according to nine thematic categories: "SNS itself", "motivations of use", "human resources management", "knowledge management", "operational marketing", "consumer behavior", "performance", "leadership", and "innovation". The extensive review of the published SNS studies identifies 45 papers that used quantitative method. The survey was the most frequently used data‑collection technique. The researchers examine SNS by referring to theories such as social networks theory, planned behavior theory, use and gratification theory, and adoption of innovation theory. Concerning geographic distribution, the majority of work focuses on the United States. The main contribution of this paper is to build a mapping of the SNS research, to offer a reliable, constructed, practical, and useful resource. This study summarizes the methodological preferences and thematic patterns of recent SNS research in management sciences, and concludes that the SNS domain is structured according to several coherent thematic areas, and has rich potential for future research. This review proposes to provide a source for anyone interested in discovering research trends in SNS literature.