The British Academy of Management. Website and Social Media Policy

Transcription

1 The British Academy of Management s Website and Social Media Policy The creation of management knowledge through research and its dissemination through teaching and application The British Academy of Management 137 Euston Road London NW1 2AA Tel: +44 (0) bam@bam.ac.uk Website: Social Media Logos Facebook: LinkedIn: Academy Management Twitter: British Academy of Management March 2013

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 About the British Academy of Management... 3 About the British Academy of Management s Website and Social Media Policy... 3 Aims... 3 The British Academy of Management s Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives... 3 What is a Website and Social Media?... 4 Definition of a Website... 4 Definition of Social Media...4 LinkedIn... 5 Twitter... 5 Facebook... 5 YouTube... 5 Flickr... 5 Specialist business networking sites... 5 The Principles of the Website and Social Media Policy... 5 Terms of Use for BAM s Website and Social Media Networks... 7 The British Academy of Management s Website... 7 Information about You, Your Visits and Your Rights to the BAM Website and Social Media Networks... 7 Uploading Information on the BAM Website and Social Media Networks... 7 Links to other Societies and Organisations Websites... 8 Summary... 8 Bibliography

3 Introduction About the British Academy of Management The British Academy of Management (BAM) was founded in 1986 and its mission is to become the preeminent European Learned Society in Business and Management. It is a not for profit organisation dedicated to developing academic management researchers at every stage of their career. The Academy supports the professional development of members through specialised training events, provides networking & paper feedback opportunities at the BAM Annual Conference and access to Special Interest Group networks. The different opportunities and benefits available through BAM have been designed to help individuals improve their visibility in the wider academic community. BAM also plays a central role in representing the voice of the academic community to Government and to the Research Councils and has strong links with a number of related organisations both in the UK and internationally. About the British Academy of Management s Website and Social Media Policy The British Academy of Management (BAM) has produced the Website and Social Media Policy, outlining the important principles for individuals (members and non members) who are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct when using the BAM Website and engaging in Social Media activities. The principles stated in this document serve only to provide guidance and advice on the behaviour expected of individuals engaged with BAM s online activity and recognise the clear distinction between the personal and professional use of the BAM Website and Social Media activities. It is important to understand that the same ethical obligations in personal lives also apply to the professional conduct in an online environment. Individuals wishing to represent BAM s interests, need to consult the principles in this guide in terms of what types of information can be disclosed and on what basis. For example, any personal comments should not be made on the grounds that they are reflective of BAM s opinions or interests and are not made on BAM s behalf. Individuals need to be clear on the definition and distinctions between a Website and forms of Social Media and are aware of their different uses and purposes. It is essential for BAM and other organisations to keep up to date with the latest developments in Social Media, which is beneficial and an efficient form of communication for engaging with members, raising the profile of BAM and its services and allows greater opportunities for networking nationally and internationally. As Social Media is a popular and growing means of communication, new legal regulations and professional responsibilities are being continually applied. Therefore, it is not helpful to provide a single and definitive outline of the ethical framework to which members and non members must conform. Many individuals are also members of other societies and organisations that have their own Website and Social Media Policy, which provide further guidelines on acceptable use of Websites and engaging in Social Media activities. NB: Where it is stated Individuals, this includes BAM Members and other Non Members. Aims The British Academy of Management s Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives The principles outlined in the Website and Social Media Policy are aligned with BAM s Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives. 3

4 Vision: To become the pre eminent European learned society in business and management Mission: Support vigorous, relevant, ethical, and independent research in business and management Promote ethical and reflective business and management education Provide a prominent voice for the BAM community Showcase business and management scholarship within the national and international arena Develop alliances and networks with stakeholders including Business Schools, employers, practitioner communities, and learned societies Strategic Objectives: To offer distinctive research and teaching capacity building opportunities To promote responsible, effective and innovative teaching and learning and contribute to its development To increase membership and offer members a first class service with training, networking and career development provided through every stage of their career To strengthen communication with key stakeholders To ensure effective working relations with key stakeholders business and management schools, funders of research, policy makers, employers, accreditation bodies, employers bodies, practitioner communities, media, national and international learned societies to advance and promote business, management and related subject areas To further Internationalise the academy through BAM journals and links with related organisations What is a Website and Social Media? Definition of a Website A Website is a number of WebPages containing information (text, images, video, audio etc). A Website is hosted on a web server, which is accessible either through the Internet or through the Local Area Network. Definition of Social Media Social Media allows users to communicate with each other in virtual online communities, which are supported by web based and mobile technologies. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein have defined Social Media as a group of Internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content. 1 There are many different types of Social Media channels, which attract different audiences for different purposes. These include: social networking Websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn; micro blogging sites such as Twitter; video and photo sharing Websites such as Flickr, YouTube, Instagram; forums and discussion boards such as Yahoo! Groups or Google Groups; blogs; 1 Kaplan Andreas M., Haenlein Michael, Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social MediaSocial Media, Business Horizons, Vol. 53, Issue 1, (Page 61), (2010) 4

5 online wikis that allow collaborative information sharing such as Wikipedia; any other Websites that allow individual users or companies to use simple publishing tools. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a business orientated social networking site, which is primarily used for professional networking. It allows users to create professional profiles, build and maintain professional contacts and is a marketing tool for businesses. Twitter Twitter is an online real time social networking and micro blogging service that enables users to connect to the latest stories, ideas, opinions and news. Users send and read small amounts of information called Tweets. Each Tweet is 140 characters long. You can see photos, videos and conversations directly in Tweets to get the whole story at a glance, and all in one place. Facebook Facebook is a social networking Website, allowing users to create a personal profile, add friends, join groups and send messages. It also includes automatic notifications to the network when a user updates their profiles. YouTube YouTube allows billions of people from across the globe to discover, watch and share originally created videos. Flickr Flickr allows users to upload, organise and share photos and videos with others. Specialist business networking sites There are a whole range of specialist business networking sites, which serve to connect and facilitate corporate relations, for instance Biznik and Focus. The Principles of the Website and Social Media Policy The principles outlined in the document are situated within a statement of values, reflecting the fundamental beliefs that should guide the ethical basis, decision making and behaviour of all individuals engaged within BAM s online activity either on the BAM Website or on Social Media. All individuals are expected to act in accordance with the principles outlined in the document. The code is based on nine key principles, which are outlined below. Responsibility and Accountability: All individuals are aware of their ethical, legal and professional responsibilities incumbent to the specific communities in which they work and to BAM. All individuals should avoid personal and professional misconduct that might bring BAM or the reputation of the profession into disrepute. 5

6 Integrity and Honesty: All individuals should endeavour to demonstrate accuracy, truthfulness, openness and transparency within their professional conduct with others. Respect and Fairness: All individuals will not discriminate against others on the basis of: ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, social background, political beliefs, personal history or any other aspects of personal identity. All individuals should promote equal opportunity, celebrate diversity and encourage an environment free of discrimination. Privacy and Confidentiality: All individuals respect the individual and collective rights to privacy and maintain confidentiality in compliance with UK and International law and regulations. Avoidance of Personal Gain: All individuals should neither offer nor accept bribes either on a personal basis or on behalf of BAM. Conflict of Interest: All individuals should declare any competing professional or personal interests that may be pertinent to their activities within BAM. Any activities undertaken in BAM s interest must be consistent with BAM s vision, mission, strategic objectives and the principles outlined in this guide. Any competing interests can make it difficult to fulfil the duties impartially and steps should be taken to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest that may arise. If a conflict of interest does arise, the individual must inform the BAM Executive and Academy Manager immediately and following the consultation must undertake any of the below or any other actions deemed necessary: abstain from certain actions; return the given task to a fellow colleague or give up their role. Failure to do so, may lead to the imposition of sanctions, including termination of their BAM membership, if the individual is a member. Intellectual Freedom: All individuals will defend and promote the freedom to pursue, advance and disseminate knowledge and ideas. Individuals should recognise the right of others to freedom of expression within the law. Freedom of expression does not absolve individuals of the responsibility for treating others with respect. Intellectual Property Rights: Any information uploaded onto the BAM Website or on any of the Social Media Networks which BAM holds, will be considered non confidential and nonproprietary, and BAM reserves the right to use, copy and distribute the material. Any individual wishing to use BAM s name, logo, a statement of membership, and/or a link to the BAM Website on their organisation s Website, will need to obtain prior approval from the BAM Executive or Academy Manager. There will be special circumstances defined by BAM when using the name and logo such as under a Conference Promotion publicity feature. 6

7 Collegiality: Collaboration between other societies and organisations should be encouraged in order to develop guidance relevant to the creation of management knowledge through research and help disseminate learning and good practice. This will help further strengthen the integrity of the Business and Management Academic Community. Terms of Use for BAM s Website and Social Media Networks The British Academy of Management s Website To join BAM, all individuals are required to complete the online membership form in order to create an account on our system and become a BAM member. They will then be provided with a username and a password, which must be kept secure and confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties. The information provided when creating an account includes the date and time of registering to use our Website, subscribing to our services and consenting to be contacted if you have requested to receive further information on services that are of interest to you. BAM may ask you for information when you report a problem with our Website. BAM may also ask you to complete surveys that are used for research purposes, although you do not have to participate in them. Information about You, Your Visits and Your Rights to the BAM Website and Social Media Networks By creating an account on our system and providing BAM with your personal information, you consent to this storage and processing of this information. Additionally, individuals warrant that the information provided is accurate. BAM respects the privacy and confidentiality of all personal information and will take all necessary steps to ensure that your information is treated securely and that no confidential information is disclosed to the public. BAM will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access. BAM may collect information about your computer, including your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration. This is statistical data about our users' browsing actions and patterns, and does not identify any individual. Individuals have the right to ask BAM to amend or delete their personal information from the Website or on Social Media Networks. Uploading Information on the BAM Website and Social Media Networks Individuals must comply with the principles stated in the Website and Social Media and must ensure that all contributions are accurate, honest and comply with national and international law. Individuals contributions on the BAM Website and on any of the BAM Social Media Networks must not: Contain any material which is defamatory of any person and is likely to upset harass, or embarrass, any other person Promote sexually explicit or violent material Promote discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, social background, political beliefs, personal history or any other aspects of personal identity 7

8 Promote any illegal activity or breaches any law or regulation Advertise any unauthorised promotional material Contain any material that is spam or contains viruses, spyware or any other harmful programs designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware Damage, disrupt, reproduce, or re sell any part of the BAM Website BAM will take all the necessary steps to assess any possible risks for users; however, BAM will be under no obligation to oversee or monitor any services provided on the Website or on any of its Social Media Networks. BAM disclaims all liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any online services by a user. This also applies to any actions taken in response to breaches of the principles in the BAM Website and Social Media Policy. BAM will update the Website and its Social Media networks regularly and may change the content at any time. If there has been a breach of any of the principles stated in BAM s Website and Social Media Policy, the BAM Executive and Academy Manager will be informed immediately and following the consultation, must undertake any of the below or any other actions deemed appropriate: termination of BAM membership, if the individual is a member; disabling of BAM account; immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of the right to use our site; remove any material uploaded onto the BAM Website or on any of its Social Media Networks Links to other Societies and Organisations Websites If you follow a link to any of these Websites, please note that these societies and organisations have their own Website and Social Media policy and BAM disclaims all liability for these policies. Summary The Website and Social Media Policy has established the principles for all individuals to adhere to, and are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct when using the BAM Website and engaging in Social Media activities. However, this guide does not aim to provide the answer to every issue that may arise for individuals. The Website and Social Media Policy encourages trust and respect from its members and other nonmembers. Furthermore, through this guide, BAM will continue to have a stronger reputation for integrity, openness, fairness and transparency within the Business and Management Academic Community. A wide range of Website and Social Media ethical codes and guidelines were consulted in the compilation of this guide. A full list of these sources is contained in the Bibliography. Additionally, a working committee was also set up to look into producing the Website and Social Media Policy, in order to prevent instances of unacceptable use of Website and Social Media occurring that breached unethical behaviour and what should be done if a breach has occurred. This guide will be reviewed on an annual basis and BAM reserves the right to update and amend the contents of this guide at any time. 8

9 Bibliography Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Biznick, Facebook, Flickr, Focus on Networking, Kaplan Andreas M., Haenlein Michael, Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media, Business Horizons, Vol. 53, Issue 1, (Page 61), (2010) LinkedIn, London School of Economics Public Policy Group, Using Twitter in University Research, Teaching and Impact Activities, (2011) Twitter_Guide_Sept_2011.pdf Smart Insights, How to find content ideas for using Social Media in Higher Education? (November 2012) media marketing/social media platforms/social media in highereducation/ The British Academy of Management, BAM Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives (2011) The British Academy of Management, History of the British Academy of Management (2011) The British Academy of Management, Memorandum of Association of The British Academy of Management (2009) The Higher Education Academy, Our Website, Terms of Use The Law Society, Practice Note on Social Media, (December 2011) notes/social media/ Twitter, Youtube, 9