ソーシャルメディアと付き合う方法

ソーシャルメディア・ガイドラインをご存知ですか。

スマートフォンやタブレットを使って誰でも気軽に情報発信をできる時代、ソーシャルメディアの活用は企業の広報活動にも活用されています。

その一方で、いったん発信した情報を完全に消し去ることはできないため、情報の流出から思わぬ波紋が広がり、非難が殺到してホームページが「炎上」し閉鎖を余儀なくされたり、更には廃業に追込まれたりする等の事態も起きています。

情報の漏洩は、ノウハウ等の流出により競業他社からの優位性を失くすばかりでなく、情報管理に関する信頼喪失につながり、ダメージは更に大きくなります。

機密情報の保護だけならば、取扱責任者のしっかりした管理で対応可能かもしれません。しかし、役員としては、営業職、研究部門は勿論、非正規職員を含めた情報管理を日頃から念頭において業務執行に当たる必要があります。

そのため、問題の発生防止を含めて、ソーシャルメディアにどのような姿勢で臨むのか、基本指針を定め、構成員に浸透させる企業が増えています。

既存の就業規則や行動規範を基本にして、企業の文化、従業員数、ソーシャルメディアの活用の目的等様々な要素を考えて策定します。ポイントは二つ。①やってはいけない事項は明確にすること、「公式見解なのか、個人的な意見にすぎないのか、明らかにする」、「第三者の記事等を引用する場合には出所および引用部分を明示する」等がその例です。②モニタリングして、運用を定期的に見直すことです。従業員の教育および研修も行います。

コンプライアンスの観点から、こうした情報管理も経営者の注意義務の範疇にあると言えます。

また、社外に向けてソーシャルメディアポリシーを公表すれば、企業イメージのアップにもつながります。＜池田桂子＞

 

How to handle Social Media

Do you know the “Social Media Guidelines”?

In these days，anyone can use a smart-phone or tablet very easily and many enterprises take advantage of their use or to use social media to communicate with social media readers in the corporate or public relations industries. However，on the other hand, once secret information has been leaked from companies or enterprises, these secrets spread unexpectedly like ripples, and that leak can never be completely erased and the information remains for the public to view. Once in a while, very negative information or criticism has rushed into the company in a very negative way, or on the company’s homepage which in an extreme case has forced the page to close. In a worst case scenario, this can cause the loss of a competitive advantage amongst their competitors by the leaking of confidential know-how, etc., which leads to the loss of public confidence and in their information management.

For the protection of confidential information, a specific person or persons should take the responsibility of what is available and for the handling of the firm’s data management which might be leaked to the public either accidentally, or regrettably intentionally. This responsibility must fall under the care of the data management or security data management division. However there are so many different kinds of divisions, and division layers, including non-regular employees in a firm. It becomes very difficult to manage workers uniformly. Of course, senior and middle management executives must always keep that in mind with regard to these situations, and safe guard the companies confidential data or information the company does not wish to be made public at all times.

I recommend that CEO’s establish basic company guidelines and polices that are specifically concerned with and addresses what the policy is in dealing with social media, including the prevention of problems, and the possible infiltration by an individual or individuals who wish to harm the company as well as all members in firm. When you make guidelines, first think about

Your　company’s existing rules and code of conduct; second develop various elements and procedures such as the purpose of utilization of the corporate culture, employee numbers, and the use of social media.       There are two major points:

(1) It should be made as clear as possible that it is not allowed at any time, even innocently or accidentally, to reveal official information. Even personal opinion may accidentally hurt the company or the dispatch office.

One example is accidentally quoting a part specifying or citing third-party articles.

(2) Monitoring and periodically reviewing the operations, as well as employee education and training, are extremely important, and must be done on a continual basis.

From a compliance perspective, this information which concerns management is within the scope and the duty of data care managers.

Also, the company should publish a social media policy towards what is and what is not allowed to be released in public. This will have the effect to continue to improve the corporate image and add additional ways to improve the company’s revenue and bottom line.

Written by Keiko Ikeda, 2014/04/8