Organization formalization, sector and social media: Does increased standardization of policy broaden and deepen social media use in organizations?

Adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) has been studied extensively in public administration, particularly social media. The immediate adoption and actual use of such tools may be significantly influenced by organizational rules, norms and policies. This exploratory paper provides an empirical test of hypotheses that focus on the final stage of the three stage adoption process: standardization of rules and procedures governing the use of the new ICT We also address sectoral differences in ICT application. Using a sample of over 1100 respondents in organizations across sectors, we find strong evidence that organizations with greater rule standardization and rule clarity have higher levels of social media use over a wider array of application domains. The findings suggest that rules and standardization can be powerful tools for promoting and diffusing new information and communication technologies within organizations. Results also support work on how information technology management and use differs across public and private sectors.