Anti-social

An ethnographic account social media within a technically restrictive public sector agency

Abstract

 This article provides an ethnographic account of an action-research practitioner’s
experience in social media usage within a public-sector agency that discourages
and actively restricts social media usage on its ICT networks, and invokes policy
against employee social media use. The agency is unique in the commercial,
scientific and advisory services it provides, meaning that the sensitive nature of
the work precludes the agency from being clearly identified – also a factor in its
decision to restrict social media access. Nonetheless, events in similarly sized
entities, such as the Royal Australian Navy, provide context for this study, and
developments in other public sector agencies that offer similar services are
provided to offer a frame of reference. Looking at the three main ways that
employees are using social media at work, this examination discusses the
implications for the future of collaborative work practices, and engagement with
broader professional interests.