IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Social Capital

  • Groundswell- winning in a world transformed by social technologies

    Social Media is a revolution that has undoubtedly changed the business world as we know it, but the question to many is not what is social media, it’s what do we do with it? Groundswell- winning in a world transformed by social technologies, answers just that question.

    Written by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li of Forrester Research, the book talks about consumers are taking to the web through Facebook, YouTube and blogs and talking about your brand, company and products. It is up to us to take advantage of this consumer effort. The authors discuss how companies are gaining insights, experiencing increased profits and even exciting their own customers.

    Groundswell may be written about a phenomenon that is fairly new to our radar, yet there is real statistical data which backs up their claims. But don’t go thinking that this book is nothing but facts, the authors tell stories. They share stories with real people which made it both appealing and relatable.

    When talking about social media which deals with computers and technology it is easy to get caught up in the technological jargon. Groundswell does a great job of keeping its focus on the social aspect rather than the technology. It is about the people, both the consumers and the company rather then the mechanics.

    The book has started phenomena of some sort. It has it’s own webpage with links to the Groundswell blog. This blog kept up mostly by Bernoff discusses social technology in many aspects of the business world. He also suggests other reading material such as Linchpin by Seth Godin. Once you read Groundswell you are swept up In this trend and now have somewhere to go to further your insight.

    Students, teachers, professionals and analysts from all over have read the Groundswell. Positive Reviews have been written by accredited papers such as t the Boston Globe and New York Times. Industry leaders like Craig Newmark have even weighed in. He states “Internet-style communication tools change organizational communication completely, providing a means for workers to run organizations more effectively. Groundswell describes how this can happen in any organization, focusing on the human issues, which is the hard part.” With nothing but praise how could you not want to run out and pick up a copy today?

    Oh and some good news! Bernoff has recently announced that he has begun work on a new book Harnessing the Groundswell Look for it this summer!

    Jess Smith

  • Integrating Social Capital, The Court and Beyond

    As Black History Month comes to an end, many of us would be remiss to think that only about sixty years ago, names like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, or Lebron James wouldn’t exist, or in essence they wouldn’t. Approximately 80% of players that make up the African-American National Basketball Association would not even be allowed on the court, if it weren’t for the efforts of 3 individuals who have truly changed the face of the game.

    A New York Times piece covered the 50 year commemoration of the first 3 African-American players to play in the NBA, which took place at a Knicks game in 2000. The article spoke about the men’s struggles with playing an integrated game in a segregated world. Earl Lloyd, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, and Chuck Cooper endured the ugly side of social capital on an everyday basis in the still separated America. Jeering fans often taunted the men when they played well, but ignored them if they played terribly. Lloyd said he “took special pains in those towns” to make sure he was called names.

    Though there were many negative aspects of social capital they experienced while in their early days as NBA players, there were also some positive aspects. NBA legend Bob Cousy was one of the white players who created positive social capital as a teammate to Chuck Cooper. Cooper’s widow stated that without Cousy’s continuous support, Cooper’s career wouldn’t have been near as long. She shared “once, they were down south, and the people at the restaurant put Chuck’s food out by a railroad track and Bob went out there and ate dinner with him.”

    These historic events happened without much fanfare at all. It happened after Jackie Robinson’s entrance into baseball and the NBA was nowhere near as popular as it is today. The impact of the positive and negative social capital experienced by these 3 players has truly affected the way we come together in sports. Many basketball fans couldn’t really imagine the game without flashy alley-oop passes from the Canadian star Steve Nash or a slamming Amare Stoudemire. Well just think, if the positive and negative social capital between Cousy and Cooper never brought them to a railroad track for dinner some time ago, what would the face of basketball look like today?

    Colby Lewis

  • Tiger Woods and His Wounded Image

    Last Friday, Tiger Woods finally came out of hiding.  Nearly three months after his car crash, which unveiled rumors of cheating, Woods made his first public appearance. With his mother present, he apologized and took sole responsibility for his actions. Woods pleaded for acceptance, stating, “What I did is not acceptable. I never thought about who I was hurting.” Although his speech was meant to be humble and selfless, many believe otherwise.

    Many people have been asking whether or not his personal life should really even be brought into the spotlight. Some argue that his personal life really doesn’t affect his ability to perform on the golf course. While these are valid arguments, there is something to be said about the personal life of a public figure, especially one who is tied up in endorsement deals.

    When Woods committed these acts of adultery, he hurt more than those who love him and those who follow him. He hurt himself. He hurt his image, his reputation and his personal brand. His actions in his personal life have had a negative affect on his public image. An article in the New York Post from December states, “Analysts said his contracts likely contain a “morality clause” that allows sponsors to walk if Woods engages in bad behavior.” Many of his sponsors have been doing just that.

    It was no accident Woods’ statement took place during the Match Play Championship. Player Ernie Els, among others, believes Woods was trying to play by his own rules. He stated that Woods is “selfish” for choosing the week of a World Golf Championship to make a public apology. Of course the media would give priority to Woods for his apology.

    Although the statement was a widely announced event, the media had limited access to the live speech. Three camera crewmen were allowed in the room, along with only 40 friends and family members. Also, no questions were to be asked during the speech, minimizing the media’s involvement in the speech.

    No matter the game, golf included, sports creates a sense of comradery and raises morale, especially within American society. When one of America’s most valued, favorite and squeaky clean athletes such as Tiger Woods commits adultery, the spirits of the golfing community as well as sports fan community are weakened. Tiger Woods did not only hurt his family life and golf game, but he diminished his public image and contributed to what many feel to be the slow decline of social capital within the world of sports.

    Lacey Inman

    Nicole Doherty

    Stephanie Saulsbury

  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome, or Overweight, Old, and Unattractive?

    It is likely the most important, yet most illusive goal one can pursue. Different strategies for achieving it have been passionately debated throughout the ages. The goal: achieving lasting happiness.

    What makes people happy? Which, if any, factors are universal across all races, genders, and locations? The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof explored this issue in his Op-Ed column, irresistibly titled, “Our Basic Human Pleasures: Food, Sex and Giving.” Borrowing examples from University of Virginia psychology professor Jonathan Haidt, he poses the question, “who would you rather trade places with?”

    First up is Richard: “an ambitious 36-year-old white commodities trader in Florida. He’s healthy and drop-dead handsome, lives alone in a house with a pool, and has worked his way through a series of gorgeous women.”

    Next is Lorna: “a 64-year-old black woman in Boston. She’s overweight and unattractive, even after a recent nose job. Lorna is on regular dialysis, but that doesn’t impede her active social life or babysitting her grandchildren. A retired school assistant, she is close to her 67-year-old husband and is much respected in her church for directing the music committee and the semiannual blood drive.”

    The somewhat predictable outcome is that Lorna is more likely to live the happier life. As you may already know, our class spent the beginning of the semester reading Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, in which he argues vehemently for the positive impacts of social capital. Putnam argues social capital creates a positive impact in all areas of people’s lives, including the social, political, and economic realms. Looking into recent studies on happiness in different groups, the data seems to suggest Putnam was right (at least when it comes to happiness).

    Moving across the NYTimes website to the Freakonomics blog, we are shown some interesting and pleasing findings on happiness inequality: the gaps in race and gender are shrinking. The gap between those with more education and those with less education appears to be widening, but this fits with our expectations based on Putnam’s social capital arguments. The benefits of higher education are myriad: a better functioning democracy, a better understanding of the world and each other, more fulfilling careers and countless others. Let’s be sure not to forget one of the most important and often overlooked benefits: happiness.

    If you’re interested in reading more, Jonathan Haidt’s book on the subject can be found here: The Happiness Hypothesis.

    – Terry Hayes
    (Twitter: @TCHayes
    Blog: The Sunroom)