The role of enterprise social networking in the measurement and management of competences

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine how enterprise social networking (ESN) measures and manages competences and the impact of this on the development of a holistic performance management and measurement system (PMMS). Design/methodology/approach: A multiple-case methodology was used to carry out a qualitative meta-analysis on published case studies from 32 multinational companies. Findings: It was found that the use of ESN was supportive in the development of a holistic PMMS based on high maturity in performance measurement and democratic and participative approach in performance management. Practical implications: The study shows ways in which ESN implementation can be used in PMMS to transform individual competences into firm-specific competences, thus improving outcomes for the success of a business. Social implications: This study shows that ESN can be of value to the workforce in social terms by giving them an outlet for self-expression to promote their well-being. Originality/value: This paper shows originality, in that it contributes to the research in support of the role of ESN in performance management and measurement and the effective inclusion of competences in a holistic PMMS.