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By integrating internal social media as a form of digital networking, organizations can establish ties to their digitally aware employees and foster social and communicative interactions and digital collaboration. This study is the first to segment and identify different user types according to their attitudes towards internal social media. A representative nationwide survey was conducted online with 500 German employees of different types of organizations in October 2020. Individual, technological, social, and organizational factors were used to perform a cluster analysis. In the end, four different user types were identified: Basic Rejecters, Average Users, Active Supporters , and The Reserved. • Internal social media has been an essential tool in internal communication. • Employees should be segmented into different types of internal social media users. • Analysis and discussion of different user types (e.g. The Reserved). • Technical factors are particularly responsible for the use of internal social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a more transparent and dynamic world, in which consumers trust other consumers more for advice and recommendations on products and services, the continuity of organizations appears to be associated with socialization, the sharing of interests and the interaction with the audience. This is associated with the incorporation of digital technologies to business, specifically the use of social media. Consequently, it is timely and interesting to explore the phenomenon of virtual socialization, although it is a little-studied field and what is needed is an innovative and theoretical approach based upon theories of marketing and communication. Expertise in these areas is present in all organizations and their performance is important for appropriate development of them. This work is a qualitative analysis about the behavior, reactions and attitudes of individuals to organizations, in order to understand the social factors that contribute to sustainable competitive advantages of organizations which can support strategic and future actions. We conclude that relevant factors associated with the tacit knowledge of the organization, specifically to learning and social interaction of the organization and their knowledge of virtual communities. The higher the coexistence of factors, the more difficult is the replication and greater will be the hypothesis of sustainable competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]