Mobile Social Media for Sri Lankan Public and Private Higher Educational Institutions

Abstract

The growth of the social media is unbelievable in recent years. All possible uses from social media are analyzed carefully by organizations seek competitive advantage; look for the offers from it. Obviously, the most significant benefit of social media is providing connectivity and communication among the people. In Sri Lankan point of view, the major question is whether all public and private higher educational institutions are adapting these changes. Our study investigates among the public and private institutions in Sri Lanka about the purpose of social media is business or educational based. In the other hand based on the literature review we had, most of the educational and business organizations trying to get maximum usage of social media. For professional purposes, we discover a diverse of feeling about the usage of socially-focused technologies. Further, those technologies are not used entirely to gain full potential in any institutions. The study explores the potential benefits from the social media usage in an institution, and its practicing recommendations are made. The study discovers that there is no direct relation in between the use of social media and the IT expertise level.  In most of the institutions fixed line internet connections are lack and become the main challenge. But considerable amount of people access social media through wireless internet connections with their mobile devices. In Sri Lanka, the usage of mobile devices increased considerably in recent years. Such mobile devices offer better access to internet and therefore replace the fixed connection. Since the people use mobile devices regularly to communicate with others, the access of social media through such devices comes almost naturally. It increases the ubiquitous access of social media, their connectivity is realistic and on time which provide so many opportunities for all types of higher educational institutions in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Social Media, Competitive Advantage, Mobile Devices