Abstract: The introduction of social media has changed the way individuals communicate and collaborate both within and outside the organization. This paper examines a specific social media, Social Networking Sites. Organizational use of social networking sites (both public and enterprise) is discussed followed by a closer examination of intra-organizational social networking sites and how these sites have the potential to change the impression formation process. The results suggest that the information available through this technology can impact the impression formation process. However, these impressions may vary depending upon the information provided through an individual’s online profile. Specifically, the information available can impact perception of another individual’s social capital, which plays a significant role in intragroup relationship formation and performance. Implications and future directions are suggested.

Keywords: intra-organizational social networking sites, impression formation, Web 2.0, Social Capital

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Recommended Citation: Cummings, J. (2013). The Impact of Intra-Organizational Social Networking Sites on Impression Formation . Journal of Information Systems Applied Research, 6(2) pp 40-50. http://jisar.org/2013-6/ ISSN: 1946-1836. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of CONISAR 2012)