The Social Media Manager as a Reputation’s Gatekeeper: an Analysis from the New Institutional Theory Perspective

By drawing on New Institutional Theory, the aim of this paper is to provide an overview on the Social Media Manager as a new professional figure who is gaining an active role in the management and control of the firm’s reputation. Social Media have indeed increased direct interaction and dialogue across organizations and stakeholders, but, on the other hand, they have expanded the spectrum of reputational risks. In order to monitor and create a dialogue with stakeholder and to gain positive reputational effects, firms have to take into account the need of a specific professional role in charge of the Social Media Strategy on the behalf of organization. After having provided a classification of the Social Media Managers, we have highlighted how Social Media have reached the stage of diffusion in the S-shaped institutionalization process but they have not up until now reached the institutionalization phase yet.