Does Social Media Enhance Job Performance? Examining Internal Communication and Teamwork as Mediating Mechanisms

This study investigates the impact of social media use on faculty job performance, exploring the mediating roles of internal communication and teamwork. Drawing on the Uses and Gratifications theory, we examine how faculty members utilize social media for three distinct purposes: social interaction (social use), enjoyment (hedonic use), and information seeking (cognitive use). We analyze how these three dimensions of social media use influence teachers’ performance, encompassing both routine and innovative aspects. This analysis is based on data collected via an online survey completed by 456 faculty members at public state colleges in northern India in 2024. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings reveal that social, hedonic, and cognitive use of social media positively affects faculty innovative and routine job performance, with teamwork and internal communication acting as partial mediators in this relationship. This research offers valuable insights for faculty development professionals, educational administrators, and policymakers.