HAS SOCIAL MEDIA MADE PEOPLE MORE OR LESS CONNECTED?

BACKGROUND
A large portion of us sense instinctually that the ascent of cell phones has dramatically affected
the manner in which we work and live. We know it's made us increasingly associated and
accessible, better ready to speak with partners and customers, and snappier to react to open
doors as they emerge. In any case, exactly the amount it can help profitability has been a secret
— until now
In a recent story where Samsung collaborated with Frost and Sullivan to overview 500 directors
and officials working at organizations or government associations in the U.S. to get familiar
with their utilization of cell phones and applications in the work environment. The outcomes
are surprising: Respondents report that because of utilizing cell phones to complete work, they
gain almost 60 minutes (58 minutes) of work time every day and about 60 minutes (58 minutes)
of individual time every day by and large, and see an expected profitability increment of an
astounding 34 percent. The minutes picked up are marginally higher for extensive endeavors,
while the effectiveness increment is most grounded among medium size associations. In any
case, that is a great deal of quantifiable esteem.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The idea of the Smartphone started when, in 1993, International Business Machines and
BellSouth Cellular Corporation divulged their most up to date creation: The Simon. The IBM
Simon was the first occasion when somebody had endeavored to put PC usefulness inside a
wireless. This denoted the appearance of the Smartphone. Prior to the Smartphone, the most
well-known hand-held was the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).In reality, somewhere in the
range of 2007 and 2008 the clearance of Smartphones expanded by 22.5% around the world,
and 70% in North America alone. Today, Smartphones are expanding in prominence and use.
The utilization of cell phone applications for business has almost multiplied in the course of
recent years. Today, 51 percent of workers use commanded applications for their business on
their telephones, up from 27 percent in 2011. (That doesn't consider the applications
representatives use alone to complete work, without its learning.) Custom business applications
are presently utilized by most of representatives in the money related administrations, human
services and transportation enterprises. Obviously, cell phones are turning into an essential
business and profitability device: 58 percent of respondents state they generally or for the most
part use them for business and efficiency applications. Organizations are utilizing a blend of
custom in-house, custom outsider and application store applications to drive profitability.
With regards to profitability, the Smartphone could conceivably be a twofold edged sword.
They give clients an immense range of capacities to be had readily available, anyway not these
capacities are gainful. One can in all respects effectively progress toward becoming hindered
and weighed down with such a large number of highlights in an application whose objective is
profitability. No component ought to be added to an item since it is simple or shoddy to
actualize. It ought not be included just on the off chance that it is considered a smart thought.
On another note, the broadness of highlights of Smartphones incorporates side interest
programming, for example, informal communication projects and amusements. These could
possibly be substantial diversions that draw the client far from whatever assignment they had
within reach, in this way diminishing profitability.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this investigation is to decide how individuals use Smartphones in their lives and
how these Smartphones influence their efficiency and productivity for individual and business
purposes. Data relating to the most prominent Smartphone stage will likewise be gathered, just
as the most well-known utilizations individuals have for the gadgets.
VARIABLES IN THE STUDY
The “Dependent variables” in the study is the workplace productivity which is dependent on
the use of smart phones. So smart phones here in the study act as “Independent variables”.
CONFOUNDING FACTORS

RESEARCH DESIGN
METHOLOGY
The methodology is a non-experimental study of online surveys, where 100 employees will be polled
from various government as well as private sector organizations on their usage of their Smartphone.
This was to give information on the announced uses and productivity of both standard gadgets and
Smartphones for comparison purposes. Questionnaire will be circulated among the employees with will
consist of the questions in the following manner.
Questions 1 to 3 will collect all general information about the employees
Question 4 determines the type of Smartphone they use, if any. If the employees do not use a
Smartphone, they can directly skip to question 7.
Questions 5 gathers information on how convenient is the use of the particular Smartphone at
workplace.
Question 6 asks what the top three uses of the Smartphone are at workplace
Question 7 ascertains the positive or negative effect the Smartphone has on the employee’s productivity
levels.
Question 8 records the time for the smart phone is utilized for
Question 9 asks for the service provider that the employees uses.
Question 10 is for any additional comments the employees may have.

SAMPLE DESIGN
Sampling population
The research study will require employees from different organisation of government and
private sector. The primary characteristics of these employees will be that they are technology
addicts . They must be having huge inclination towards the use of Smartphones and its
developing features. These type of subjects will help understand the purpose of the study
whether the smartphone addiction, its developing features and advanced technology helping
the employees increase their productivity or hampering their work life by being a distraction.
The population will cover 50% of the young generation and freshers who will be working for
more than a year in the respective organization. The purpose of this is that the young generation
is more addictive towards the use of smart phones and gadget freak. So there are less chances
of biases in the research. If the employee is working for more than a year in the company the
he/she can better compare the differences.
Among the population the rest 50% will be the middle aged and more experience employees.
This is done to find the difference in the point of view of two generation and find the probable
conclusion.

Sample Size
The sample size will be 100 employees out of which 50 employees will be below 35years and
rest 50 employees will be above 35 years.
Sampling Technique
The technique to be followed in this research will be Stratified Sampling.
Reason: The reason for using Stratified Sampling is the survey taken pertaining to the research
topic aims at a particular set of people for which it could not be simple random sampling. In
stratified sampling, the population is divided into sub groups based on the similarity after which
it is randomised among the groups. So, in this scenario the employees will be divided into two
groups of 50 members each. One group will have members below the age of 35 years and the
other group will have the members with the age above 35years. After which the process will
be randomized among the groups.
OBSERVATIONAL DESIGN
Specific data to be collected
The specific data to be collected will be covered by an online survey and set of questionnaire
made. The data to be collected is based on the questionnaire which will cover the following:
Questions 1 to 3 will collect all general information about the employees
Question 4 determines the type of Smartphone they use, if any. If the employees do not use a
Smartphone, they can directly skip to question 7.
Questions 5 gathers information on how convenient is the use of the particular Smartphone at
workplace.
Question 6 asks what the top three uses of the Smartphone are at workplace
Question 7 ascertains the positive or negative effect the Smartphone has on the employee’s productivity
levels.
Question 8 records the time for the smart phone is utilized for
Question 9 asks for the service provider that the employees uses.
Question 10 is for any additional comments the employees may have.
Method of data collection
The data collection method will include the online survey through a questionnaire which is to
be circulated among the employees of two groups. As per the research study stratified sampling
technique is used in which the subjects are divided into two groups; one group with 50 members
below the age of 35 and the other group with 50 member above the age of 35.
The questions included will be the following:
Questions 1 to 3 : Will collect all general information about the employees

 What is your age?

Options will include 21-26,27-30,31-35, 36-40, over 40 years
 What is your gender?
Male/Female
Question 4: Determines the type of Smartphone they use, if any. If the employees do not use a
Smartphone, they can directly skip to question 7.
Questions 5: gathers information on how convenient is the use of the particular Smartphone at
workplace.

 Do you use your smart phones for personal or business purpose often at workplace?
Options includes
Personal
Business
Both
Question 6 asks what the top three uses of the Smartphone are at workplace

 How easy is it for you to find and install applications on your Smartphone?
 What type of applications do you find most useful?
E-mail
Web Browser
News
Weather
Games
Calendar/Planning
Online Shopping
Linkedin
Business applications
Social Networking
Maps/Navigation

Question 7: Ascertains the positive or negative effect the Smartphone has on the employee’s
productivity levels.

 How does your smart phone affect your productivity?

Greatly Increase
Increase
Unaffected
Decrease
Greatly Decrease
Question 8: Records the time for the smart phone is utilized for

 How many hours per day do you spend using your Smartphone?
0-1hours
1-2 hours
2-3 hours
3-4hours
More than 4 hours
Question 9: Asks for the service provider that the employees uses.
Question 10: Is for any additional comments the employees may have.

Possible Biases
The possible biases in the research study will include
Acquiescence bias
This is also known as friendliness bias. This bias respondent shows a propensity to agree with and
be certain about whatever the mediator presents. As it were, they think each thought is a decent
one and can see themselves enjoying, purchasing and following up on each circumstance that is
proposed.

Social desirability bias

This bias involves respondents answering questions in a way that they think will lead to being
accepted and liked. Regardless of the research format, some people will report inaccurately on
sensitive or personal topics to present themselves in the best possible light.
So, in this research study the employee could try to show that they are workaholic and not addicted
to smart phones at workplace. Instead understanding the purpose of the survey, they might try to
hide the fact that they use smart phones often at workplace despite it increases their productivity.
Statistical design
The statistical design in this research involved is the Quantitative research design which includes
study through surveys and questionnaire.
The questionare covers both the categories of subjects which will help in a comparative study as
depending on the results based on age groups. Through this it can be found out that how the
productivity level is related to smartphones in different age groups of employees.
Finally the response for each questions can be counted and calculated from the sample size of
100.For a better comparative study the results can be grouped category wise and over all as well.

Opeartional Design
The Opearational design should be in such a manner in which there is less possibility of biases.The
protocols for the research process could be as follows:

 The questionnaire should only be floated among 100 employees.

 This is only for the people who work for any government or private organisation. Any
employee not related to this should be nullified.
 There should not be any question which is repetitive or means the same. This will affect the
purpose of research.
FINDINGS
The questionare demonstrates the breakdown of respondents in the zone of Demographics.
Data relating to the time of respondents was gathered as a feature of the examination to
decide whether there was any critical contrast in members more than forty years old versus
those under. It is a typical conviction that more youthful individuals are increasingly capable
at dealing with new innovation.

The question “Do you use your Phone/Smartphone for personal or business purposes?”
This shows that the Smartphones are mostly used for business as well as personal applications
rather than business apps only.

Time designation is caught in the inquiry "How long multi day do you spend utilizing your
telephone/Smartphone? (Call time included)".

It demonstrates that the vast lion's share of standard mobile phone clients utilize the gadget
for short of what 60 minutes. The littler dominant part of Smartphone clients use their gadgets
for somewhere in the range of one and two hours every day. Standard PDA clients appear to
just utilize their telephone either between the one and two hour or short of what one hour
sections. Cell phone proprietor respondents' information increments and tops somewhere in
the range of one and two hours, at that point diminishes in consequent time sections. The
general pattern demonstrates that respondents that possess Smartphones use them more
every now and again every day than those with standard phones.

The most essential piece of is the last segment, which relates to impact of these gadgets on
profitability. Most by far of respondents felt that their Smartphones either enormously
increment or just increment their efficiency. Not many felt that their profitability was either
unaffected or diminished in any capacity.

The last segment of this table is indented to figure out what the most broadly utilized
applications are among those studied. Email and Web Browsing applications were the most
mainstream, trailed by GPS/Navigation programming and Calendar/Planning programs. A few
clients did not adhere to the guidance to choose just three of the reactions on this inquiry;
along these lines the consequences of this specific segment might be skewed.
CONCLUSION
This research study demonstrates that most of all respondents discovered Smartphones to
build their profitability more than standard PDAs. The extra highlights and applications
present in Smartphones that are inaccessible in standard mobile phones gives Smartphone
clients an edge in profitability. While specialist organizations normally charge more for the
use of Smartphones contrasted with standard mobile phones, it is questionable that the
expansion in profitability that is increased through the distinction in the two sorts of
gadgets makes Smartphones advantageous speculations. The information demonstrates
that more individuals are utilizing Smartphones for both their business and individual
needs. This proposes a mechanically determined increment of profitability both at home
and at the work environment. It can likewise be presumed that most of those that use
Smartphones discover their dimensions of efficiency to increment versus those that use
standard mobile phones. As an affectability examination, a channel on respondents over
age forty was utilized to check whether there was a distinction in how respondents felt their
efficiency was influenced and the age of the respondent. The information was additionally
sifted along these lines for the first investigation and the information was separated into
those respondents that claim Smartphones and those that possess standard phones. This
investigation of the information uncovered that there is little contrast in seen efficiency
increment and age. Further examination of the time spent utilizing the gadgets likewise
demonstrates that a similar pattern in gadget use every day exists for this sifted
information. The connection among Smartphones and individual efficiency is obviously
noticeable in the information acquired in this investigation. With this is mind, numerous
organizations are putting resources into Smartphones for workers to make people
increasingly beneficial. As gadgets, for example, Smartphones and other innovative
advances wind up less expensive and progressively accessible to the overall population, this
investigation recommends that the profitability of the general crowded that claims them
will increment. In any case, there is a tradeoff with expanded profitability conveyed from a
cell phone. The normal use time of phone innovation will increment alongside this. A
potential trouble that this circumstance could make is related with the therapeutic danger
of expanded mobile phone utilization. While the capacities of Smartphones are more
prominent than those of standard mobile phones, a Smartphone is still, all by itself, a
wireless. The expanded use of a phone has been connected by different investigations to an
expanded wellbeing hazard. While this is past the extent of this examination, it is
imperative to make reference to as a potential pursue on work.