11. Sales Professionals’ Use of Social Media to Create and Deploy Social Capital in US and Indian Companies

The purpose of this research is to explore differences in social media use for the creation and deployment of social capital by salespeople in US and Indian sales organizations. A conceptual framework was developed that posits salespersons’ use of social media as an antecedent to the creation of social capital. Drawing upon theories of cross-cultural differences, we postulate different paths to social capital creation and deployment by sales professionals in the USA and India. The goal of the research is to provide a foundation for subsequent empirical investigation. The research is aimed at helping managers appreciate the use of social media in multinational organizations. The research project has enormous significance for both academics and practitioners. First, what is an appropriate use of social media by sales professionals is an urgent and immediate dilemma for managers. Second, illuminating the pathways from social media to social capital will help increase the accountability of the marketing function. Third, an appreciation of the differences between social media use by salespeople in US and Indian organizations can provide managers with a finer-grained understanding of the transformative potential of social technologies in global organizations. This conceptual framework can provide a strong foundation for a cross-cultural study.