Tweet, like, subscribe! Understanding leadership through social media use

Abstract

The proliferation of digital data has opened the door for a 21st-century social science that explores human relationships on an unprecedented scale. A particular area of interest is that of leader social media (SM) usage. As studies on leader SM usage have grown dramatically in the past several years, we take stock of the extant literature across various research disciplines. Within this manuscript, we contextualize leader SM usage and demonstrate how it compares to analogous concepts. We subsequently abridge relevant findings and reflect on methodological and theoretical components of the research studies identified in this review. Further, we outline the nature of SM data and provide practical recommendations for leadership scholars to capitalize on this rich data source in their investigations. We also offer a theoretical framework and summary of how scholars have studied leader SM usage. Specifically, this review article synthesizes the current literature while also elevating the academic rigor of leader SM research.