Chief executive officers’ social media use a study of selected personalities in Ghana

Abstract

The study examines the kinds of posts CEOs share on social media and further investigates how the concepts of self-branding and corporate branding are enacted through the posts. This research, through the lens of Goffman’s Presentation of Self and the theory of identity construction, and anchored on a case study design interrogates Facebook and Twitter posts of two purposively selected CEOs. This study indicates that the selected CEOs share posts on governance, their personalities, global issues, social and organisational subjects. Also, the study reveals that the CEOs present themselves positively to appeal to their social media followers. This assertion is supported by the CEOs branding of themselves as organisational leaders, corporate spokespersons, social commentators, influencers, globetrotters, religious people and gender advocates. Further, the study showed that the images of the organisations the selected CEOs head are shaped positively through their social media use. In effect, CEOs portray their organisations as competent, innovative and impactful. The study concludes that the CEOs construct, modify, maintain and promote their identities and that of their organisations on social media.