A CROSS-SECTOR QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON THE APPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS IN ENHANCING ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which social media analytics (SMA) contributes to organizational performance across five major sectors: retail, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and education. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative research design, data were collected from 327 organizations through a structured survey instrument measuring SMA adoption, strategic alignment, internal integration, data reliability, and performance outcomes. Five hypotheses were tested to evaluate the influence of SMA on customer engagement, financial performance, operational efficiency, innovation, and sector-specific usage patterns. The findings confirmed Hypothesis 1, indicating that higher levels of SMA adoption significantly enhance customer engagement (β = 0.38, t = 5.91, p < .001, R² = .27). Hypothesis 2 was supported, showing that strategic alignment between SMA and organizational goals leads to improved financial performance (β = 0.41, t = 6.74, p < .001, R² = .33). Hypothesis 3 demonstrated that SMA integration into internal operations correlates with increased organizational efficiency (β = 0.29, t = 4.12, p = .000, R² = .22). Hypothesis 4 was validated by findings that the use of predictive SMA tools significantly enhances innovation outcomes (β = 0.35, t = 5.43, p < .001, R² = .25). Hypothesis 5 was confirmed through sectoral analysis, revealing statistically significant differences in perceived SMA data reliability and utilization, particularly between the retail and education sectors (F = 7.68, p < .001). Strategic alignment and analytics maturity emerged as key mediators of these effects. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence positioning SMA as an essential driver of competitive advantage, operational agility, and stakeholder engagement in contemporary organizational contexts.