This study offers an in-depth account of the mutual constitution of technology use and status hierarchies in a global organization by investigating the use of enterprise social media (ESM). Analyses of individual interviews (N = 32) and ESM posts (N = 1,050) showed that (a) the visibility affordance was perceived and used differently by various status groups and (b) emerging patterns of ESM use contributed to the reproduction of status hierarchies. Specifically, increased communication visibility allowed dispersed workers to obtain previously unshared knowledge; however, the very same visibility also revealed knowledge disparities between different status groups, thereby sustaining status hierarchies. Thus, visibility, which has been traditionally linked to recognition, can be also conceived as a quality that highlights inequitable distribution of knowledge and status. This study advances our understanding of social status in global organizations by delineating how communicative practices, organizational structures, and technology use jointly constitute status hierarchies.

中文翻译：

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全球组织中社交媒体使用和地位等级的相互构成

本研究通过调查企业社交媒体 (ESM) 的使用，深入说明了全球组织中技术使用和地位等级的相互构成。对个人访谈（N = 32）和 ESM 帖子（N = 1,050）的分析表明 (a) 可见性可供性被不同状态群体以不同的方式感知和使用，以及 (b) ESM 使用的新兴模式有助于状态等级的再现. 具体而言，提高沟通的可见性使分散的员工能够获得以前未共享的知识；然而，同样的可见性也揭示了不同地位群体之间的知识差异，从而维持了地位等级。因此，传统上与​​认可相关的可见性，也可以被视为一种品质，它突出了知识和地位的不公平分配。本研究通过描绘交流实践、组织结构和技术使用如何共同构成地位等级，促进了我们对全球组织中社会地位的理解。