New research has revealed that whilst 41% of executives believe social networking helps to build and maintain workplace culture, only 21% of employees have the same view.

Additionally, the survey of over 1,300 employees and executives by Deloitte and Harris Interactive, showed that business leaders and staff also differ on whether social media has a positive effect on the workplace.

According to the figures, 45% of executives believe social media produces benefits compared with only 27% of staff; 38% of senior staff also claimed it allows for increased management transparency compared with 17% of junior staff.

The study also showed that executives tend to prioritise a clearly defined business strategy (76%) above clearly defined and communicated core values and beliefs (62%), whilst employees value them equally.

Considering the elements of workplace culture, senior staff rank the tangibles – competitive compensation (62%) and financial performance (65%) – among the top factors influencing culture on the job whereas employees say the intangibles – regular and candid communication (50%) and access to management (47%) - outweigh the tangibles.

Punit Renjen, chairman of the board at Deloitte LLP, said: “Our research suggests executives are possibly using social media as a crutch in building workplace culture and appearing accessible to employees. While business leaders should recognise how people communicate today, particularly Millennials, they must keep in mind the limits of these technologies. The norms for cultivating culture have not changed, and require managers to build trust through face-to-face meetings, live phone calls and personal messages.”