Measuring Social Media Success: The value of the Balanced Scorecard as a tool for evaluation and strategic management in museums

This Ph.D. research was triggered by the existing need for an evaluation model that will help museums to measure their social media success. This thesis defines a performance measurement framework that could be adopted to select the set of measures and tools required to carry out this evaluation task. In order to develop the framework, this thesis investigates the strategies and usage of social media based on original data collected from twenty cultural organisations as part of the UK’s ‘Let’s Get Real’ national action research project. The framework developed in this study and named the ‘Museum Social Media Measurement Framework’, uses the ‘Balanced Scorecard’ as its foundation. A case study approach, using Tate’s social media initiatives, was adopted to assess the validity of the framework and to obtain, during its implementation, a detailed understanding of the evaluation methods and tools that may be applied in this context. The study concludes that not only has the Balanced Scorecard shown itself to be a valuable strategy management instrument for clarifying vision and objectives, but it also provides a good overview of how the museum creates value from both an internal and external perspective. However, it lacks data visualisation guidelines and is not free from implementation challenges. This study reflects on the implications for museums in establishing a performance measurement system in terms of processes, organisational structure and resources. This thesis contributes to the business studies field with a case study of the application of the Balanced Scorecard. Moreover, this research illustrates the value of applying business theories to museum studies with the proposal of a new tool for the sector. The thesis as a whole makes the case for a better evaluation approach in museums when it comes to measuring the impact and value of social media.