Quarterly Journal of Social Development
(Previously Human Development)

Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development)

Analyzing the lived experience of private business workers about the opportunities and threats of social networks in the business environment (case study of Khuzestan province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 PhD Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Sciences and Islamic StudiesÙˆ Al-Mustafa International University,, Qom, Iran
2 PhD in Sociology, Dehaghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dehaghan, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Islamic Azad University, Abadan Branch, Abadan, Iran
10.22055/qjsd.2024.46476.2933
Abstract
This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the lived experience of private business workers about the opportunities and threats of social networks in the business environment (Khuzestan province case study). The statistical population in this research included all the people working in private jobs in Khuzestan province, 26 people were selected using the purposeful sampling method. The research method is qualitative and descriptive phenomenological. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. In order to analyze the data in this research, the seven-step Claysey method was used. The findings of the research showed that two main themes including 1- the opportunities of social networks with 11 sub-themes and 2- the theme of harms of social networks with 6 sub-themes were obtained. Also, in relation to the opportunities of social networks, the sub-themes of advertising, interacting with customers, attracting customers, reducing costs, increasing customer loyalty, increasing income, increasing awareness, recognizing needs, expanding, knowing competitors and gaining credit were obtained. And the sub-topics of virtual space filtering, internet disruption, economic violations, reduction of economic security, elite migration and capital outflow include the damage of social networks in the economic environment.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 24 January 2026