Social media can be a powerful communication tool for employees, helping them to collaborate, share ideas and solve problems. Research has shown that 82% of employees think social media can improve work relationships and 60% believe it can support decision-making processes. These beliefs contribute to a majority of workers connecting with colleagues on social media, even during work hours.

        Employers typically worry that social media is a productivity killer; more than half of U.S. employers reportedly block access to social media at work. In my research with 277 employees of a healthcare organization I found these concerns to be misguided. Social media doesn’t reduce productivity nearly as much as it kills employee retention.

        In the first part of the study I surveyed the employees about why and how they used platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Respondents were then asked about their work behaviors, including whether they felt motivated in their jobs and showed initiative at work. I found employees who engage in online social interactions with co-workers through social media blogs tend to be more motivated and come up with innovative ideas. But when employees interact with individuals outside the organization, they are less motivated and show less initiative.

        In the second part of the study I found 76% of employees using social media for work took an interest in other organizations they found on social media. When I examined how respondents expressed openness to new careers and employers, I found that they engaged in some key activities including researching new organizations and making new work connections.

       These findings present a dilemma for managers: employees using social media at work are more engaged and more productive, but they are also more likely to leave your company. Managers should implement solutions that neutralize the retention risk caused by social media.

        They can create social media groups in which employees will be more likely to collaborate and less likely to share withdrawal intentions or discussions about external job opportunities. Managers can also use social media to directly reduce turnover (跳槽) intentions, by recognizing employees’ accomplishments and giving visibility to employees’ success stories.

解析：B。根据题干中的the author’s own research可定位至原文第二、三、四段。第二段最后一句提到，作者通过研究发现，社交媒体对生产力的削弱程度远不如其对员工流失造成的影响大。结合第四段第一句提到，在研究的第二部分，作者发现76%在工作中使用社交媒体的员工对他们在社交媒体上发现的其他公司感兴趣。由此可知，使用社交媒体会对员工忠诚度有很大影响，employee loyalty对应原文中的employee retention，故正确答案为B。

错项排除：原文第五段提到，在工作中使用社交媒体的员工更加敬业、效率更高，A项的“对员工的工作产生负面影响”与此相悖，故排除。原文第三段提到，那些通过社交媒体博客与同事进行在线社交互动的员工往往更有动力，C项与此内容相悖，故排除。D项利用原文中的decision-making设置干扰，但这里说的是之前有研究显示60%的员工认为社交媒体可以为决策过程提供支持，并不是作者研究的内容，故D项排除。