Similarity Networks Among EU Countries in Business Social Media Use and Their Relation to Digital and Economic Performance

Abstract

In today's accelerating global context of digitisation, the integration of social networks into enterprises' strategies has become a crucial determinant for their adaptability, innovation and market visibility. This paper complements the literature by integrating a network perspective on digital convergence in the EU business environment, correlating the use of social networks with three other major socio-economic indicators: real GDP per capita, individuals' level of digital skills and innovation intensity. Based on these indicators, we modelled a network of similarity across the 27 EU member states. The analysis points to the existence of central nodes, representing countries with standardised digital and economic profiles, as well as well-defined regional digital communities. The results therefore emphasise the role of each country in the network's structure and cohesion and reveal a significant correlation between economic development and social media adoption. The study also includes a robustness analysis of the network structure, by simulating the exclusion of central nodes, to observe the changes in the network cohesion. Therefore, this paper provides relevant insights into the digital convergence dynamics in Europe and can assist the development of effective digitalisation policies. Moreover, it can provide the foundation for future research on European digital cohesion and regional economic transformation.