Recommendation in the Age of Digital Communication: a Proposal for Business, Education, Social, Private Life Recommendation Scale (BESP-L) for Human Resources Communication

Purpose - Communication is an important aspect of recommendation practices in all industries across the world. This study explores the communication components of recommendation culture in the digital age. Aim – This study pursuits the possibility of a digital recommendation system suitable for the business organizations. Methodology - A sample of N=1002 is surveyed in order to analyze how people evaluate certain practices of recommendation in Turkey. Sampling and surveying procedures are conducted on a blockchain-based system. Additionally, decision tree analysis is applied to the data. Findings - It is found that duration of acquaintance with the recommender is the most essential element for the credibility of the letters of recommendation, while recommendation from social media sources is found to be the least credible. The importance of the recommendation from a person acquainted in the business life domain is perceived to be the highest. The study also revealed that credibility of references that are printed with original signature is not much higher than the online references that are digitally signed. Furthermore, the credibility of references over distance connection tools are even higher than the references through oral communication. These findings suggest that a digital recommendation culture is emerging in parallel with the rapid development of digital communication tools in organizations. Limitations of the study – The study is a cross-sectional study, and based on data from only one country. Practical implications - The paper suggests a recommendation system based on Business, Education, Social, Private Life Recommendation Scale (BESP-L) which is developed from a decision tree analysis. Originality/Value - It is a proposal in the pursuit of an advanced HR systems in the digital age.