There has been extensive literature published about NGO adoption and use of social media, however these studies have only focused on large, and primarily Western operated organizations, while research on NGO and social enterprise adoption in emergent nations is drastically limited. Cambodia was particularly relevant for a study on social media, because in fact Facebook has surpassed television as Cambodian people’s main source for gathering news. In particular this research focused on a famous Khmer-owned NGO, Phare Ponleu Selpak and their sister organization the Phare Performing Social Enterprise. This organization is well-known in Cambodia, because they produce world-renowned visual and performing artists, and are especially known for the circus, which is a major tourism attraction in Siem Reap.
In this anthropological, exploratory case study, I conducted in-depth interviews with key staff members and executed a thematic analysis of PPSA and PPSE’s social media platforms in order to unveil the reasons for social media adoption as well as an in-depth analysis of the strategies involved. The results indicated that community engagement and organizational transparency were the key indicators for social media adoption. For strategy, community engagement and informational postings were also more important than posts that prompted actions such as donating, voting, or participating. Finally, social media was seen as a vital tool in the dissemination of information about Cambodian arts and intangible heritages, because Facebook has become the key source for information in Cambodia due to the state owned media. Therefore, Cambodians are able to learn about their history and the arts by following PPSA and PPSE, particularly on Facebook. Furthermore, tourists can also celebrate and learn about Cambodian art and intangible heritage through these social media channels.

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