It might come as a bit of a surprise, but executives are much more bullish about social media than their employees.

A new survey reveals that 41 percent employers believe social networking helps to build and maintain their workplace culture, while only 21 percent of employees felt the same.

Deloitte‘s “Core Beliefs and Culture” survey asked 1005 employees and 303 employers in the United States about their core workplace beliefs, culture and business strategy.

And employers and employees clearly have different visions of how Twitter, Facebook and other social networks impact their bottom line.

Nearly half (45 percent) of employers believe that social media has a positive impact on workplace culture, and only 27 percent of employees think it’s a positive force. And more than a third of employers (38 percent) think using social media increases transparency among management, while only 17 percent of employees think the same.

Employers also think that social media use helps build relationships between colleagues, improves company culture, and improves the sense of connection between the company and its employees. But employees? Not so much.

This survey of US employers and employees mirrors the findings of a UK-based survey earlier this month, which showed that 44 percent of employees believe social media to be detrimental to the workplace.

The disconnect between employers and employees when it comes to social media shows that companies still have a way to go before they can fully harness the power of social.

(Businesspeople image via Shutterstock)