Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emeraldsrm: 463825 [] For AuthorsIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Downloaded by Politecnico di Milano At 07:27 24 March 2016 (PT)Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. Design/methodology/approach -The framework of the research was constructed to cover the technical component of PMS (measurement methods and indicators) and the use of the information obtained from SM. Empirically, the study is based on a set of case studies in eight companies.Findings -The study findings offer a theoretical and empirical framework to evaluate PMS in the era of SM. It provides a classification of SM metrics, key performance indicators correlated to their use within different departments belonging to eight companies, highlighting the benefits and threats of SM information for PMS.Research limitations/implications -The limitation of this study is the diversity of industries included into the multiple-case study. The authors choose cases with the aim of providing a broader view on the impact of SM on PMS. However, the results show the dependency of use and type of measurement on certain industries, requiring future research focused on specific sectors or PMS aspects. Practical implications -The paper provides a map of SM information measurement methods and use, which allows companies to position themselves and examine PMS evolution. Originality/value -The results of the paper propose a holistic model, employing SM as a new variable in PMS.