Socially mediated authenticity

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn R. Gilpin ◽  
Edward T. Palazzolo ◽  
Nicholas Brody
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Essential Components

PurposeUse of digital media channels is growing in public communication. Given the importance of public trust in government figures and agencies, combined with the risk and fear of misrepresentation inherent in online interaction, it is important to develop theoretical frameworks for investigating the ways in which authenticity is constructed in online public affairs communication. The purpose of this paper is to produce a preliminary model of authenticity in online communication, with particular emphasis on public institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first develops a theoretical model of authenticity from existing literature in various disciplines. It then uses that model to explore a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the comments on the US State Department blog, DipNote, from its inception to the end of the Bush Administration.FindingsDespite limited interactions between DipNote authors and commenters, the types and quantity of responses to posts indicate a desire by some readers to discuss the topics raised in the blog space. These responses also suggest that at least some commenters find that the blog meets their criteria for authenticity to the extent necessary to engage in community‐type interaction within its virtual boundaries. A functional‐structural analysis of the blog responses supports the essential components of the theoretical model proposed, which suggests that DipNote presents a mixed form of authenticity.Originality/valueAuthenticity is particularly important in the public sphere, and public institutions are increasingly engaging with social media as a means of connecting with constituencies. This paper proposes a starting‐point for theory development regarding this significant emerging area of communication.

Antagonistic framing of sustainability by energy suppliers

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franzisca Weder ◽  
Isabell Koinig ◽  
Denise Voci
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Websites ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Political Argumentation ◽  
Online Communication Tools ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Energy Companies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine inasmuch energy suppliers dedicate communicative resources toward sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR), also paying attention to how they frame it, and if they manage to achieve consistency in their communication or fall victim to contradictions. Design/methodology/approach By use of a qualitative content analysis, online communication tools (information on corporate websites) as well as content for download were examined in detail. The present study sample comprised of 12 case studies from selected countries (Austria, Russia, Germany, the USA, France and Korea). Findings Overall, findings indicate that CSR has already been implemented in most energy and energy-related industries; however, it is put forward with varying degrees of attention and intensity, depending on which topics energy companies choose to address communicatively (results were classified according to a frame positioning scheme by Weder, 2012, 2018). Results underscore the fact that, at times, companies are struggling to link their CSR projects back to their core businesses. Yet, a clear trend to politicization can be described as a strong correlation of communication strategies of energy suppliers and political programs of the respective country becomes obvious. Research limitations/implications Limited research as to how CSR topics are framed in different branches has been conducted to date; likewise, the energy sector, whose motives has been often subject to public questioning, has received little attention in CSR communication research to date. Hence, ambiguities were presumed to exist. Originality/value The present study examines the relevance and framing of CSR in a highly competitive, centralized industry that is challenged by a global process of transition to renewable energy. The results show that the analyzed energy suppliers offer only a limited variety of issue-specific frames; instead CSR as well as sustainability are (ab)used as master frames or “buzz words” in a fairly shallow economic or socio-political argumentation.

scholarly journals Digital channels for building collaborative consumption communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Garrett ◽  
Karla Straker ◽  
Cara Wrigley
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Collaborative Consumption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Channel Choice ◽  
Channel Strategy ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
Peer To Peer Systems ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Digital Channels

Purpose Collaborative consumption firms leverage networked peers, communicating, collaborating and even delivering services to one another through a central marketplace channel. This raises questions as to the nature of this new form of digital channel strategy and deployment from a firm’s perspective. As a first step, this research seeks to help bridge the gap in knowledge by establishing an understanding of the digital channel usage of collaborative consumption firms. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative content analysis of 30 collaborative consumption firms was conducted using multiple data sources and coded into typologies against a predetermined coding scheme. These results were then compared against existing literature on digital channel usage in regards to a wider company usage. Findings This study identifies the digital channel usage and digital channel typology of each of the 30 firms associated within the collaborative consumption domain. The study shows a distinct increase in the use of social and community digital channels between traditional firms and collaborative consumption firms. As a result of this study, a concise definition of a collaborative consumption firm is provided, the digital channel usage of collaborative consumption firms is detailed and insights are provided for each sub-type of collaborative consumption. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the understanding of the collaborative consumption phenomena, the business model of collaborative consumption firms and digital channels. This study assists in describing the shift from traditional firms to peer-to-peer systems. Finally, a theoretical model is provided that demonstrates the nuance of collaborative consumption channel choice within each subcategory for future researchers to test and reflect upon. Practical implications This study demonstrates how collaborative consumption firms are allowing customers to drive interaction rather than traditional business-to-customer messages. A theoretical model is provided which shows contemporary marketers how to best dictate a digital channel strategy for a collaborative consumption style initiative. Originality/value Contributions include: a definition of what a collaborative consumption firm and its channels pertain to and how to design a collaborative consumption digital channel strategy. This study presents a digital channel comparison between collaborative consumption firms and traditional organisations.

The art of engagement: dialogic strategies on Twitter

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Sundstrom ◽  
Abbey Blake Levenshus
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Media Organizations ◽  
Dialogic Theory ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the dialogic theory of public relations can help strategic communication practitioners support and enhance the relationship between individuals and organizations. Design/methodology/approach This inquiry applied the dialogic theory of public relations by investigating leading media companies’ context-based strategic use of Twitter. Researchers conducted a qualitative content analysis of 1,800 tweets from 18 top-performing media organizations. Findings This study identified strategies, rooted in dialogic theoretical principles that media organizations used to engage stakeholders. Media companies employed strategies based on dialogic principles, including promoting organizations as industry and thought leaders, integrating social media, and using an interactive, synergistic organizational voice. Research limitations/implications These strategies support the need to expand theoretical conceptualizations and use of dialogic principles to study online communication. Practical implications Findings offer practical strategies for practitioners managing organizations’ Twitter communication to foster engagement. In particular, practitioners should consider organizational context and subsequent content advantages. Originality/value Findings offer practical and theoretical contributions to the debate of interactivity.

scholarly journals The SMEs’ technology acceptance of digital media for stakeholder engagement

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Anthony Camilleri
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Acceptance Model

Purpose Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly communicating and interacting with stakeholders through digital media. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the SME owner-managers’ attitudes toward the pace of technological innovation, and it examines their perceived use and ease of digital media for stakeholder engagement. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology integrated measuring items from the technology acceptance model, the pace of technological innovation and corporate social responsibility, to better understand the SME owner-managers’ rationale for using digital media. The respondents were expected to reveal their attitudes toward commercial, ethical and social responsibilities. Findings A factor analysis indicated that the SME owner-managers were perceiving the usefulness of digital media to engage with marketplace stakeholders. Whilst, a stepwise regression analysis reported positive and significant relationships between the pace of technological innovation and the SMEs’ perceived usefulness of digital media for communication purposes. The results also revealed that young owner-managers from large SMEs were more likely to utilize digital media than their smaller counterparts. Originality/value This contribution implies that both small and micro businesses are utilizing digital media to improve their stakeholder engagement. This study indicates that the pace of technological innovation, the SMEs’ perceived ease of use of digital media, as well as their commercial responsibility were significant antecedents for the SMEs’ online communication.

Corporate governance varieties

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 582-598
Author(s):  
Alexander Styhre
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Tradition ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
Stakeholder Interests ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Anglo American

PurposeCorporate governance is the practice of balancing various stakeholder interests within the legal device of the chartered business. Recent changes in the competitive capitalism including the Great Recession, now entering its second decade, have called for reforms within the defined corporate system. To sketch a wider picture of corporate governance issues and the debate over time, this paper aims to identify two philosophical traditions, a British and liberal tradition and a continental statist tradition, which have bearings for how the legal device of the corporation is understood.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper combines legal philosophy and legal studies, management studies, economics and economic sociology literatures.FindingsIn the former tradition, the firm and its ownership are exclusively associated with irreducibly individual rights. In the latter tradition, property rights remain the core of legal systems, but rather than being an end in itself (as in the liberal tradition), such property rights are merely the starting point for the individual’s wider engagement in social and public affairs. These two traditions enact the firm differently and emphasize specific benefits. In the former tradition, associated with a shareholder primacy model, individual rent-seeking is foregrounded; in the latter tradition, associated with legal and management scholarship, the team production qualities of the firm are emphasized.Originality/valueThis conceptual paper offers an analysis of the roots of differences between Anglo-American and continental corporate governance traditions, a scholarly study that is of great theoretical and practical relevance in the era of the Great Depression.

The human dimension of early warning – a viewpoint

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-274
Author(s):  
Mo Hamza ◽  
Peter Månsson
Keyword(s):  
Early Warning ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Human Dimension ◽  
Warning Systems ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
End To End ◽  
Early Warnings

Purpose The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami prompted global efforts to develop end-to-end multi-hazard warning systems. Taking this event as a starting point, and drawing on experiences from the following advancement of the Indonesian tsunami early warning system, this paper aims to highlight the importance of paying attention to human factors and the perceptions and behaviors of end recipients when trying to design efficient early warning systems. Design/methodology/approach The study is a viewpoint where theoretical frameworks for the design of efficient early warning systems are used as backdrop to an extensive review and analysis of secondary data, including scientific papers and newspaper articles. Findings The paper presents what an end-to-end warning system means, explores process problems related to perception and communication and concludes with views and recommendations toward more inclusive early warnings. Originality/value Research and practice related to early warning systems have traditionally had a strong focus on technological elements whilst the target groups of early warnings (i.e. communities) have received far less attention and resources. This paper focuses on the human dimension of warning systems and uses a real case to exemplify how efficient warning systems not only require a sound scientific and technological basis, but also depend on the awareness, trust and will of the people they aim to protect.

The growing influence of social and digital media

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (8) ◽  
pp. 1766-1780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Russo ◽  
Mariarosaria Simeone
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
New Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Market Equilibrium ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to devise and then test a theoretical model to illustrate the effects of the increasing importance of social media on consumer behavior and market equilibrium in differentiated food industries. Design/methodology/approach The authors use game theory to model the strategic use of social media by firms producing high-value food products. The authors test the predictions of the theoretical model by means of a survey of 722 randomly selected Italian food consumers using an online questionnaire. Findings The model predicts that, as social media become more and more influential, consumers using the new media become more informed, and their concern about food quality attributes increases. At the same time, the consumers using mass media only receive less information and they prefer cheaper products to the high value one. As a result, the emergence of social media favours market segmentation and the hypotheses tested were: Social consumers are, on average, more informed than mass consumers and more concerned about environmental issues than mass consumers. The data support the theoretical model. Originality/value The paper contributes to the debate about the impact of information from interested sources on market equilibrium, providing an innovative analysis of the role of social media.

Empirical examination of theoretical model of workplace envy: evidences from Jordan

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1438-1459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Yasin Ghadi
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Main Determinants ◽  
Counterproductive Behaviours

Purpose This paper aims to report the findings of a study examining the role of workplace envy as a mediator between set of antecedents and consequences. A theoretical model proposed to be tested empirically by Mishra (2009). Design/methodology/approach A pre-determined questionnaire was completed by 169 employees working in several jobs at four organizations in Jordan. Only 142 were usable for the present study, resulting in a response rate of 84 per cent. The data collection period took only one month from March 2017 to April 2017. Findings Six hypotheses were developed in this study. The results from multiple-regression analysis indicate that the three proposed antecedents (i.e. neuroticism, conscientiousness and perceived competitiveness) significantly predict workplace envy. In addition, workplace envy significantly predicts counterproductive behaviours and organizational citizenship behaviour. Research limitations/implications Organizations must set a range of methods that help in reducing the envy at work. A starting point to do that is to measure both; the levels of envy and its main determinants among all employees in the organization. After this assessment, the aim is to build intervention methods aimed at striving to reduce workplace envy. Furthermore, the proposed model of this study may provide managers with new insights into reducing envy at work. These might be, but not specific to: stress management programmes, teaching employees ethical solutions for conflicts at work and conducting informal activities between employees. Originality/value This is one of the studies, to author knowledge, that tested variety of antecedents and consequences of workplace envy in a Jordanian context. As a result, testing the proposed model addresses previous research concerns that envy has not thoroughly investigated and requires empirical consideration.

scholarly journals Selling actors in multi-actor sales ecosystems: who they are, what they do and why it matters

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Weretecki ◽  
Goetz Greve ◽  
Jörg Henseler
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Test Validity ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
World Cafe ◽  
Different Sources

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate selling actors in multi-actor sales ecosystems. When selling actors start taking over tasks that were formerly performed by salespeople, the distribution of tasks, allocation of responsibilities and finally the role of the salespeople changes. However, little is known about salespersons’ perceptions of selling actors’ identities and participation behavior in multi-actor sales ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a World Café, a new qualitative method to the field of sales research, to obtain first data on selling actor identities in multi-actor sales ecosystems. Salespeople, who had the chance to observe and interact with more than 98,000 selling actors, disclosed their perceptions of selling actors’ participation behavior in a multi-actor sales ecosystem. Four different data sources were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic and to test validity through the convergence of information from different sources. Findings Using identity theory, a salesperson–selling actor relationship/behavior typology for multi-actor sales ecosystems was developed. Eight different selling actor identities were identified: avoider, observer, receptive actor, prepper, expecter, savvy actor, challenger and coworker. Originality/value The typology provides researchers and managers with a tool to better understand and evaluate sales ecosystems. This knowledge can be used as a starting point for the reassessment of the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for salespeople in multi-actor sales ecosystems and to improve their training and coaching. The firsthand experiences reported by the participants of the World Café enable salespeople to identify different selling actors faster and prepare fitting approaches for all selling actor identities.

Regenerative futures

foresight ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-415
Author(s):  
Kimberly Camrass
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Regenerative Development ◽  
Regenerative Design ◽  
Sustainability Practice

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how futures concepts may further existing regenerative sustainability thinking. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews existing regenerative fields, including regenerative design, regenerative development and regenerative sustainability as alternatives to conventional sustainability practice. It considers futures concepts that may deepen regenerative thinking and practice to develop a regenerative futures conceptual model. Findings This paper demonstrates how regenerative fields and futures studies have the capacity to reciprocally inform one another and builds upon this relationship through the development of a regenerative futures conceptual model. Originality/value This paper makes a number of theoretical contributions. First, it demonstrates how regenerative fields and futures thinking may reciprocally inform one another and, subsequently, enrich regenerative practice. Second, by drawing from futures thinking, it questions and ultimately lengthens notions of reality and time from a regenerative perspective. Finally, through the proposal of a regenerative futures conceptual model, it offers an alternative lens to analyse human behaviours and their associated impacts. In this way, it introduces a theoretical model that is focused on deep individual and collective transformation and a starting point for future research and refinement.

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