Liability risks in shareholders’ engagement via electronic communication and social media

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 539-555
Author(s):  
Aiman Nariman Mohd-Sulaiman ◽  
Mohsin Hingun
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Capital Market ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
Liability Risks ◽  
Selective Disclosure

Purpose This paper aims to examine the potential liability of companies and their board members arising from the use of digital technology and social media as communication and engagement tools with investors and shareholders. Design/methodology/approach The research relies on a qualitative study using legal analysis of corporate and capital market laws as well as the outcome of legal proceedings and regulatory actions to ascertain conduct that could expose companies and boards to liability risks. Findings Social media characteristics expose unwary directors and companies to potential liability for oppressive conduct, selective disclosure or misleading statements. Research limitations/implications This paper informs boards and companies of the types of conduct that could expose companies and boards to liability when social media is relied on to communicate with shareholders and investors. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on social media, capital market and corporate communication by presenting the legal perspective concerning reliance on social media as shareholders’ engagement and corporate communication tool.

Court on Camera: Television Coverage of Australian Legal Proceedings

2001 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-127
Author(s):  
Jane Johnston
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Federal Court ◽  
Court System ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
The Past ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
International Environment ◽  
The Media ◽  
Television Coverage

Despite widespread legal analysis and critical review over the past 20 years, television access into the Australian court system has been slow and piecemeal, with Australia falling behind Canadian and New Zealand initiatives in this area. A recent major report into camera access in the Federal Court has refocused attention on this area, but analysis continues to be primarily from a legal perspective rather than a media one. This paper considers the televised court coverage in Australia to this point, analyses change in the international environment and suggests possible futures for the televising of Australian courts, while also attempting to lay some foundations for discussion beyond the legal, and into the media, domain.

Typology of contemporary corporate communication channels

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmytro Olehovych Oltarzhevskyi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Communication Channels ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Corporate Communications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Category

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to distinguish the corporate communication channels by typology, by the designation of their characteristics and features of application, as well as to institutionalize the concept of corporate media. Design/methodology/approach In the theoretical part, with the help of general review, critical analysis, systematization and generalization, the main scientific works devoted to corporate communications have been studied. In practical part, the method of typology there has been used and descriptive analysis of types of communication channels has been carried out. Findings The research distinguishes the types of channels used in modern corporate communication. It reveals that corporate communication channels can be divided into two main types according to the criteria of relation to the company: outsiders and insiders. Then the channels can be divided into broad functional subtypes: events, advertising, media and a specific category – social media. The typological separation also can be based on the auditorium and communication technologies indications. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to the development of studies of corporate communication through structuring communication channels. The establishment of types, features and prospects for the development of communication channels, in particular such specific ones as corporate and social media, contribute to a more systematic approach to the methods of their use. From a practical point of view, companies can be guided by the results of this research during the formation of a mix of corporate communication.

Enterprise social media at work: web-based solutions for employee engagement

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 16-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anshu Sharma ◽  
Jyotsna Bhatnagar
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Social Media ◽  
Respective Field ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Social Networking Tools

Purpose The paper aims to highlight the role of enterprise social media as an internal workplace tool for employee engagement purposes. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a viewpoint on how social media can be used internally by organizations after considering both academic and practitioner literature in the respective field. Findings The paper posits that organizations should move beyond using social networking tools for recruitment and branding purposes and take a step further to use social media tools internally for employee engagement initiatives. It provides practical implications for managers to embrace social media as an engagement tool and to increase employees’ participation on such media. Research limitations/implications The paper provides implications for both researchers and practitioners for using social media as a strategic employee engagement initiative and devising appropriate social media and human resource strategies to do so. Originality/value The paper offers insights into how enterprise social media can be used as an internal communication tool for engaging employees in this technologically connected era.

Using social media in the wine business

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Szolnoki ◽  
Dimitri Taits ◽  
Moritz Nagel ◽  
Alessio Fortunato
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales Channels ◽  
Wine Sector ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to conduct two studies to investigate the use of social media tools by wineries in Germany and assess the impact of Facebook membership on customers by comparing them with customers who were not members. Today, a vast number of books and studies are being published about social media in general, but less is known about their usage and effectiveness in the wine industry. Design/methodology/approach – The first study was conducted among 321 German wineries. It focused on the attitudes and preferences of the winemakers regarding social media, and it analysed the daily use of this new communication tool. The second study took place in August 2012, and it set out to define the value that accrued to a winery from having Facebook fans. This analysis was based on an online survey with customers of the winery as well as on a comparative analysis of the buying patterns of customers who were Facebook fans and those who were not. The analysis compared the turnover from the purchases of both groups over a period of three years. Findings – It was determined that 60 per cent of German wineries did communicate with their customers using social media. Facebook was the most important social media channel, followed by Twitter and YouTube. Of the winemakers interviewed, 40 per cent planned, in the near future, to implement additional activities involving social media. The consumer study proved that Facebook fans had a higher turnover compared to the non-Facebook fans of the winery studied. This finding emphasises the loyalty of Facebook fans. In addition, the study revealed that Facebook fans are open to receiving sales offers from the company which they support. Practical implications – Winery owners should be aware of the effectiveness of this modern communication tool. This is not only because Facebook fans generate a much higher turnover but also because of the possibility that they are interested in additional special offers on Facebook, which could mean an expansion of the available sales channels. Originality/value – To our knowledge, this kind of overview about the Germany wine sector as well as about the value of a Facebook-fan of a winery has not yet been undertaken.

scholarly journals Social media: the Wild West of CSR communications

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Tench ◽  
Brian Jones
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Communication Management ◽  
Media Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
Wild West ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – This paper aims to posit the central argument that traditional media of old presented a clear, ordered world of communication management for organisations to extol their corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials. In contrast to this, new Web 2.0 social media is increasingly being used by activists and hactivists to challenge corporate communication CSR messages and does so by highlighting instances and examples of corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) (Jones et al., 2009; Tench et al., 2012). Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on research data from the European Communication Monitor, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (www.communicationmonitor.eu/) and draws on work already published in this area (Tench et al., 2009; Verhoeven et al., 2012; Zerfass et al., 2010, 2011) to illustrate the unruly, unregulated Web 2.0 social media communication landscape in Europe. A range of literature is drawn on to provide the theoretical context for an exploration of issues that surround social media. Findings – In late modernity (Giddens, 1990), communication comes in many guises. Social media is one guise and it has re-shaped as well as transformed the nature of communications and the relationship between organisations and their stakeholders. Originality/value – Communicating CSR in the Wild West of social media requires diplomatic and political nous, as well as awareness and knowledge of the dangers and pitfalls of CSI. The data reported on in this paper well illustrate the above points and set out scenarios for future development of corporate communication of CSR through and with social media.

Drivers of Twitter as a strategic communication tool for non-profit organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1052-1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
María del Mar Gálvez-Rodríguez ◽  
Carmen Caba-Pérez ◽  
Manuel López-Godoy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Stakeholder Relationships ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

Purpose In view of the increased impact of social media, non-profit organizations (NPOs) should review their management model for stakeholder relationships. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of factors on the use of Twitter by NPOs as a mechanism for disclosing information and dialogue with their stakeholders, and in particular: “donor dependence,” “fundraising expenses,” “organizational age,” “organizational size,” “online community size,” “network activity” and “board size.” Design/methodology/approach A content analysis of Twitter use as a strategic communication tool was conducted and a multivariable linear regression analysis was performed. Findings Smaller organizations and those with a larger online community are the most interested in implementing Twitter as a one or two-way communication strategy. Likewise, the NPOs with the highest degree of donor dependence strive most in the use of contents of Twitter as one-way communication mechanism. Social implications This study contributes to a better understanding of social media implementation in the NPO sector and advances the identification of the main causes that motivate NPOs to improve their accountability through social media. Originality/value The paper’s subject is relatively innovative due to the scarce studies focussing on social media used by NPOs. In spite of the advantages offered by Twitter, few studies have specifically addressed NPOs’ current use of this platform, and fewer still have analyzed the factors that motivate them to use this tool.

Divergent attitudes to social media governance

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-37
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Promotion Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Prevention and promotion foci were both observed among managers and differed per communication model. Managers who used dialogic models of communication were primarily promotion-focused and emphasized opportunities to improve stakeholder relations, while managers who used one-way models were primarily prevention-focused and highlighted the risks of social media (e.g. the risk of employees publishing messages that contradict corporate communication and confuse stakeholders). Social media governance differed depending on regulatory focus. In the prevention scheme, managers usually attempted to regain control by restricting social media to private use only, while in the promotion focus managers trained and facilitated employees for work-related social media use, to various extents. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Social media communication strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 490-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Barbara Floreddu ◽  
Francesca Cabiddu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Corporate Reputation ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Media Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Media Communication ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose While a great amount of literature has focused on the relationship between communication strategies and corporate reputation, there is no systematic research on the different kinds of social media communication strategies. Based on the corporate reputation and social media literature, this paper aims to contribute to this gap in the research in two main ways. First identifying which social media communication strategy is more effective with contrasting levels of reputations; second, analyzing the differences between high- and low-reputation companies with respect to their ability to use corporate communication. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a longitudinal explorative multiple-case study and theoretical sampling. The research setting is the Italian insurance context. The focus of this analysis on one medium, Facebook, because it is the most exploited in the context of the Italian insurance sector. Findings Six complementary social media communication strategies were identified: egocentric, conversational, selective, openness, secretive and supportive. The results also reveal distinct ways in which high-, medium- and low-reputation companies’ utilize the six complementary strategies of communications. Research limitations/implications The study is based on a single industry and on one single geographical market, and care should thus be taken in generalizing the findings to other contexts. Therefore emerges the opportunity to broaden this research to other similar service sector, such as banking, to assess and generalize the results obtained. In addition, a possible direction of research, especially from a methodological standpoint, should investigate companies from different countries. Such a comparative study would examine in depth whether and to what extent the institutional framework may impact on communication strategies implemented by companies. This study only analyzed one social media (Facebook); hence, we cannot draw firm conclusions about what may constitute a successful social media communication strategy. Practical implications From this study, managers can learn how to combine the six communication strategies to have an effective impact on the corporate reputation. They can also learn how the number of interactions and the time taken to respond to questions from customers improve the corporate reputation and provide communication that is more effective. Originality/value This research extends the previous literature on corporate reputation and corporate communication, showing the relationship between them in a social media context and providing different strategies of managing this combination.

The Social Media Release as a Corporate Communication Tool for Bloggers

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyland F. Pitt ◽  
Michael Parent ◽  
Peter G. Steyn ◽  
Pierre Berthon ◽  
Arthur Money
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Media Release ◽  
The Social

Employee engagement in generating ideas on internal social media

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helle Eskesen Gode ◽  
Winni Johansen ◽  
Christa Thomsen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Engagement ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Internal Social Media ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore employees’ perceptions of enablers and barriers to engage in multi-vocal dialogues about ideas (ideation) on internal social media (ISM) within a context of corporate communication. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study is based on four data sets: online observations of employee ideation on ISM from 2011 to 2018, semi-structured interviews and informal conversations with two managers (2015–2016), archival material, and semi-structured interviews with 14 employees (2017–2018) in a large, knowledge-intensive Danish organization. Findings The study identified various enablers and barriers to engagement related to psychological engagement conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability. Managers’ communication role or importance of innovation, as well as tensions, e.g. obligation vs option to ideate or employee influence vs no influence, were identified as enabling or constraining employee engagement in ideation on ISM. Research limitations/implications Broadening interviews to include employees who decided not to participate in online ideation would increase insights and nuance this study’s results. Practical implications Managers need to be aware of the psychological engagement conditions and balance identified enablers, barriers and tensions by acknowledging communication reciprocity on ISM. Not only employees, but also managers, are dialogue partners in employee ideation on ISM. Originality/value The study is one of the first to explore enablers of and barriers to psychological engagement conditions in a context central to corporate communication, namely internal innovation communication on ISM, and to study ideation from a coworker perspective.

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