Social media and corporate communication antecedents of SME sustainability performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wael Sha. Mohammed Basri ◽  
Mohammed R.A. Siam
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Client Communication ◽  
Key Success Factor

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of social media and corporate communication as a key success factor of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in Arab world. This is a conceptual study and has shed light on the notable existing literature on these issues and particularly of Arab context. The social media has emerged as an opportunity for marketing communication, and it is the easiest cheapest way of advertising products and services. Social media provides a platform wherein a company or firm can target a diverse audience and can create an effective communication strategy. The sustainability agenda has emerged as a key as well as a sensitive issue for the global as well as local organizations. The inclusion of corporate social responsibility and incorporation of sustainability initiatives have changed the corporate landscape and merged as key determinants of business success. The social media for many firms has emerged as a major outlet of internal and external corporate communication for sustainability. The uniqueness of social media is that it not only conveys a message, rather it also provides an opportunity for direct feedback from users. This study will be helpful for practitioners, policymakers and researchers in understanding the link between social media, corporate communication and sustainable performance of the SME sector. The paper adds to the literature on the role of social media and corporate communication as a key success factor of SMEs operating in Arab world.Design/methodology/approachThe paper will highlight significant and relevant findings generated from previous scholarly and commercial research on the subject. Thereafter, the discussion will focus on the unique relationship between the social media and the Arab world in social, political, religious or cultural and economic spheres. Thereafter, the paper will progress to the central theme of the discussion, reviewing social media’s impact on the Arabian market in such areas as offering a marketing platform for the new age, being an avenue and forum for increased sales, and as a public relations front line (a benchmark of direct client communication). Ultimately, the paper will provide a succinct conclusion to the discussion.FindingsThe paper affirmed that the social media is influencing/impacting the SMEs in the Arab region in numerous ways. Findings generated from recent empirical studies, strengthened by a resounding theoretical and scholarly literature, helped identify four of the main impacts of social media on SMEs in the Arab world. These four significant impacts, as discussed in the paper, include offering a marketing platform for the Information Age, offering an avenue and forum for increased sales, giving an innovative edge to SMEs in a bid to reduce expenditures/cost and increase profitability and creating a benchmark of direct client communication in modern PR. These fours ways constitute the most significant impact of social media, as demonstrated by SMEs in the Arab world, and in many ways they are congruent with the social media impact beyond the Middle East.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is very limited in Arab countries, and researchers could not use this study with female.Practical implicationsInformation technology and gender are linked with the usage of social media.Originality/valueThe core focus of the present paper was to provide a brief literature-based review of how the social media affects SME in the Arab world (largely in nations within the Middle East region). Not only is the social media enabling positive “societal and cultural change” in the Arab world.

Inducing organizational resilience through collective mindfulness: A path towards an uninterrupted metamorphosis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Shela ◽  
T. Ramayah ◽  
Noor Hazlina Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Organizational Resilience ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collective Mindfulness ◽  
The Waves ◽  
Key Success Factor

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the potential role of collective mindfulness as a key success factor for organizational resilience. It also outlines the processes and essential contexts that support the cultivation of collective mindfulness capability in organizations. Design/methodology/approach A review of the relevant articles and current development in the area of organizational resilience and collective mindfulness provided an in-depth understanding and valuable insights into how collective mindfulness can be utilized to engender organizational resilience in the challenging business world. Findings This paper provides a brief overview over the crucial role of collective mindfulness capability in augmenting organizational resilience. Additionally, the processes of collective mindfulness and the essential contexts for developing and sustaining this capability is also unveiled. Originality/value The paper offers practical solutions for the anxiety faced by many organizations around the globe due to the relentless disruptions by highlighting on the potential role of collective mindfulness. It reveals the way that organizations can undertake to wade through the waves imposed by the current volatile environment by leveraging on collective mindfulness capability.

Understanding the selfie phenomenon: current insights and future research directions

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1773-1788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weng Marc Lim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Performance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Marketing Tool ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to define the conceptual boundary of the selfie and to discuss the role of the selfie in the social media marketplace. Design/methodology/approach This paper extensively reviews and draws themes from the extant literature on consumer identities in the social media marketplace to explain the selfie phenomenon and to identify potentially fruitful directions for further research. Findings Current insights into the selfie phenomenon can be understood from socio-historical, technological, social media, marketing and ethical perspectives. Research limitations/implications Despite the limitations of a general review (e.g. absence of empirical data and analysis), this paper identifies multiple avenues to extend existing lines of inquiry on the selfie phenomenon. Thus, this paper should encourage further research on the topic in the academic and scientific community. Practical implications The selfie can be used as a marketing tool to improve marketing performance and accomplish marketing-related goals. Originality/value This paper sheds light on how marketing academics and practitioners can better understand the impact of the selfie in the social media marketplace.

The influencing role of social media in the consumer’s hotel decision-making process

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Media Platform ◽  
The Social ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the role of social media on the hotel decision-making process of consumers during the evaluation stage of searching, identifying the alternatives and selecting a hotel in India. It will help the stakeholders in the hotel industry of India to make the social media platform more efficient for consumers by providing inputs on the factors consumers consider while making online hotel purchase. Design/methodology/approach This study involves an exploratory qualitative approach which includes 32 face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews with the social media platform users. The selection of interviewees for this study has been done on the basis of a non-random purposive sampling approach. Findings The findings reveal that social media plays an important role in affecting the way consumers search, decide and book hotels. It also suggests that social media helps consumers in collecting information about products and services, assessing alternatives and making their choices. It confirms that while negative facets exist, the positive benefits outweigh the negative aspects of using social media when selecting a hotel. The results also reveal the impact of circumstantial influence related to social media on hotel selection, on the basis of content source and the level of trust and accuracy in the content. Practical implications This study has some strategic implications for hospitality marketing and management related to a better understanding of the influence of social media on the hotel customer decision-making process. The study shows that a variety of social media with associated content sources and levels add to the complexity of hotel-related information search and decision behaviour. Originality/value The study makes a contribution by addressing the existing gaps and bridging the arena of consumer behaviour and social media literature in a hotel context and sheds light on how consumer decisions while selecting a hotel are influenced through social media. The core contribution is the generation of factors through in-depth interviews which are based on real-life scenarios relating to the influence of social media on hotel decision-making.

Consumer devotion to a different height

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 963-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmud Hassan ◽  
Luis V. Casaló Ariño
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Defensive Strategies ◽  
Defensive Behaviors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Collection Data ◽  
Negative Publicity ◽  
Potential Damage

Purpose – Effective handling of negative word of mouth in the social media has dramatic impact on customer retention, deflects potential damage and improves profitability. Although marketers enact various defensive strategies to combat such negative publicity, consumers are increasingly acting on behalf of marketers and new value creating behaviors are noticed within virtual brand communities. The purpose of this paper is to explore the kind of consumers’ defensive behaviors present within Facebook brand communities (FBCs). Design/methodology/approach – A netnographic approach guided the data collection. Data were gathered by downloading messages; only the threads related to member’s defensive behaviors were downloaded and archived. This resulted to 34 pages of data with 418 individual comments and 6,257 words in total. Findings – Data reveals that defensive behavior is practiced within Facebook, noticing that more diverse types of defensive behaviors are practiced in high involved products. Also, defensive behaviors are more prevalent within utilitarian rather than hedonic brands. Research limitations/implications – This study suggests that marketers should be open to engage and empower consumers to fulfill the role of defending the brand within brand communities first. Originality/value – This work adds to previous literature on handling complaints in social media by analyzing how devoted consumers may defend the brand against negative remarks done by other consumers in FBCs. This study not only confirms that defensive behaviors are apparent within the eight FBCs considered, but also investigates possible differences between high and low involved brands and also utilitarian and hedonic brands.

Social media and the social movements in the Middle East and North Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Shirazi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of social media in communication discourse in the Islamic Middle East and North African (MENA) countries.Design/methodology/approachBy applying the theory of social networks and a method known as critical discourse analysis (CDA) this study investigates the role of social media in the recent waves of popular unrest in the MENA region.FindingsThis study finds that social media not only played an important role in citizens’ participation in communication discourse and mobilization, but also that these media activities intensified in part because of the authorities’ failing rationales against protesters, as shown in the four‐part CDA validity test.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to a particular time frame covering the recent democratic discourse in the MENA region for the period 2009‐2011. While this research is limited to the case study of the MENA region, the author believes that lessons learned from this case study can be applied to other developing countries across the globe.Practical implicationsSocial media tools available via the internet have provided web users across the globe effective tools and services to share and disseminate information by interactively collaborating with each other in digital communities through blogs, social networking and video sharing sites. In this context, social networks are considered to be effective media for communication discourse. The intensive use of social media networks among citizens’ of the MENA region indicate that the internet has the potential to be a multivocal platform through which silenced and marginalized groups can have their voices heard.Originality/valueWhile the existing literature focuses largely on deploying Habermasian critical discourse analysis to media discourse within the context of democratic and well developed nations, this paper presents one of the few studies that extends the CDA method to non‐democratic countries. As such it contributes to the existing knowledge and understanding of the mobilizing effects of social media in communication discourse.

Role of social media in information-seeking behaviour of international students

2016 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suraya Hamid ◽  
Sarah Bukhari ◽  
Sri Devi Ravana ◽  
Azah Anir Norman ◽  
Mohamad Taha Ijab
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
International Students ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviour ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Source Of Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of international students in terms of their information needs and to highlight the role of social media. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a systematic literature survey was conducted in order to investigate information-seeking trends among international students while using social media. As a result, an exhaustive systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out in order to investigate social media as a source for the observation of the behaviours of international students. For this purpose, 71 articles were selected from various well-known sources after an intensive SLR process of searching, filtering and enforcing the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings As an outcome of this study, the information-seeking behaviour of international students was highlighted with respect to social media as a source of information. In addition, this research identifies the information needs of the international students and categorizes them by the roles played by the social media in fulfilling the information needs. Practical implications A comparative study that highlighted the dearth of studies which merge the social media and information-seeking behaviour of international students as well as identify the future direction for the researchers and for benefits of international students. Originality/value A detail SLR which highlights the need of shifting the information seeking behaviour from libraries to social media in regard to the new environment for international students.

scholarly journals Social media information and student performance: the mediating role of hedonic value (entertainment)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Kwame Dzogbenuku ◽  
Joshua Kofi Doe ◽  
George Kofi Amoako
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Social ◽  
Media Performance

PurposeThis study evaluates the mediating role of social media entertainment on social information (content) and social media performance, during the COVID-19 era.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were randomly gathered from 373 students from two top universities (public and private) in Ghana, a sub-Saharan African economy. Data analysis was achieved utilizing the partial least square–structural equation model (PLS-SEM).FindingsSocial media (SM) entertainment partly mediates the link between social media content and social media performance of students, suggesting that social media entertainment is almost indispensable in creating social media content to achieve optimum performance among tertiary students.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of cross-sectional data alone for this study does not give us the opportunity to observe the social media activities of respondents over a longer period. Future studies could, therefore, include longitudinal data.Practical implicationsThe findings in this study suggest that faculties can modify their pedagogical activities to include social media and reflect some entertainment content, since it has an influence on student performance within the social media space.Social implicationsSM has a great influence on students' performance socially and academically; therefore, educational stakeholders like university authorities, faculties, parents and guardians, and the government should consider social media as a tool for attaining educational goals.Originality/valueThe study extends the use of UTAUT2, in understanding students' learning and behavior processes, by linking antecedents of adoption to the post-adoption effect.

Multiple identities of a festival

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 749-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Masiello ◽  
Enrico Bonetti ◽  
Francesco Izzo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Brand Personality ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Multiple Identities ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sport Events ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to understand how festival brand personality is built and managed in the social media environment by explaining the intended (by the organizers) festival brand personality and how this concept is communicated and perceived by social media users. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method research design was used. Initially, a qualitative analysis based on the free-listing psychological meaning approach was adopted. Then, a content analysis of 23,717 Facebook posts and tweets was performed through NVivo11. Finally, the resulting data were examined through a non-parametric statistical analysis. Findings The results show an “internal brand personality gap” (between the intended and communicated brand personality) and an “external brand personality gap” (between the communicated and perceived brand personality). The findings also highlight the existence of an “ultimate brand personality on social media,” which represents a collective and dynamic construct that is co-created by the organization and its customers through interaction and the key role of the customers’ experiences. Research limitations/implications The findings contribute to a theory of event brand personality and its management on social media by showing a case with multiple identities. Practical implications Implications for the organizers of festivals and non-sport events are discussed to reduce internal and external gaps and better understand the “fit/unfit problem” when dealing with brand personality on social media. Originality/value This paper contributes to a research area that is in its infancy because it is one of the first attempts to analyze festival brand personality and its relationship with social media.

From an “idea generator” to a “solution facilitator”

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui Yuen Lee ◽  
Kung Wong Lau
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Traditional Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Role Identities ◽  
Advertising Industry ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Service Advertising

PurposeThe rise of social media marketing has brought significant implications for advertising industry and its organizations. The traditional role of advertising professionals had been changing from a clear identity to an unclear one. However, previous research has studied relatively little about advertising professionals’ roles and identities or how they may be changing in the social media marketing era. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, interpretive approach was taken in this study. It involved 32 in-depth interviews with advertising professionals in advertising organizations differing in size, digital focus and ownership in different multinational full-service advertising organizations and digital organizations.FindingsThe findings indicated that the role of advertising professionals is innovating from a traditional “idea generator” to a “solution facilitator” in response to the social media marketing.Originality/valueThis study identified the key experiences of advertising professionals that they were found to have divergent role identities linked to their identification with traditional and digital organizations.

Are Arab Politics Still Arab?

1986 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerrold D. Green
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Area Studies ◽  
The Social ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Arab Politics ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
Traditional Area

For many scholars and observers of the Middle East, the uniqueness of the Arabs has proved to be far more interesting than those areas of Arab political life that exhibit similarities with politics elsewhere. Some of the studies reviewed here provide a partial corrective to this gap. They suggest that Arab politics, much like politics in other settings, is concerned with issues of socioeconomic change and conflict, problems of legitimacy, the role of competing ideologies, and elite factionalism. Those of the studies that highlight the weaknesses of pan-Arabism are more persuasive than those that emphasize its vitality. What is needed now is the ability to determine where we can usefully generalize about Arab politics and where politics in the Arab world are in fact unique. The social-scientific approach is deemed more likely to accomplish this analytical goal than the traditional area-studies and policy approaches.

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