Public servants, anonymity, and political activity online: bureaucratic neutrality in peril?

2018 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 496-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Public Sector Employment ◽  
Public Sector Unions ◽  
Politically Active

Various actors have recently expressed concern that by threatening anonymity, social media places the bureaucracy’s neutrality in jeopardy. Yet, empirically, little is known about the online political activities of public servants. Drawing upon the public service motivation literature, this article develops contrasting hypotheses between public sector employment and online political activity. Testing hypotheses with survey data from Canada, the results show that unionized public sector employment reduces the probability of being politically active online. As social media continues to change the nature of governance, the results suggest that anonymity and neutrality remain important professional norms within the Westminster administrative tradition, and are reflected in the online political activities of public sector employees in Canada. Points for practitioners • Due to its visibility and permanency, public servants’ political activity on social media potentially threatens their reputation as politically impartial officials. • Some governments and public sector unions have thus voiced messages of caution to administrative personnel about the dangers of being politically active online. • Survey data from Canada suggest that these messages have worked. • Unionized public sector employment reduces the probability of being politically active online but does not reduce the probability of being active in traditional “offline” political activities.

Pandemic effects on public service employment in Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. 103530462110560
Author(s):  
Linda Colley ◽  
Shelley Woods ◽  
Brian Head
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Public Sector Employment ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic is sending shockwaves through communities and economies, and public servants have risen to the novel policy challenges in uncharted waters. This crisis comes on top of considerable turmoil for public services in recent decades, with public management reforms followed by the global financial crisis (GFC) leading to considerable change to public sector employment relations and a deprivileging of public servants. The research adopts the lens of the ‘public service bargain’ to examine the effects of the pandemic across Australian public services. How did Australian public service jurisdictions approach public employment in 2020, across senior and other cohorts of employees? How did this pandemic response compare to each jurisdictions’ response to the GFC a decade earlier? The research also reflects more broadly of the impact on public sector employment relations and to what extent pandemic responses have altered concepts of the diminished public service bargain or the notion of governments as model employers? JEL Codes J45

scholarly journals Are people incidentally exposed to news on social media? A comparative analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 2450-2468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Fletcher ◽  
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Media ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Incidental Exposure ◽  
Media Environments

Scholars have questioned the potential for incidental exposure in high-choice media environments. We use online survey data to examine incidental exposure to news on social media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter) in four countries (Italy, Australia, United Kingdom, United States). Leaving aside those who say they intentionally use social media for news, we compare the number of online news sources used by social media users who do not see it as a news platform, but may come across news while using it (the incidentally exposed), with people who do not use social media at all (non-users). We find that (a) the incidentally exposed users use significantly more online news sources than non-users, (b) the effect of incidental exposure is stronger for younger people and those with low interest in news and (c) stronger for users of YouTube and Twitter than for users of Facebook.

scholarly journals ‘Digital Citizens’: Political Participation of Russian Youth Online

2021 ◽  
pp. 143-155
Author(s):  
Roman Pyrma
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Political Aspect ◽  
The Status ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
The Impact

The study contributes to defining the impact of digital communication on civic and political participation, explaining how social media mediate public activism. Based on the concept of the ‘digital citizenship’ the paper reveals the political aspect of the public activism of Russian youth online. The empirical model is based on a combination of methods and procedures of applied research in order to reveal the details of civil and political participation, and protest activism of youth online. The research model includes analysis of social media and a large-scale online survey of the younger audience. Based on the analysis of social media information flows, the paper states the prevalence of the youth’s civic participation over political participation, as well as the fact that the dynamics of social activity depend on the events and the current agenda. The authors describe the level of civic and political activity of youth online based on sociological data. They also divide the audience of the protest theatre according to the following models: leaders, activists, followers, and spectators. In general, the study reveals the status and details of the younger generation’s communication activity online, where communities establish and implications of linking actions appear.

scholarly journals Public servants’ perception of leadership style and its impact on organizational commitment

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-333
Author(s):  
Bissane Harb ◽  
Boutheina Hachem ◽  
Hassan Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
The Relationship

Lebanon is facing an unprecedented political and economic crisis. Consequently, the country now urgently needs more than ever committed public managers, more involved and more effective in their work responsibilities to enhance public sector performance and reduce the consequences of the crisis. Little research has been done on the role of leadership in promoting organizational commitment in the public sector in Lebanon. Thus, referring to the leadership full range theory, this study aims to investigate the association between leadership styles and organizational commitment with the mediating role of Leader-member exchange (LMX). It further aims to examine the relationships between gender, leadership style, LMX and organizational commitment in the Lebanese public context.Data were collected via an online survey on a sample composed of 132 middle managers working in six public administrations in Lebanon. Linear and multiple regression analyses were carried out to test the direct and indirect effect of leadership styles on organizational commitment. The results indicated that both two styles of Bass are positively correlated with organizational commitment. The results also revealed a significant relationship between public servant gender and the quality of his relationship with the leader. Moreover, results showed that LMX doesn’t mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment, although it partially mediates the relationship between transactional leadership and organizational commitment. This study contributes to understanding of the mechanisms of developing organizational commitment through leadership styles. It also has implications for public service recruitment and training policies.

Perceptual processes and political participation: Do the presumed reach and the presumed influence of social media affect political activities via Facebook and Twitter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uli Bernhard ◽  
Marco Dohle
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Circle Of Friends

Abstract The perception that many other people are being reached and affected by political communication can be a reason for intensifying one’s own communication activities. An online survey among German citizens (n = 2,957) was carried out to determine whether this is also true for political communication activities via social media. Results show that the presumed reach and the presumed influence of Facebook and Twitter with regard to the individual’s circle of friends/acquaintances affect the intensity of online communication. However, perceptions concerning the population in general are not relevant. This indicates that individuals primarily address their own social environment with their political social networking practices. Thus, by concentrating on perceptual processes, the findings contribute to shedding light on the causes and motives for political communication activities in the social media world.

scholarly journals Why Groups Are Politically Active: An Incentive-Theoretical Approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1628-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Bolleyer ◽  
Florian Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Interest Groups ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Communication Channels ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Logit Models ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Conflicting Demands ◽  
Voluntary Membership ◽  
Politically Active

Political activity is conventionally considered a constitutive feature of interest groups, underpinning an impressive literature on the strategies groups employ to exercise political influence. Whether and how intensely voluntary membership groups engage in political activities to start with, however, are rarely examined. We present a new incentive-theoretical perspective on group political activity, considering both member demands and leadership constraints. We argue that investments in political activities (one way of generating collective incentives) as a means to prevent member exit are more or less important depending on a group’s composition. Simultaneously, the extent to which leaders are incentivized to cater to members’ demands, when trying to balance these against conflicting demands, depends on communication channels between leaders and members and the importance of membership fees. Applying Bayesian ordered logit models to data from two group surveys supports our perspective and stresses the importance of considering how intraorganizational dynamics steer groups’ external activities.

scholarly journals The Use of Social Media on Political Participation Among University Students: An Analysis of Survey Results From Rural Pakistan

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401986448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taufiq Ahmad ◽  
Aima Alvi ◽  
Muhammad Ittefaq
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
University Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Political Efficacy ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Rural Pakistan

Over the last decade, extensive literature has been published regarding social media effects on real-life political participation. Many argue that social media stimulates online and offline political participation. This study investigates how online political activities impact political efficacy and real-life political participation among university students in rural Pakistan. In addition, this study also sheds light on the relationship between political activities and political awareness. We conducted an online survey of ( N = 200) male and female undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Narowal, Pakistan. We used Qualtrics software to distribute our survey among students for data-collection purposes. The results reveal that the majority of the students use social media for political awareness and information. Political efficacy is significantly based on online political participation. In addition to that, social media is a vital platform for netizens to participate in real-life political activities. In conclusion, the findings of the study suggest that online political activities strongly correlate to political awareness and offline political participation. In rural areas of Pakistan, the younger generations are very active on social media to participate in online and offline political happenings.

scholarly journals Electronic cigarette usage patterns: a case study combining survey and social media data

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongcheng Zhan ◽  
Jean-François Etter ◽  
Scott Leischow ◽  
Daniel Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Media Data

Abstract Objective To identify who were social media active e-cigarette users, to compare the use patterns from both survey and social media data for data triangulation, and to jointly use both datasets to conduct a comprehensive analysis on e-cigarette future use intentions. Materials and Methods We jointly used an e-cigarette use online survey (n = 5132) and a social media dataset. We conducted analysis from 3 different perspectives. We analyzed online forum participation patterns using survey data. We compared e-cigarette use patterns, including brand and flavor types, ratings, and purchase approaches, between the 2 datasets. We used logistic regression to study intentions to use e-cigarettes using both datasets. Results Male and younger e-cigarette users were the most likely to participate in e-cigarette-related discussion forums. Forum active survey participants were hardcore vapers. The e-cigarette use patterns were similar in the online survey data and the social media data. Intention to use e-cigarettes was positively related to e-liquid ratings and flavor ratings. Social media provided a valuable source of information on users’ ratings of e-cigarette refill liquids. Discussion For hardcore vapers, social media data were consistent with online survey data, which suggests that social media may be useful to study e-cigarette use behaviors and can serve as a useful complement to online survey research. We proposed an innovative framework for social media data triangulation in public health studies. Conclusion We illustrated how social media data, combined with online survey data, can serve as a new and rich information source for public health research.

scholarly journals Gateway Political Behaviors: The Frequency and Consequences of Low-Cost Political Engagement on Social Media

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 205630511774334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leticia Bode
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Political Interest ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Political Behaviors

The purpose of this article is to determine to what extent engagement in easy political behaviors on social media occurs across the range of political interest, what predicts such engagement, and what effect such engagement may have on other political behaviors. It pits the idea that social media may activate the politically uninterested against the idea that social media is just another outlet for the politically interested to demonstrate their engagement. Analyzing survey data collected by the Pew Research Center, it concludes that many people, including the politically uninterested, do engage in easy political behaviors like liking and commenting on political content on social media. When they do, it can lead to greater political activity offline. However, those most likely to engage in easy political behaviors are also those who engage in harder political behaviors, offering support for both the interest and activation hypotheses.

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