Information strategies and affective reactions: How citizens interact with government social media content

First Monday ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nic DePaula ◽  
Ersin Dincelli
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Local Government ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
The United States ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Government Communication ◽  
Information Strategies

As social media use grows among the general population, government organizations around the world also widely adopt the platforms. While researchers on government use of social media first acknowledged the potential of these technologies for participatory democracy, transparency, and collaboration, we have come to learn that applications such as Facebook and Twitter are also sites for misinformation and highly driven by emotional content. To better understand the information strategies of governments and how citizens react on social media, we ask the following research questions: What do government organizations post on social media? How do citizens react to the content posted by government agencies? For this study, we collected Facebook posts of local government agencies and departments across the United States and categorized each post using a framework of government communication and information strategies on social media. We then analysed differences in users’ reactions in the form of likes, comments, and shares to the distinct types of content. We wanted to capture the effects of content type on user reactions to understand what drives social media responses. We found a number of statistically significant results, providing some evidence for how different types of information affect user interaction. Our results highlight how users are more engaged by the affective and symbolic nature of social media content, rather than more serious and emotionally neutral government information. We only provide generalized evidence of how users react to U.S. local government posts on Facebook. Nevertheless, we believe this study is important for scholars of government communication and government technology adoption more broadly as it provides evidence of the affective tendencies and biases within social media environments.

A descriptive case study of effective decision-making of a local government organization in the United States of America

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-297
Author(s):  
Jennifer Capler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Effective Decision ◽  
Effective Decision Making

PurposeThis article details a qualitative descriptive case study of affective factors of effective decision-making of one local government organization in the United States of America. The specific problem was that many elected American local government representatives lack effective decision-making strategies. This research focus indicated a lack of qualitative research on the real-world experience of factors that were taken into consideration during decision-making within American local government organizations.Design/methodology/approachUsing a local government organization in southwest Illinois, elected representatives were interviewed and observed. The interviews and observations surfaced how the representatives made decisions. Data were analyzed using manual coding and theming to determine themes and patterns.FindingsThe results produced six themes about factors, including emotional intelligence, which impacted decision-making. They are: (1) remembering the past, (2) communication and respect, (3) spurring economic growth and development, (4) fairness, (5) recognizing and removing emotions and bias and (6) accountability.Research limitations/implicationsBeing a single case study, this research is limited in generalization. The research was limited to the identification of current, real-world experience of elected local government representatives.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research can be used to create more effective decision-making practices for local government organizations of similar size.Originality/valueThis is the first study to review, in-depth, the decision-making and emotional intelligence factors of local government organizations in the United States of America. The conceptual background, discussion, implications to local government organizations, limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

Social media in government offices: usage and strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-462
Author(s):  
Gal Yavetz ◽  
Noa Aharony
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe current study seeks to present and examine the strategies, management and dissemination of information on social media platforms by Israeli government organizations and agencies.Design/methodology/approachThe article uses the “Case Study” approach, through semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with directors in charge of the use of social media in government departments.FindingsThe findings indicate that government agencies tend to favor Facebook over other social network platforms, in order to reach the widest possible audience. They do this by adhering to the platform's limitations, such as regularly using sponsored advertising to increase reach and visibility, and also by publishing visual content, such as videos and images, at the expense of text. In addition, the impact of respondents to adopt social media outweighs the use and importance awarded to traditional government websites. A clear preference is evident toward cultivating and strengthening existing information on social media at the expense of further developing official websites.Originality/valueFindings and conclusions from this type of research can help digital media directors and content editors in government agencies, to improve the quality of their content and improve the accessibility of the information they share online. In addition, the findings of the study strengthen the growing body of knowledge focused on the relationship between government ministries and social media.

Social media for government information dissemination: content, characteristics and civic engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gal Yavetz ◽  
Noa Aharony
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
National Study ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Information Strategies ◽  
Israeli Government ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
Facebook Pages

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the information distributed on social media by government ministries. In addition, this study seeks to categorize and identify the characteristics of the highest engaging government social media posts.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on content analysis to examine the work of Israeli government ministries on Facebook. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze 6,292 posts posted over a six-month period, and a sample of 230 of the most popular posts was analyzed qualitatively.FindingsFindings indicate that government ministries primarily direct and link to internal Facebook pages, with few, if any, referrals to official government websites. In addition, the types of content that generate the highest levels of engagement are classified as operations and events or symbolic acts (e.g. greetings or condolences) and are containing visual content as photos or video clips.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on the topic in several ways. First, it presents findings from a cross-national study of government authorities and organizations that operate and serve diverse populations in a multicultural country. Second, this study presents a novel examination of information strategies by government organizations with focusing on the characteristics of links, media types, content and posting frequency.

Assimilation of social media in local government: an examination of key drivers

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Jianying Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
Technology Competence ◽  
Toe Framework ◽  
The Government

Purpose The government has included social media technology applications in the public sector as part of the fifth wave of information and communications technology adoption. Academic interest in social media in the government sector has been increasing. But there has been little empirical research on the assimilation of social media in the local government. To fill this gap, based on technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, this study aims to investigate the key technological, organizational and environmental factors that affect the assimilation of social media in local government agencies. Design/methodology/approach To empirically test the model, a survey study was conducted. Data were collected from 150 government employees in the government department of X municipal government in China. The collected data were analysed quantitatively to answer five hypotheses using structural equation model. Findings The findings suggest that technology competence, top management support, perceived benefits and citizen readiness significantly influence assimilation of social media in local government agencies. Top management support is the strongest predictor of social media assimilation in a government agency. Originality/value This study is one of the first attempts that adopted the TOE framework to understand assimilation of social media in the local government. In addition, the effect of the four factors that include one technological factor, two organizational factors and one environmental factor, namely, technology competence, top management support, perceived benefits and citizen readiness, on intention to assimilate social media was investigated.

Motivating Exercise Through Social Media: Is a Picture Always Worth a Thousand Words?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlyn Johnston ◽  
William E. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Exercise Motivation ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Within Subjects

In the present study, we examined how the influence of exercise-related social media content on exercise motivation might differ across content type (with images vs. without images) and account type (individual vs. corporate). Using a 2 × 2 within-subjects experimental design, 229 participants viewed a series of 40 actual social media posts across the four conditions (individual posts with images, corporate posts with images, individual posts without images, and corporate posts without images) in a randomized order. Participants rated the extent to which they felt each social media post motivated them to exercise, would motivate others to exercise, and was posted for extrinsic reasons. Participants also completed other measures of individual differences including their own exercise motivation. Posts with images from individuals were more motivating than posts with images from corporations; however, corporate posts without images were more motivating than posts without images from individuals. Participants expected others to be similarly motivated by the stimuli, and perceived corporate posts as having been posted for more extrinsic reasons than individuals’ posts. These findings enhance our understanding of how social media may be used to promote positive health behaviors.

Disinformation is a rising security threat to the West

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Social Media ◽  
The United States ◽  
Step Change ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Synthetic Media ◽  
Victims Of Bullying

Significance Articles containing the bogus quotes were shared across social media globally. The case illustrates how disinformation is created and spread for malign influence, and its ease of entry into social media discourse, which makes it so difficult to untangle and counter. Impacts Political polarisation within the United States is impeding a 'whole of society' response. Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns will claim the two nations are falsely accused victims of bullying by envious foes. Artificial intelligence-created synthetic media such as deepfakes will enable a step-change in the sophistication of 'infowars'.

scholarly journals Media and sustainable apparel buying intention

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 483-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orpha de Lenne ◽  
Laura Vandenbosch
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Using the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between different types of media and the intention to buy sustainable apparel and test whether attitudes, social norms, and self-efficacy beliefs may explain these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 681 young adults (18-26 years old). Findings Exposure to social media content of sustainable organizations, eco-activists, and sustainable apparel brands, and social media content of fashion bloggers and fast fashion brands predicted respondents’ attitudes, descriptive and subjective norms, and self-efficacy beliefs regarding buying sustainable apparel. In turn, attitudes, descriptive norms, and self-efficacy beliefs predicted the intention to buy sustainable apparel. Fashion magazines predicted the intention through self-efficacy. Specialized magazines did not predict the intention to buy sustainable apparel. Research limitations/implications Results should be generalized with caution as the current study relied on a convenience sample of young adults. The cross-sectional study design limits the ability to draw conclusions regarding causality. Actual behavior was not addressed and needs to be included in further research. Practical implications The present study hints at the importance of social media to affect young consumers’ intentions to buy sustainable apparel. Sustainable apparel brands should consider attracting more young social media users to their social media pages. Originality/value This study is one of the first to examine the potential of different media to promote sustainable apparel buying intention.

VoxGov Revisited

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Megan D. Graewingholt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
General Public ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Executive Branch ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Online Content ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
The Social

VoxGov is a cutting-edge discovery platform for finding and analyzing government information, encompassing a vast collection of official documents, legislative information, and social media content all in one place. This comprehensive resource engages researchers in fresh and dynamic ways, provides superior analytical features, and surpasses comparable products in the value and diversity of its content. For scholars, legal experts and the general public alike, the growing importance of examining the social media footprint generated by the executive branch, government agencies and legislators cannot be understated. Given the massive output and changing nature of government web presences, VoxGov is well-timed aggregator of ephemeral online content, and delivers a powerful research experience for exploring official government information in the digital age.

Strategies for improving performance in the Italian local government organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Chiarini
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Iso 9001 ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Pros And Cons

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand what are the benefits in terms of improvement of performances that a local government organization (LGO) can achieve embracing ISO 9001 certification as a strategy. This research is aimed at contributing to the answering of this question by exploring the Italian situation, in particular organizations linked to Italian local government which provide services to the citizens. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on mixed methodologies. First, a qualitative interview based on a semi-structured interview guide was administered to ten LGO quality managers. From this first qualitative inquiry 11 hypotheses to be validated have been stated. A survey has been carried out to validate the hypotheses. By means of two distinct questionnaires each hypothesis has been transformed into a specific question. The question is based on the Likert scale which allows using a χ2-test and non-parametric test such as Cramer’s V. The results from the scale were augmented by the interviewees’ annotations, which comprised suggestions and comments, to each question. The questionnaires have been administered over the last five years to 201 LGOs. Findings – From the findings it seems that ISO 9001 could improve performances in terms of effectiveness, such as citizens’ satisfaction, reduction of defectiveness and claims, as well as staff awareness of citizens’ needs. Moreover, ISO 9001 seems to have a negative effect on citizens’ participation, internal communication and teamwork as well as cost reduction. Controversial issues related to the bureaucracy of documentation and the external auditing process emerged. Research limitations/implications – The findings are linked to Italian LGOs therefore they need further validation in other European countries where LGOs are managed in a similar way. Practical implications – The implications of this research are useful for consultants and managers who want to understand what the benefits and limitations of the ISO 9001 certification are in the LGOs. The results are also useful for local government managers and practitioners who are weighing the pros and cons of ISO 9001 certification. Originality/value – The paper discusses in a quantitative way the benefits of ISO 9001 certification process on the performances of LGOs opening an interesting debate on the topic.

scholarly journals Achieving adoption and effective usage of Web 2.0 among employees within Australian government organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Heikal Husin ◽  
Nina Evans ◽  
Gaye Deegan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Security Requirements ◽  
Government Employees ◽  
Web 2.0 Technologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Management Technology

Purpose – Ensuring effective usage of Web 2.0 within government organisations is not as straightforward as it seems. The organisations should be aware of a number of issues when implementing Web 2.0 internally. This paper introduces a theoretical model that highlights the importance of management, technology and people issues influencing the level of Web 2.0 usage from an internal perspective. The purpose of this paper was to identify and explore these issues in a government context. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) analysis to identify the issues that should be focused on for achieving effective usage of Web 2.0 among government employees. A combination of interviews, surveys and usage data collected from two government organisations was used to gather the data. Findings – The main finding is that, a policy will act as an initial catalyst for culture change and effective usage of Web 2.0 technologies in a government environment. It was also found that it is important to develop an understanding among senior management about the motivation for their employees to utilise Web 2.0 internally. As a result, the proposed theoretical model could assist government organisations in developing effective adoption approaches through identifying their employees’ motivation to adopt Web 2.0 technologies and developing a suitable organisational social media policy. Research limitations/implications – There is the issue of the small number of both qualitative and quantitative respondents within the research. Such limitation is because the research relies solely on the voluntary participation of the employees. This limitation was coupled with the fact that both organisations had different security requirements that had affected the amount and level of feasible information that was accessible to the researchers. Practical implications – This paper extends the understanding of issues applicable to the adoption of Web 2.0 tools from a government organisations’ perspective. The developed theoretical model acts as an adoption guide for organisations to achieve effective Web2.0 tools usage. At the same time, this paper also examines related motivation aspects which higher management should consider while using a new social media or Web 2.0 platform internally. Originality/value – This paper highlights suitable overview approaches for organisations to consider in increasing adoption of Web 2.0 among their employees. This paper also provides an initial foray into identifying other complex issues that may exist within different government organisations in relation to internal technology usage.

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