The impact of marginalization on entrepreneurs’ online presence and firm performance

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between marginalization, Web presence and firm performance for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach This study relies upon interviews and surveys of managers and/or owners of SMEs. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, the authors tested an integrated model of the relationship between marginalization, Web presence and firm performance. Findings Findings indicate that marginalization enhances the risk perceptions entrepreneurs assign to internet use. This enhanced risk perception then limits the extent to which an entrepreneur responds to online customer feedback, which has implications for the SME’s relationship and reputation management efforts with buyers, ultimately impacting the enterprise’s performance. Originality/value This study sheds light on the overlooked phenomena of marginalization and internet avoidance among entrepreneurs. The findings provide insight for entrepreneurs on the deleterious consequences associated with lacking an online presence.

An Awareness of the Young Generation on Social Media

New technologies and the digitalization process affect both social and economic structures, and this affects culture. Digital citizenship which arises from an educational context now has a major scope in digital culture as the online presence of individuals increase. In this context, the study's purpose is to reveal the awareness of the young generation, with the premise that awareness is a condition to be a digital citizen, about the digital world they live in. For this purpose, the study takes the top four social media in Turkey and follows up the awareness on data and service agreements. A survey is conducted, and the results show that the awareness levels are mostly similar but vary according to the main point of the issue.

Museums in the Digital Age

In terms of destination image, museums represent a tourism resource of the first magnitude. However, just as the information available online influences visitors’ decision-making about destinations, the internet is also fundamental in promoting and attracting visitors to museums. For that reason, we sought to analyse the online presence of museums in the seven most visited cities in Spain. To examine the museums’ websites, we developed an integrative model based on web content analysis (WCA ) and the extended model of internet commerce adoption (eMICA) that we applied to 77 publicly and privately run museums in Spain. Both WCA and the eMICA indicated that, despite their great economic and touristic scope, museums in Spain's most visited cities tend to mismanage their online presence and communication. We thus tentatively attributed the online presence of museums in Spain to type of museum management and several city-related parameters as explanatory variables. Multiple linear regressions of the variables revealed that, under public management, museums have had better online presence, while their respective cities have attracted more tourists. Those findings imply that museums still have a long way to go when it comes to facilitating effective communication and interaction with their target public, which we address in relation to the study's limitations and directions for future research.

#PrettyLittleLiars: ABC Family in TV’s Post-Network Era

<p>This thesis explores the branding of ABC Family as a home for ‘Millennial’ viewers through its original TV drama programme, Pretty Little Liars. ABC Family emerged during what Amanda Lotz (2007) terms the ‘post-network’ era of American television, a period that has been characterised by fierce inter-network competition and the availability of TV programming on a larger array of platforms, including online platforms. These revolutionary changes have been coupled with the emergence of a commercially desirable demographic known as the ‘Millennials’, a group of young people who are considered to be ‘native’ to this ‘post-network’ environment and whose media use and preferences are challenging networks to revise their strategies and develop programmes that aim to solicit their attention and engagement. Pretty Little Liars has been specifically constructed to assert the brand identity of ABC Family as a channel “for and about Millennials” (Liesse A2). This programme has sought to distinguish itself within teen-oriented TV drama by incorporating cinematic aesthetics, serial storytelling, narrative complexity, and intertextuality – all of which have been characteristic of adult-oriented ‘high-end’ TV drama in the ‘post-network’ era. Pretty Little Liars has supplemented these efforts to distinguish itself by cultivating a thriving online presence. Important to this online presence are the use of ‘transmedia storytelling’ and social media. As this thesis demonstrates, transmedia storytelling and social media have the capacity to significantly extend the experience of a TV programme beyond what is aired on television. Importantly, their deployment in support of Pretty Little Liars has been successful in encouraging consistent viewing of new episodes as they are broadcast, a pattern that persists despite the post-network era’s capacity for delayed viewing on alternative platforms. This thesis undertakes an in-depth examination of ABC Family’s ‘post-network’ strategy in three chapters, each of which takes a different critical perspective. Chapter One examines the internal and external challenges that contributed to the emergence of ABC Family’s rebranding. Chapter Two analyses Pretty Little Liars as a ‘high end’ teen-oriented TV drama that functions to elevate the profile of ABC Family while simultaneously engaging ‘Millennial’ viewers. Finally, Chapter Three explores the transmedia extensions of Pretty Little Liars that function to supplement the television narrative in ways that encourage and reward consistent viewing patterns and long-term loyalty.</p>

#PrettyLittleLiars: ABC Family in TV’s Post-Network Era

<p>This thesis explores the branding of ABC Family as a home for ‘Millennial’ viewers through its original TV drama programme, Pretty Little Liars. ABC Family emerged during what Amanda Lotz (2007) terms the ‘post-network’ era of American television, a period that has been characterised by fierce inter-network competition and the availability of TV programming on a larger array of platforms, including online platforms. These revolutionary changes have been coupled with the emergence of a commercially desirable demographic known as the ‘Millennials’, a group of young people who are considered to be ‘native’ to this ‘post-network’ environment and whose media use and preferences are challenging networks to revise their strategies and develop programmes that aim to solicit their attention and engagement. Pretty Little Liars has been specifically constructed to assert the brand identity of ABC Family as a channel “for and about Millennials” (Liesse A2). This programme has sought to distinguish itself within teen-oriented TV drama by incorporating cinematic aesthetics, serial storytelling, narrative complexity, and intertextuality – all of which have been characteristic of adult-oriented ‘high-end’ TV drama in the ‘post-network’ era. Pretty Little Liars has supplemented these efforts to distinguish itself by cultivating a thriving online presence. Important to this online presence are the use of ‘transmedia storytelling’ and social media. As this thesis demonstrates, transmedia storytelling and social media have the capacity to significantly extend the experience of a TV programme beyond what is aired on television. Importantly, their deployment in support of Pretty Little Liars has been successful in encouraging consistent viewing of new episodes as they are broadcast, a pattern that persists despite the post-network era’s capacity for delayed viewing on alternative platforms. This thesis undertakes an in-depth examination of ABC Family’s ‘post-network’ strategy in three chapters, each of which takes a different critical perspective. Chapter One examines the internal and external challenges that contributed to the emergence of ABC Family’s rebranding. Chapter Two analyses Pretty Little Liars as a ‘high end’ teen-oriented TV drama that functions to elevate the profile of ABC Family while simultaneously engaging ‘Millennial’ viewers. Finally, Chapter Three explores the transmedia extensions of Pretty Little Liars that function to supplement the television narrative in ways that encourage and reward consistent viewing patterns and long-term loyalty.</p>

An Examination of Home Page Design in New Zealand Tertiary Libraries

<p>The online presence of tertiary libraries is becoming increasingly important, however, research (OCLC, 2010) suggests that library websites are being shunned in favour of commercial search engines. Some scholars (Reidsma, 2012; McCann et al., 2010) attribute this to poor website design. Websites are a valid communication concern and what content is displayed, as well as how it is displayed on library home pages has implications for usability, findability and user perception. Tertiary library websites need to be attractive, modern and user focused in nature. Content needs to be arranged in a way that supports smooth navigation so that users are encouraged to engage with the library.</p>

An Examination of Home Page Design in New Zealand Tertiary Libraries

<p>The online presence of tertiary libraries is becoming increasingly important, however, research (OCLC, 2010) suggests that library websites are being shunned in favour of commercial search engines. Some scholars (Reidsma, 2012; McCann et al., 2010) attribute this to poor website design. Websites are a valid communication concern and what content is displayed, as well as how it is displayed on library home pages has implications for usability, findability and user perception. Tertiary library websites need to be attractive, modern and user focused in nature. Content needs to be arranged in a way that supports smooth navigation so that users are encouraged to engage with the library.</p>

Investigating Social Cognitive Theory in Online Distance and Learning for Decision Support: The Case for Community of Inquiry

Nowadays, students have learn to accept the reality of online learning. Therefore, this quantitative study aims to explore how behaviour and social factors can influence online learning. 203 participants responded to the instrument which is a survey. The findings show that the implication of online and distance learning (ODL) is to help students in getting to know each other as well as having the social, cognitive and situational presence. The instrument of teaching, social and cognitive presence based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is measured in order to improve the management of ODL in university during post-COVID-19 pandemic. The first research question looks at how behaviour factors (social presence) influence online presence. Next the study also investigates how cognitive factors influence online presence. The final research question looks at how situational factors (teaching presence) influence online presence. In overall, ODL management in post-COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be more challenging than during or before the pandemic. The shift that happen caused a lot of physical, mental, and emotional responses from the teaching and learning community in general. Instrument teaching, social and cognitive presence are investigated thoroughly and interesting results found in this study is beneficial for future decision support system (DSS) development in the case for community of inquiry.

Stille Nacht: COVID and the Ghost of Christmas 2020

Annually, there are between 2500 and 3000 Christmas markets in Germany. While purported to be rooted in century-old tradition, the current concept of the markets, shaped in the 1930s, gradually transformed from primarily mercantile operations to experiential events. The experiential dimension is a collection of visual, auditory, and olfactory components that create a compound sensory response: the ‘Christmas atmosphere’. The prevalence of COVID-19 meant that traditional Christmas markets were largely absent from the festive calendar in Germany in 2020, disrupting the usual sensory experiences associated with these events. A review of the online presence showed that augmented markets and virtual reality were subsequently utilized in an attempt to re-create the experience and the ambience of the traditional markets, but had limited interactivity with many of the senses. We explore to what extent these multiple-sensory components may have been lost during the Christmas period of 2020 due to the COVID-19-induced transition from the traditional multisensory live market to a predominantly online experience, and highlight problems which arise through the documentation of such complex intangible heritage.