Social media: Are the lines between professional and personal use blurring?

A key aspect of understanding communications in a global environment is understanding social media usage. With the recent dramatic increase in social media usage in the past decade, the incorporation of social media and online platforms into communication strategies of organizations has been intensively discussed and researched. This study investigates social media usage at a global manufacturer to understand how it is being used for business purposes. Are personal and professional lines blurring with social media use? With the increased use of social media in the workplace, our professional and personal lives are increasingly becoming intertwined. The literature suggests that social media interaction and managing the boundaries is more difficult online than offline. Social media is where the lines are blurred between our professional and private lives. It is where we share our food, music, movies, pictures, purchases, politics, and our every-day patterns, alongside our daily professions, on display for the entire world to see. Keywords: social media, strategy, digital, issues, communication, professional

The value of agenda-setting in media relations: Examining how the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative used agenda-setting to leverage its role as a policy actor in New Brunswick’s 2014 provincial election

This case study explores how and to what extent the Business Community Anti‑Poverty Initiative (BCAPI), in Saint John, New Brunswick, used agenda-setting in media relations leading up to the 2014 provincial election. Research, including interviews with three people involved with BCAPI, a literature review, an analysis of media coverage, and a review of BCAPI’s strategy, indicated that BCAPI proactively engaged the provincial daily print newspaper, the Telegraph-Journal, to help influence party platforms and public interest on poverty reduction and ultimately received $300,000 in provincial funding for its initiatives. Keywords: media relations, agenda-setting, policy actors, framing, elections

Editorial: Avoiding unconscious bias in media consumption

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, Canadians are consuming more media than ever. While this development has allowed us to become more informed about the important issues surrounding us, it does mean we need to give critical thought to how we are perusing different media forms and content. This editorial shares three methods that communicators can consider employing to help avoid unconscious bias when consuming media. The editorial also introduces the five articles being featured in this issue, before closing with acknowledgement and thanks to all the people who made this publication possible. Keywords: media, unconscious bias, strategy, communication tactics

Dealing with negative social media comments: The giant bullhorn that punctures holes in organizations’ walls, like an arrow to the chest

A negative comment on a corporate social media post can pierce like an arrow to the chest and puncture holes into an organization’s walls. A single negative voice in a sea of positive feedback can feel as though it is blaring from a giant bullhorn, striking fear into corporate community managers that an avalanche of negativity will overtake positivity like a contagious bandwagon. Why would a corporation consider telling its story in the online battlefield of social media and risk exposing its reputation to a cesspool of negativity? This paper will explore why negativity is an online barrier through research, industry advice and best practices – including from the researchers and experts who use the foregoing colourful idioms and metaphors to describe negative online comments. To answer the main question of why an organization would consider engaging on social media in the face of prolific negativity and hate speech, this paper will review the evolution of online emotions and the rise of negativity on social media. The paper will define negative online comments in the corporate context using research on trolls, cyberbullying and online personal attacks. Using the psychology of Pareto’s 80/20 rule and negativity bias, this paper will provide quantitative and qualitative perspectives on negativity to show why companies pay much more attention to negative comments than positive ones, and how analysis of negativity can help a company develop emotional intelligence. Examples will be presented from research and industry to understand and combat negativity and review research on user comments that classifies users to better understand their motivations. Using research on tone and voice in online conversation, this paper will share cautionary case studies that demonstrate how companies that are not self-aware can incite negative comments. Finally, this paper will review research on platform content moderation techniques to understand how social media platforms like Facebook manage negativity and will suggest similar solutions for corporations, including not only the online community’s ability but also our collective responsibility to moderate and overcome the online positivity deficit. Keywords: social media, community manager, online negativity, negativity bias, negative comments, online emotions, user categorization

Troubleshooting algorithms: A book review of Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil

Fact: we no longer control our lives, algorithms do. Mortgage-backed securities, college rankings, online advertising, law enforcement, human resources, credit lending, insurance, social media, politics, and consumer marketing; algorithms live within each one of these – collecting, segmenting, defining, and planting each one of us into arbitrary, unassailable buckets. The algorithms and the data that feed this process is what data scientist and international bestselling author, Cathy O’Neil, calls Weapons of Math Destruction (WMDs). In her captivating and frankly, bone-chilling account of the power amassed by algorithms, O’Neil sheds much needed light into the seemingly omnipotent world of destructive algorithms. Keywords: algorithms, algorithmic transparency, algorithmic bias, communications, public relations, ethics, data, predictive models

A cultural aperture: An inter-provincial analysis of FNMI representation in Canadian news dailies

This study acts as a multi-disciplinary contribution to existing research in discourses of news production practices, and representation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) issues and protest. Specifically, quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to explore FNMI representation across three mainstream Canadian dailies leading to and following the Idle No More (INM) movement from October 1, 2012 until February 28, 2013. In doing so, the study acts as a longitudinal confirmation of previous studies, revealing minimal FNMI salience during “everyday” news cycles, a narrow range of key topics, and a drastic increase in coverage during times of protest. Keywords: protest coverage, FNMI media representation, media bias, agenda-setting, uses and gratifications theory, Idle No More, news framing

Internal communications and goal achievement: The CEO’s perspective

By effectively utilizing internal communications, CEOs are able to influence organizational culture and communications, inspire employee loyalty and engagement, and build brand image at both company and personal levels. In fact, some scholars believe that the CEO is more responsible for fostering forthright, transparent internal communications than the organization’s actual communications function. CEOs who are successful in promoting internal communications can positively influence organizational stakeholder relationships and better achieve their strategic goals. Through interviews with five CEOs, this paper determined that two-way internal communications was regarded by senior leadership as being necessary for organizational cohesiveness, strategy development, strategic reputation management, boundary spanning, and preemptive problem prevention. The CEOs interviewed also considered it their responsibility to model and nurture internal communications and regarded the function as contributing to the achievement of their organization’s strategic goals. Keywords: internal communications, IABC Excellence Theory, CEO, senior leadership, goal achievement

The incorporation of corporate social responsibility guidelines in the organizational culture of Eletrosul

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been increasingly discussed in the market as well as by academia. The subject first gained prominence in the 1960s due to pressures exerted by society that required more societal and environmental commitment from organizations. This attitude has made organizations re-adapt their management approaches and, consequently, re-think their beliefs and practices. Within this context, this research study analyzed the incorporation of corporate social responsibility guidelines in the organizational culture (OC) of Eletrosul, an electric utility located in Florianópolis, Brazil. Since 2004, Eletrosul has adopted corporate social responsibility as a primary business focus and develops more than 100 socially responsible initiatives per year. The research methodology utilized in this paper was qualitative, involving documentary analysis and interviews with representatives in different departments of the organization. The main results indicated that the insertion of corporate social responsibility guidelines occurs throughout some elements of organizational culture, especially within its communications. The researchers also determined that the largest number of projects developed by the company are targeted toward their employees and the community, although their employees do not often associate the company’s internal actions as being socially responsible. Keywords: corporate social responsibility, organizational culture, Eletrosul, Brazil

Electronic word-of-mouth marketing on Amazon: Exploring how and to what extent Amazon reviews affect sales

Consumers today base many of their decisions on peer referrals and online reviews. With the omnipresence of social media and online reviews, electronic word-of-mouth marketing (eWOM) has become a priority for many companies for both business growth and reputational management. The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of eWOM and its impact on sales. This study also seeks to help organizational leaders understand the significance of eWOM and its role in effective consumer and stakeholder relations, and in overall brand management. The researchers of this project explored eWOM by examining Amazon reviews from two different Kickstarter companies to determine which elements of online reviews impact product sales. By overlaying Amazon review data and sales figures from each Kickstarter company, researchers were able to determine the review factors that companies should focus on to increase their sales and grow their brands. The results of this study show that products with a high volume of positive reviews made by verified purchasers positively correlate to product sales. Keywords: electronic word-of-mouth marketing, Amazon, online reviews, Kickstarter, sales, reputational management, brand reputation, online reputation management

Preface

In this preface, the editors discuss the theme and articles featured in this volume.