Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Maturity As A Way Forward For Improving Organizations’ Communication Evaluation And Measurement Practices: A Definition And Concept Explication, Nathan Gilkerson, Rebecca Swenson, Fraser Likely

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an explication of the concept of “maturity,” as it applies to communication evaluation and measurement (E&M) practice, along with contextualization of recent maturity model adoption within academic and professional communities.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from previous work on maturity models within other fields, recent communication scholarship and industry practice, this paper fills a gap in the literature by offering a theoretical conceptualization of communication E&M maturity, including the construct’s core dimensions and sub-dimensions.

Findings

Communication E&M maturity is conceptualized into four essential elements: holistic approach, investment, alignment and culture. The contribution of E&M …

Work-Life Balance 2.0? An Examination Of Social Media Management Practice And Agency Employee Coping Strategies In A 24/7 Social World, Nathan Gilkerson, Betsy Anderson, Rebecca Swenson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study examines the work experiences of public relations agency professionals who specialize in social media and digital strategy for clients and those who manage employees tasked with monitoring, updating and responding to social media content. Building upon existing literature focused on work-life balance dynamics for strategic communicators, the research draws from a series of in-depth interviews and correspondence conducted with 26 agency professionals, representing a brand range of the industry. Participants were asked to describe how social media has impacted the nature and volume of their job responsibilities over the past five years, and to discuss how social media …

Enhancing Employee Communication Behaviors For Sensemaking And Sensegiving In Crisis Situations: Strategic Management Approach For Effective Internal Crisis Communication, Young Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the organizational effectiveness of internal crisis communication within the strategic management approach, whether it enhanced voluntary and positive employee communication behaviors (ECBs) for sensemaking and sensegiving. By doing so, this study provides meaningful insight into: new crisis communication theory development that takes a strategic management approach, emphasizing employees’ valuable assets from an organization, and effective crisis communication practice that reduces misalignment with employees and that enhances voluntary and positive ECBs for the organization during a crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a nationwide survey in the USA among full-time employees (n …

Understanding Dialogue And Engagement Through Communication Experts’ Use Of Interactive Writing To Build Relationships, Betsy Anderson, Rebecca Swenson, Nathan Gilkerson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Dialogic communication is an important public relations theory, yet scholarship has found few organizations using it to its full potential. Meanwhile, multiple overlapping definitions exist for related terms like engagement, interactivity, and responsiveness, causing potential confusion for researchers and professionals. This research reports the results of in-depth interviews with top digital public relations professionals regarding how they use interactive writing, a form of social media engagement, to build relationships. Through their own unprompted words, the research also describes how professionals use terms such as dialogue, engagement, interactivity, and responsiveness, and corresponding definitions, to refer to their …

Farmed And Dangerous? A Case Study Of Chipotle’S Branded Entertainment Series And Polarized Reactions To Its Satirical Depiction Of Farming And Agribusiness, Nathan Gilkerson, Rebecca Swenson, Betsy Anderson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study follows Chipotle’s innovative strategy of using branded entertainment and satire to enhance its brand image and positive consumer perceptions, while negatively portraying an entire industry. The study explores audience reactions to Chipotle’s satirical Farmed and Dangerous program, part of the company’s broader “Food with Integrity” campaign. Increasing agricultural literacy and understanding among the general public is a priority (Doerfert, 2011). Yet marketing communication campaigns—and responses or reactions to those campaigns—that simplify issues into distinct “sides,” or focus on attacks, prevent deep discussion of the complexity of our food system and efforts to collaborate on solutions. Research presented uses …