Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Student-Athletes’ Self-Esteem And Performance Are Influenced By Social Media Sports Fandom, Brooke Alexander

Theses - ALL

This study evaluates the role of positive and negative messages on social media from sports fans and its effect on student-athletes’ self-esteem and performance. Through a qualitative research process, this study examined what drives student-athletes to seek validation of their identities through messages in social media and how the messages they read online affect their self-esteem and performance in their sport. Public relations has become an integral part in college athletics in reputation management, brand attributes and social issues. It is essential that public relations specialists involved in athletics are aware of how their student-athletes are feeling regarding social media …

Analyzing Nation Branding Through Public Relations Lenses-- The Case Of The 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Ruoshi Li

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract

Studies across several disciplines, including marketing, political science and culture studies, have already touched on the concept of nation branding. Different experts with distinct academic backgrounds look at nation branding from different angles. This paper first takes a critical review of the conceptualizations of nation branding and then revisits the public relations theories, followed by a synthesis of public relations concepts with nation branding in a case study of the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony. It also seeks to open a conversation within the field of communication and public relations on the trend of nation branding. With an aim of …

Investor Relations: A Study Of Perceived Fundamental Skills And Practices In Corporations And Agencies, Shuyi Li

Dissertations - ALL

Today, the importance of investor relations as a strategic management function in publicly held companies is growing. In the interdisciplinary field of investor relations, professionals need both finance and communication expertise to achieve effective investor relations results. This paper investigates investor relations professionals' perceptions of the fundamental skills and practices needed in corporations and agencies through an online self-administered survey. It finds that the professionals perceived relationship-building skills with media and the investment community to be the most important. A knowledge of information disclosure process, senior management assistance and crisis communication management were also seen as important. The professionals indicated …

Toward A Uses And Gratification's Model Of Twitter, Philip Ryan Johnson

Theses - ALL

This study proposed a uses and gratifications model of Twitter, an internet medium and micro-blog--a platform with both mass and interpersonal communication features for sending short messages to others. A survey was conducted among 242 Twitter users to test the model, including a standard investigation of gratifications sought and gratifications obtained of Twitter usage. In addition, expectations and availability of usage behaviors from McLeod and Becker's (1981) uses and gratifications model were examined. In the model, expectations were conceptualized as user expectations of satisfaction and operationalized as the difference between users' gratifications sought and gratifications actually obtained. Usage behavior availability …

The Role Of Ethical Evaluation Of Corporate Social Responsibility In The Perception Of Corporate Hypocrisy, The Intention Of Opinioned Communication And Behavior Toward A Firm, Kyujin Shim

Dissertations - ALL

Corporate hypocrisy refers to publics' negative perception of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) as a result of ethical attribution of CSR to normative ethics, and thus can be a useful indicator of the disappointing and ineffective role of CSR programs geared toward raising publics' goodwill toward a firm. However, scant scholarly effort has been made to explore the concept of corporate hypocrisy in relation to corporate issues and crises, publics' ethical orientation, cultural and national influence, and polarized sentiments toward global business in the media landscape. These aspects collectively constitute the unpredictable, uncontrollable public opinion, in particular the opinion of the …

Kony2012: The New Face Of Citizen Engagement, Nicole Audette

Exchange: The Journal of Public Diplomacy

This paper breaks down the nongovernmental components of public diplomacy and examines the evolution of new public diplomacy. It discusses the rise of nonstate actors and the importance they play in changing international diplomatic engagements. It explores the rising prominence of both soft power and public relations on the global stage, highlighting the importance of strategic relationships and effective communications. The case study, used to exemplify the power of new public diplomacy, examines how Invisible Children’s KONY2012 campaign used public diplomacy to harness successfully the power of the American people to influence governmental foreign policy. The author shows that Invisible …