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Articles 1 - 30 of 30
Full-Text Articles in Business
Social Enterprises And Social Media: A Dialogic And Comparative Analysis, Kevin L. Rawls
Social Enterprises And Social Media: A Dialogic And Comparative Analysis, Kevin L. Rawls
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study is devoted to assessing the public relations activities of social enterprises on social media through a dialogic communication lens and comparing those activities with traditional businesses. Social enterprises are fundamentally devoted to leveraging market forces to help create sustainable social change, and as such are interested in not only financial returns but also specific social returns, and the public relations strategies of these organizations should be more aligned than traditional businesses with fully functioning society theory and dialogic communication principles. This study reveals areas of opportunity for both social enterprises and conventional companies to develop in the area …
Cross-Cultural Managerial Behavior – A Comparative Study Between The Republic Of Korea And The United States Of America, Colson Richter
Cross-Cultural Managerial Behavior – A Comparative Study Between The Republic Of Korea And The United States Of America, Colson Richter
Senior Honors Theses
Among the many trade partners the United States engages with, the Republic of Korea is the nation’s seventh largest trading partner – exchanging over $154.9 Billion in 2020 (USTR, 2021). Despite this strong economic relationship between these two nations, the cultural distance that these societies have is one of the largest within anthropological academia (Hofstede, 2017). This reality creates the need for a solid framework of a management-focused, cultural understanding between these two countries.
In this study, academic literature will be collected and reviewed to lend insight into particular areas of culture that an American and Korean perspective would be …
And The Oscar Goes To... Tiktok, Dawson Bley
And The Oscar Goes To... Tiktok, Dawson Bley
Senior Honors Theses
Companies have been forced to take note of the emerging social media app, TikTok, which has attracted more than a billion users to its platform and invited businesses into an uncharted market ready to be exploited. By seeking to understand and employ the unique features which have led to TikTok’s far-reaching success, many companies can similarly improve their position. In particular, traditional movie companies, which have recently suffered blows at the box office due to factors such as competition with online streaming, could benefit from an analysis of this tech to restore lost engagement and revenue. Specifically, how can the …
Effective Communication In The Virtual Environment, Michael Binda
Effective Communication In The Virtual Environment, Michael Binda
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Technology has helped change the way we communicate. The onset of COVID-19 has accelerated the use of technology to communicate. The virtual environment has allowed organizations and stakeholders to communicate utilizing technology regardless of proximity, time, and distance to continue moving the organization forward. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand effective communication strategies for organizations to adopt and share in order to gain support and engagement from a growing audience of those attending virtual meetings. Organizations and leaders when communicating with consistency, clear, transparent, and authentic communication were the drivers on what leaders and subordinates feel constitutes …
The Intersection Of Digital Communication & Non-Profit Organizations, Aliyah Burton
The Intersection Of Digital Communication & Non-Profit Organizations, Aliyah Burton
Senior Honors Theses
Non-profit organizations are actively addressing prevalent issues in society, seeking to benefit the public and those in need through various forms of intervention and programming. Non-profits have unique leadership and culture, requiring models of communication that fit these unique qualities. Communication is vital to the success of non-profits, particularly in a digital age. This thesis synthesizes the current research on non-profit culture and leadership with data on donor trends, online giving, social media practices, and more points of interest for non-profits when it comes to digital communication. Additionally, a connection is made between strong digital communication strategies and ongoing donor …
Video Collaboration: Copresence And Performance, Thomas James Zito Jr.
Video Collaboration: Copresence And Performance, Thomas James Zito Jr.
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative narrative theory study on video collaboration platform use is to explain how an individual's on-screen performance and their interpersonal verbal and nonverbal communication contributes to engagement and copresence with their audience. The literature review analyzes critical interpersonal communication theories to explain how this affects engagement and copresence levels in mediated virtual environments. The research was conducted through interviews with thirty professional businesspeople about their video collaboration experiences during the COVID-19 2020 shutdown. The interview respondents told the stories of business communication successes and failures that correspond to the scholarly theories in the literature review. The …
Priming In Leadership: Applying Communication Theory To The Speeches Of Ronald Reagan, Katherine Sakai
Priming In Leadership: Applying Communication Theory To The Speeches Of Ronald Reagan, Katherine Sakai
Senior Honors Theses
The study of priming gained traction in the 1990s when researchers such as John Bargh demonstrated the nonconscious activation of ideas, often through repeated related words or activated schema. Since then, researchers have studied the effects of priming on self-view, achievement, and teamwork. While the concept of priming has just recently begun to be applied to leadership in the workplace, no research has yet been done in finding examples of priming theory in the speeches of well-known leaders. In this study, Ronald Reagan’s persuasive tactics were analyzed and found to use similar methods of repetition and schema used in priming …
The Bride, Millennial Identity, And Instagram: A Case Study Of Hillsong Australia’S Instagram Account, Jessica Delp
The Bride, Millennial Identity, And Instagram: A Case Study Of Hillsong Australia’S Instagram Account, Jessica Delp
Senior Honors Theses
Identity has become an incessant focus for millennials. They ascribe ever-growing significance to identity anchored in an accepting community that elevates their perception. Subsequently, identity is increasingly significant for brand and consumer relationships. Successful brands understand this and incorporate a pervasive sense of their unique identity into their brand, visually and otherwise. This case study of Hillsong Church hopes to help churches understand the importance of visuals in communicating identity. Hillsong Australia’s Instagram is examined using the Saussure model of visual semiotic theory to understand how they present their church identity in relation to millennial identity. The two most dominant …
Crisis Communications: How Businesses Respond In The Wake Of Tragedy, Sarah Blow
Crisis Communications: How Businesses Respond In The Wake Of Tragedy, Sarah Blow
Senior Honors Theses
Crisis communication is an ever-evolving form of communication that is integral to a business’s success. When tragedy strikes, businesses must have a thorough plan of response that manages the situation and protects their brand. This paper discusses the definition of crisis communication, its history, and how modern trends like social media, have revolutionized it. This study is important because it influences a business’s public perception, and sustainability. Thorough knowledge of crisis communication is critical to a business student’s education and will prepare them for working in fast-paced communication and business environments. An analysis of this topic should yield an understanding …
Microfinance: Combating World Poverty One Small Business At A Time, Alison Basney
Microfinance: Combating World Poverty One Small Business At A Time, Alison Basney
Senior Honors Theses
Poverty is a major problem that reaches millions of people around the world. Although many organizations and individuals work daily to combat this, much of the work done to reduce poverty lacks sustainability and serves only to remedy to the effects of poverty, rather than create a solution to the causes of poverty. Microfinance can be very basically defined as the provision of banking to the impoverished who would not otherwise have access to these services. This purpose of this thesis is to show that microfinance is the ideal solution to the poverty problem by using research and evidence from …
The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie
The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie
Senior Honors Theses
The Land of Milk & Honey Farm exists to provide quality food produced in facilities that practice good stewardship to the Earth. It is a small business devoted to loving, careful stewardship and the production of quality goods. The mission of The Land of Milk & Honey is to combine traditional farming practices with a sustainable and environment-friendly approach to agriculture. It aims to provide customer satisfaction by being respectful and responsible over animals and the earth, and by producing quality products. To reach this objective, the farm intends to educate consumers and provide an alternative source for truly farm-fresh …
Get Schooled: A Visual Social Semiotic Analysis Of Target's Branding Using Instagram, Chelsea Bevins
Get Schooled: A Visual Social Semiotic Analysis Of Target's Branding Using Instagram, Chelsea Bevins
Masters Theses
With new technology arising, brands must be able to adapt to them. This thesis will break down brand management, using David Aaker's framework, of the Target Corporation to see if they are using modern resource, Instagram effectively. This thesis will also look at how the theory of visual social semiotics, applied to communications, is used to decipher intended meaning. Brand management embodies a company and people are driven by what a brand portrays. People are driven by values, emotions and quality within a brand. People associate products with memories, celebrities, attributes and symbols. Brands are more than just a name. …
Reflections Magazine - A Promotional Magazine For Reflections Adoption Ministry, Kamryn Reynolds
Reflections Magazine - A Promotional Magazine For Reflections Adoption Ministry, Kamryn Reynolds
Senior Honors Theses
For my senior honors thesis I have received permission to present a project along with its scholarly apparatus. I will be displaying ways to apply communications to ministry. The project will be a promotional magazine and informational materials. For the thesis I will include the magazine and a press release. I will be approaching some marketing techniques for a non-profit organization and assessing potential ways to reach the public. Many organizations are doing incredible work to fight social injustice and oftentimes few people understand the issues. I want to show how communication can revitalize ministry and get the word out …
An Examination Of The Role Relationship Marketing Plays In The B2b Model Between Chinese Manufacturers And American Distributors, Ran An
Masters Theses
Relationship marketing has been a heated topic in the communication paradigm. The primary relationship is the one between a supplier or provider of goods or services and buyers and users of those goods or services. In order to facilitate it, other stakeholders in the network of relationships may have to be involved. This thesis examined the relationship between Chinese manufacturers and American distributors by a pilot qualitative study. Social exchange theory was used as a scope to analyze the relationship. Nine participants from both sides answered computer-mediated interview questions. Business ethics and worldviews are important factors that businessmen look for …
Canadian Patriotism And The Timbit: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Tim Horton's Inc.'S Canadian Connection Through The Application Of Semiotics, Shelanne Jennings
Canadian Patriotism And The Timbit: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Tim Horton's Inc.'S Canadian Connection Through The Application Of Semiotics, Shelanne Jennings
Masters Theses
This study examines the content of Tim Horton's television advertisements from 1980 to 2014 from a communication perspective. Using Peirce's semiotic theory, this study examines the significations of Canadian culture as they appear within each advertisement for the purpose of establishing the time and extent to which Canadian culture was used over the course of Tim Horton's advertising history. This study finds that Tim Horton's advertisements did not purposefully use Canadian significations during the 1980s to create a connection between their brand and Canadian patriotism. However, after discovering Canadians' natural affinity to the Tim Horton's brand through focus group research …
Selling Life To Abortion-Seekers: A Content Analysis Of Passive And Active Persuasion In Crisis Pregnancy Center Marketing, Alexander Kocman
Selling Life To Abortion-Seekers: A Content Analysis Of Passive And Active Persuasion In Crisis Pregnancy Center Marketing, Alexander Kocman
Masters Theses
For supporters of the pro-life cause, crisis pregnancy centers (or CPC's) have become the "darlings of the movement," according to the New York Times (Belluck, 2013), offering women with unplanned pregnancies free advice, information, classes, childcare, and needed supplies. For abortion advocates, such establishments are intended to seduce vulnerable abortion-seekers into a situation where they will be counseled out of an abortion and possibly even proselytized. Yet for as much controversy as exists in the news media, medical community, and legal realm about CPC's, there is an unsettling lack of understanding of how--and why--CPC's market themselves the way they do. …
Like, Retweet, Repeat: Social Media's Impact On Real Estate Marketing, Emily Kendall
Like, Retweet, Repeat: Social Media's Impact On Real Estate Marketing, Emily Kendall
Masters Theses
With the advent of Facebook and Twitter, people from all walks of life in all parts of the world have the ability to connect electronically, impersonally, and constantly. Small businesses are just beginning to unlock the power of social media marketing, specifically real estate professionals. Shelly Chaiken created the Heuristic Systematic Model of persuasion, the descendant of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. This study applies the tenets of Chaiken's HSM to the methods of persuasion employed by real estate agents via Facebook and Twitter. Fifty participants were surveyed by the researcher in order to gauge their activity, interest level, and motivation …
Quench The Thirst: A Content Analysis Of The Persuasive Techniques Of Unicef's Tap Project, Rachel Chadalavada
Quench The Thirst: A Content Analysis Of The Persuasive Techniques Of Unicef's Tap Project, Rachel Chadalavada
Masters Theses
This study analyzes the persuasive techniques utilized by UNICEF's Tap Project. This water related campaign began in 2007 and since then has created four themes. These themes are: Dine out, Celebrity Tap, Facebook Push and Cellphone Challenge. The study finds that the videos employed by the Tap Project portray all six Facets of Effects. However, their usage was based on the message that was being delivered. That said, not all videos utilized all of the facets. This implies that an advertisement need not necessarily use all six Facets of Effects to be successful. The facet of association however, stood out …
The Phenomenon Behind The Bite: Altercasting As It Applies To Apple Technology, Elizabeth Baldwin
The Phenomenon Behind The Bite: Altercasting As It Applies To Apple Technology, Elizabeth Baldwin
Masters Theses
This paper investigates how the brand Apple markets their product so that consumers feel obligated to buy their product. By looking at five main categories of brand loyalty, environmentally friendly practices, being up-to-date with technology, pricing with value and customer service, this paper will rhetorically analyze how successful of a job it does. To get an inside look at what the public thought on the the way that Apple fulfilled their altercasting this paper analyzed what people said about Apple verses competing technology brands. By drawing overall conclusions, recording trends and making observations about the way that people had been …
Harnessing Charisma For Leadership Training, Meagan Roper
Harnessing Charisma For Leadership Training, Meagan Roper
Masters Theses
Effective leadership develops followers toward objectives that focus a group's energy to engage in its task and accomplish its goals. The following study sought to understand charismatic leadership and its role in creating transformational change. Through a mixed methods case study using surveys and interviews, this researcher sought to explain the essence of charismatic leadership. Within the organization this study investigated, this meant first establishing organizational vision for a family atmosphere and guiding members on the path to achieving that vision, generating motivation and dedication to the task goals. The researcher discovered practical communicative strategies for incorporating charismatic leadership in …
Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis
Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis
Masters Theses
In this media saturated world which is lived in today, the general public is bombarded by a multitude of advertisements. This thesis was conducted to examine Geico's commercial advertising looking specifically at their use of humor. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Humorous Message Taxonomy were used to conduct this content analysis. The research examined the route of persuasion and elaboration that were used in 60 Geico commercials from five of their most recent campaigns. The Humorous Message Taxonomy helped to establish which types of humor were being used along with the processes and relationship between elements. Three research questions …
Unleashing The Power Of Social Media Marketing Within Non-Profits, Through The Lens Of Social Cognitive Theory, Kerah Kemmerer
Unleashing The Power Of Social Media Marketing Within Non-Profits, Through The Lens Of Social Cognitive Theory, Kerah Kemmerer
Masters Theses
While many organizations still struggle to effectively incorporate the present-day promotional framework of social media marketing, research reveals that non-profit organizations are lagging even further behind when it comes to the implementation of effective social media and interactive marketing strategies. The interactive marketing strategy model incorporates technology and media-based tactics designed to enhance marketing strategies within any industry. In this project, the primary researcher explored why non-profits are struggling to incorporate these specific strategies, and considered it through the lens of social cognitive theory. The purpose of this project was to focus on a specific non-profit organization and apply the …
Seattle's Seafaring Siren: A Cultural Approach To The Branding Of Starbucks, Briana Kauffman
Seattle's Seafaring Siren: A Cultural Approach To The Branding Of Starbucks, Briana Kauffman
Masters Theses
Many corporate brands tend to be built on a strong foundation of culture, but very minimal research seems to indicate a thorough analysis of the role of an organizational's culture in its entirety pertaining to large corporations. This study analyzed various facets of Starbucks Coffee Company through use of the cultural approach to organizations theory in order to determine if the founding principles of Starbucks are evident in their organizational culture. Howard Schultz' book "Onward" was analyzed and documented as the key textual artifact in which these principles originated. Along with these principles, Starbucks' Website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube page …
Refresh. Create. Inspire. The Mission, Vision And Values Behind The Coca-Cola Company And The Digital Marketing Strategies Of The "Open Happiness" Campaign, Sara Svendsen
Masters Theses
Due to the influence of Coca-Cola on advertising, digital marketing, and marketing strategies, the present rhetorical analysis seeks to show the many aspects of digital media in the Company's present "Open Happiness" campaign. The study of the campaign seeks to show that the Company mission statement, Company values and the vision of The Coca-Cola Company are implemented into all of the different facets of the Open Happiness campaign, and in the context of Mood Management Theory, exude the overall theme of the campaign, happiness. The parts of the campaign that were analyzed were focused on the YouTube channels of The …
The Tweet's The Thing: Exploring The Intersection Of Social Media And Broadway, Hilary Sutton
The Tweet's The Thing: Exploring The Intersection Of Social Media And Broadway, Hilary Sutton
Masters Theses
In 2009 the little known Broadway musical Next to Normal rose to fame through the aid of an unprecedented Twitter campaign conducted by Situation Interactive, a digital marketing agency. The Next to Normal Twitter account gathered over one million followers throughout a six-week campaign in which the Situation Interactive team joined forces with the book writer and lyricist of Next to Normal to recreate the plot in one hundred and forty-character snippets. By analyzing the data collected the researcher cultivates a collection of best practices for running a successful Twitter marketing campaign for a live experience.
The Mouse Who Ruled His Kingdom: An Agenda Setting Analysis Of The Walt Disney World Company, Jacob Overbey
The Mouse Who Ruled His Kingdom: An Agenda Setting Analysis Of The Walt Disney World Company, Jacob Overbey
Masters Theses
People are seeking their news in more social environments, but very little research has been conducted on agenda setting and online environments. This thesis examined the agenda setting relationship between an organization on Twitter, @WaltDisneyWorld (i.e., The Walt Disney World) and public opinion on Twitter. The relationship was examined using Twitter's database of tweets to measure public opinion on Twitter. Since the news media is losing steam on the ability to break news, and social media is growing rapidly, this study tested the value of the agenda setting theory on social media. To this end, this thesis qualitatively examined the …
Eat More Chicken And Lead More People: Perceived Measures Of Servant Leadership At Chick-Fil-A, Michael Mishler
Eat More Chicken And Lead More People: Perceived Measures Of Servant Leadership At Chick-Fil-A, Michael Mishler
Masters Theses
This present study used survey data from 31 employees working at 2 Chick-fil-A locations to assess the supervisor's perceived level of supervisor's level of servant leadership and how the level (a) affects coworker's perceptions of performance, (b) job satisfaction, and (c) relational trust amongst coworkers. The participants ranged in ages from 18-50. The average age for the participants was 26. The data for the study was collected through the distribution of surveys to individuals who currently work at Chick-fil-A. The two selected locations were approximately 300 miles apart in Virginia. The study employed quantitative research methods in order to collect …
Interpreter Roles And Transition For Public School Students Who Are Deaf: A Multiple Case Study, John Hinz
Interpreter Roles And Transition For Public School Students Who Are Deaf: A Multiple Case Study, John Hinz
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This qualitative multiple case study research project examines interpreter use for students who are Deaf in the public school system and juxtaposes it with interpreter use found in the work sector after the school-to-work (STW) transition. Semi-structured interviews with 16 Deafness professionals and 6 study participants who are Deaf, as well as workplace observations yield bits of data which are coded and themed for review. Results confirm that interpreter use is abundant in public schools and scant in the work sector. Further results determine that STW placements for students who are Deaf can be haphazard, while employers are largely unaware …
Art And Space: Impacting The Workplace, Erin V. Mccool
Art And Space: Impacting The Workplace, Erin V. Mccool
Senior Honors Theses
Art in its various forms and applications has always been a part of the human experience. Art can be intrusive, thought provoking, or simply beautiful. Although art comes in many different styles and forms, art continues to capture our imagination. The purposes of this thesis are to discover how art affects human activity in the workplace as well as the qualities that make artwork in the workplace successful. Based on the findings of this study, artwork will be created for the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence at Liberty University in order to create a lively, creative environment. By …
Investing In Happiness: An Analysis Of The Contributing Factors To The Positive Professional Work Environment, Alena Naff
Masters Theses
The professional workplace is an environment prone to both jubilation and disdain. Research indicates that employees in a more positive work environment are more productive and satisfied in their work. Understanding the contributing factors to a positive work environment is the first step to creating a more satisfying workplace for employees. These contributing factors may be material or relational and hold different levels of influence. Guided by the theory of structuration, this study employed a three-phased Q-methodology, including a Q-sort questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and a cluster analysis. Participants included the employees of the Southeastern region financial institution, BB&T. Two research …