Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Strangers Switching Their Identities: Cultural Identity Management And Performance On Social Media A Qualitative Analysis Of International Students’ Intercultural (Ex)Change Processes And Perceptions Regarding Their Stay In The United States And Countries Of Origin, Vivian Kretzschmar

All Theses

In this globalized world, cross-country travel for education has been a prevalent (5.6 million students identified as international students in 2020) and ever-increasing (with a predicted increase of 250% by 2030) trend through the past decades. The sojourn impacts the students’ experience of the new culture and the ensuing shocks and adaptations. The understanding of something as complicated as culture, trying to be integrated into a new culture, and its perception to individuals, of course, have their ways of distinct communication trends through social media.

The struggle of maintaining and changing one’s cultural identity and adaptation across cultures has been …

Cultivation 2.0: The Mediated Environment As Message In The 21st Century, Chelsea Slack

All Dissertations

It is hard to deny social media and its omnipresence is affecting users. What’s more, the online mediated environment is becoming increasingly diverse, with more social media platforms being created and used each year. What is social media doing to us? How do different platforms affect views of users? To answer these questions, this study applied cultivation theory to the mediated environment, which included the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. With 413 respondents, the results of this study indicated that Facebook consumption is related to first order cultivation effects, and non-Facebook platforms contribute to …

Social Media Public Relations Practices Of Community Non-Profit Organizations, Megan Stockhausen

All Theses

This thesis examines the use of social media for public relations in the non-profit sector. Specifically, self-perceptions and the implementation of social media by non-profit organizations was investigated through both interviews with social media practitioners and content analysis of Twitter. Through the lens of the five principles of dialogic communication, as set forth by Kent and Taylor (1998), eight community non-profit organizations were analyzed in a multiple case study. One interview and 150 tweets from a 12 month period were examined for each organization to determine the motivations for employing social media and whether dialogic communication was used to interact …

Organizational Communication And The Meanings Of Social Media As Cultural Mediums: A Case Study Of Intramural Sport Participants' Interpretations Of Online Presence, Madeline Blair

All Theses

This thesis analyzes the relationship between organizational communication and social media presence in organizational culture. Using a university intramural sport program (UIM) as a case study, this study addresses the role of organizational members' interpretations of the introduction of social media into organizational processes and culture. This study an attempt to reveal a disconnect between organizational communication techniques and social media as cultural mediums by offering an interpretive approach to analysis of the UIM culture using Craig and Tracy's (1995) grounded practical theory. Ten interviews with UIM student employees and sport players were conducted and data were analyzed qualitatively. Findings …

Building Non-Profit Communities Online: A Case Study Of A Hospital Facebook Page, Mary Parker

All Theses

Businesses and organizations are increasingly using online communities to extend brand loyalty from the real world to the virtual world of consumers and other key stakeholders. However, the return on investment for launching an online community can only be realized when appropriate audiences are attracted and interact. This two-phase research study explores a recently launched online community representing a rural hospital in South Carolina. This thesis includes a literature review, in-depth description of the methodology I used, results of a survey and textual analysis of a Facebook page, and a discussion of best practices and future suggestions. I hope that …

Social Media As A Branding Tool In Heterogeneous Organizations: A Collective Case Study Approach, Heather Dunn

All Theses

The concept of branding can be applied to an endless list of topics including products, organizations, and individuals. Just as a product line can have a brand identity, so can a university, business or non-profit. This thesis details a study on universities, businesses and non-profits and how they use social media as a branding tool. In this thesis, I provide a brief literature review, describe my methodologies, describe in detail the research of each of the three cases and finally, draw conclusions and suggest future research. This thesis ends with a list of references and additional readings that provide insight …