Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Diffusion Of Social Media Among County 4-H Programs In Tennessee, Rebekah Bowen

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, Cooperative Extension and 4-H professionals have been faced with the decision of whether they should adopt new communication technologies such as social media to interact with their rapidly growing audience. Current research on social media and Extension shows that there are some identified risks and barriers (Fuess & Humphreys, 2011; Seger, 2011); however, many Extension professionals believe that social media usage could be very beneficial for Extension and\or 4-H usage (Coates, 2004; Rhoades, Thomas & Davis, 2009; Kinsey, 2010). In order to increase the body of empirical research on this subject, a quantitative study was conducted …

Sweetness And Strength: Codes Of Femininity And Body Image In Branded Social-Networking Messages And Consumer Responses, Anne M. Holcomb

Masters Theses

This study critically analyzes visual and text updates posted by two clothing brands to the social-networking site Facebook.com, including consumers' interaction with these marketing messages. A semiological textual analysis was conducted using Facebook updates by the Victoria's Secret PINK and Nike Women apparel brands, and the responses of fans who subscribed to these updates. Advertising aimed at women in print media has previously been analyzed in this way, revealing patterns of sexualization and objectification that can be harmful to women and men alike. My analysis builds on this tradition. Social-networking sites such as Facebook allow individual users unprecedented access to …

Nonprofit Organizations And Social Media: Streamlining Communications To Build And Maintain Relationships, Kristin Ann Kenney

Journalism

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Social Networking Sites On College Students' Consumption Patterns, Whitney Sue Thoene

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research study examines the effect of social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, on the purchasing habits of college students by testing for correlations between recommendations on social media and consumption patterns. Moreover, the research also examines the role of gender and social media usage frequency on consumption patterns. Findings revealed that both Facebook and Twitter are being used to obtain sales information and promotions. Furthermore, gender has an impact on both social networking sites. Additionally, this study found the higher the frequency of social media usage the more likely customers are to shop at the businesses they have befriended.

Rights, Principles, And Data Use: An Investigation Of User Knowledge And Opinion Of Facebook's Legal Contract, Nikolas D. Payne

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This project investigated the legal contract to which users must agree before creating a Facebook account. Multi-methodological in nature, this research explored user knowledge and perception of the contract as well as how the contract measures up to the principles which Facebook claims serve as its foundation. For the quantitative portion of this analysis, a survey including measures of knowledge and perception was administered to respondents. The qualitative portion critically compared Facebook’s legal contract to the list of principles espoused by the company on their website. These analyses reveal that users rarely read this contract before agreeing to it, tend …

Predictive Modeling For Navigating Social Media, Meiqun Hu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Social media changes the way people use the Web. It has transformed ordinary Web users from information consumers to content contributors. One popular form of content contribution is social tagging, in which users assign tags to Web resources. By the collective efforts of the social tagging community, a new information space has been created for information navigation. Navigation allows serendipitous discovery of information by examining the information objects linked to one another in the social tagging space. In this dissertation, we study prediction tasks that facilitate navigation in social tagging systems. For social tagging systems to meet complex navigation needs …

Diy Pr: How Independent Music Artists Use Online Social Networks For Public Relations Purposes, Martina Lawless

Theses

Significance of the study: Independent musicians are a huge part of the Irish music industry and yet they are the part that do not have the backing of a record label. This means independent musicians need to look at cheap or even free ways to promote themselves to existing fans and potential new fans. With the emergence of social networks musicians both signed and independent have the tools necessary to engage in a new form DIY PR. The purpose of this study is to look at the different ways that social networks have helped musicians in recent years, but also …

Making News In 140 Characters: How The New Media Environment Is Changing Our Examination Of Audiences, Journalists, And Content, Ashley Elizabeth Kirzinger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project answers the following questions: What does political reporting on social media look like? How is political journalists’ use of social media changing their relationships with sources and fellow political journalists? Triangulating qualitative and quantitative research methods (content analysis, social network analysis, and in-depth interviews) in an examination of Twitter, a social media platform popular among journalists, this project provides insight into how changes in media routines are affecting news content.

Communicating During An Organizational Crisis: Using Facebook As A Relationship Management Tool, Vjollca Hysenlika

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how organizations communicate on Facebook during a crisis, from a relationship management perspective, and how their interactivity, responsiveness, and transparency affect their Fan page's relevance, importance, and appeal. In this study, the researcher conducted a controlled experiment to examine if a strategized Facebook Fan page that contained a high level of interaction, responsiveness, and transparency contributed to long-lasting relationships with fans or helped organizations recover/prevent a crisis. The researcher created eight different conditions (Facebook Fan Pages) presenting a crisis message, and recruited 200 students (25 participants per condition) from the University of …

From The Viewbook To Facebook: A Content Analysis Of Universities' Facebook Posts To Measure Organization-Public Relationships, Aariel Roxanne Charbonnet

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined StudentAdvisor.com's top 25 social media colleges to determine the ways in which these universities communicated with their various publics on Facebook. Using Hon and Grunig's models of public relations as frameworks, a quantitative content analysis was performed. The study considered each individual post on the universities' Facebook walls (n=709) over the course of a three-week period. The study's research questions were based on whether the posts promoted Hon and Grunig's relationship indicators, as well as what public relations models the posts resembled. Results indicated that posts were least likely to resemble the two-way symmetrical model and seldom …

Organizational Communication, Social Media, And Sensemaking During A Cascading Crisis: Tokyo Disney And The 2011 Japan Earthquake/Tsunami/Nuclear Crisis, Holly Ann Roberts

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This study examines the connection between organizational crisis communication and sensemaking. In particular, the research focuses on messages of instructing, adjusting and reputation management and the use of social media in distributing these messages through and by the Tokyo Disney Resort during the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis that hit Japan in 2011. Case study methods are used to analyze news coverage, Twitter and YouTube videos, informed by personal interviews and documentation related to the crisis and the Tokyo Disney Resort. The analysis found that the Tokyo Disney Resort provided messages of instructing, adjusting and reputation management in order to effectively foster the …

Volunteer Based Organizations: Bridging The Gap Between Political Efficacy And Civic Engagement, Kristin Nicole Marks

LSU Master's Theses

With the declining participation in civic engagement behaviors such as voting, people are turning to other means to demonstrate civic participation. This study examined the role of volunteering as a means to establish civic engagement. Because of this civic participation behavioral shift, the relationship between civic engagement and the communication tactics used by volunteer based organizations was investigated. This study investigated the relationship between civic engagement and political efficacy. Additionally, this study examined the interplay between organizational characteristics (trust, control mutuality, exchange relationship, and commitment) and civic engagement. Lastly, perceptions of new and traditional methods of communications to encourage civic …

Social Media And Public Education: The Use Of Social Media By The San Luis Obispo County Office Of Education, Chelsea Janee Harden

Journalism

The growing number of negative news stories regarding public education has presented school officials and administrators with the difficult task of developing plans to combat this negative attention and promote public education. School districts nationwide have looked to social media as a tool to communicate a positive message about public education. This paper addresses how the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE) can utilize social media to target the public; in particular, those without children in public education. It is those people who school administrators are most concerned about because they may be unaware of where these publics …

Youtube For Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab: Employee Training And Social Media Pr/Marketing Through The Use Of Video Production, Lauren Margaret Scott

Journalism

Every small business owner is looking for ways to improve their customer base and increase their profits with the smallest amount of investment possible. Two of the most important elements of successful small restaurants are consistent employee training and PR/marketing strategies. This paper addresses the importance of effective employee training methods and PR/marketing methods. The effectiveness of YouTube videos is addressed as it pertains to Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab in Arroyo Grande, California. There is a focus on two-way communication and communication with publics.

Social Media: The Use Of Facebook And Twitter To Impact Political Unrest In The Middle East Through The Power Of Collaboration, Sarah Danielle Goodman

Journalism

The power of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are often overlooked and unaccounted for. The revolutionary and unprecedented political changes in the Middle East have changed the way the world uses and now views these platforms. This study addresses the transformation of both the Middle East and social media, alongside each other. In addition, it discusses how young activists utilized these tools in order to unite and therefore produce radical alteration of Middle Eastern governments, what these governments did in an attempt to preserve control and how the United States got involved.

Social Media, California Wineries, And The Millennial Generation: The Best Practices Of Social Media To Connect With The Youngest Wine Drinking Demographic, Carly Rowan

Journalism

This senior project was done to determine the best practices of social media for California wineries to use in order to connect with the Millennial generation.

The California wine industry has been growing steadily for years. Much of this growth can be attributed to a generation of people in the United States called Millennials. This generation is currently between the ages of 10 and 30, and those of age are drinking wine with a passion that mirrors that of their Baby Boomer parents. Wineries are searching for the best ways in which to connect with and market to this demographic, …

Social Media In Higher Education: Building Mutually Beneficial Student And Institutional Relationships Through Social Media., Megan L. Fuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social applications such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have driven the public growth of Web 2.0. Universities and colleges are using social media to reach student prospects, keep contact with current students and alumni, and provide a mechanism for group collaboration and interaction in the classroom. Higher education institutions are influenced by current social media trends, and figuring out how to effectively interact with various constituencies within the social media environment can be challenging.

In this study, a group of higher education students were surveyed about their social media practices and preferences with a focus on education-related activities. The goal …

Intention To Comply With Food Safety Messages In A Crisis As A Function Of Message Source And Message Reliability, Karen June Freberg

Doctoral Dissertations

A key role of public relations is to manage crises, unexpected yet unpredictable events that cause emotional and physical harm (Coombs, 2007). Among the challenges in handling a crisis effectively is dealing with the various media in which information is presented. Because the use of social media in a crisis is a relatively new phenomenon, further understanding of the challenges and opportunities of these media is warranted. Part of meeting this challenge requires precise modeling of consumer responses to safety messages. To remedy gaps in our understanding of social media and food safety crisis communications, consumer intent to comply with …

Social Media And Political Campaigns, Kristian Nicole Smith

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Political Communication In A Digital Age: 2011 Tea Party Senators And Social Media, Kaitlyn M. Barrett

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Narcissism, Facebook Use And Self Disclosure, Bonnie Anne Boyd Huling

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between online self-disclosure, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, Facebook use and frequency of status updates in existing self-report measures among 381 college students. Positive correlations were found between: vulnerable narcissism and Facebook status updates, and Facebook use and online self-disclosure. Following the equalization of the two different narcissism scales, college students scored higher on grandiose narcissism as opposed to vulnerable narcissism, the opposite to what was hypothesized. No correlations were found between: grandiose narcissism and Facebook status updates; grandiose narcissism and self-disclosure; and vulnerable narcissism and self-disclosure. Additionally, college women did not score higher in self-disclosure …

Social Media For Nonprofits: Analysis And Discussion Of Facebook For Habitat For Humanity San Luis Obispo, Christine Gorney

Journalism

In the past few years, social media has become a key strategy for public relations practitioners. Sites like Facebook have revolutionized online marketing and how businesses and organizations reach their publics. Large nonprofits utilize Facebook to spread their messages and gain supporters and funds, but many small, local nonprofits do not use Facebook to their advantage. Social media has become necessary for businesses and organizations, especially nonprofits, to grow, as well as compete with their competitors. The results of this project demonstrate why nonprofits may not participate in social media, as well as why it is beneficial to implement the …

The Impact Of Social Media On An Organisations Brand Image: A Public Relations Perspective, Kieran Collins

Theses

No abstract provided.

Stay Calm And Tweet: A Best Practice Approach To The Use Of Social Media In A Crisis Situation, Elizabeth Barrow Tadie

LSU Master's Theses

At some point in its history every organization will face a crisis situation. How an organization responds to a crisis incident decides its survival. As Internet technology flourishes, public relations practitioners are provided with additional tools to manage crisis situations. This study investigates the role that emerging social media components play in the field of crisis management. It presents a best practice approach to using new technology in times of emergency. A qualitative study of Louisiana public relations practitioners analyzes how and why social media is being integrated into crisis communication plans. Social media components are used to quickly communicate …

Social Media Communications In Local Community Education Organizations: Researching And Implementing Social Media Communications For Rochester Community Education, Anna Marie Matetic

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Community Education departments are generally constrained by tight budgets, which can create difficulties in marketing its offerings within the region. Social media is a marketing method with low entry costs, thus making social media an attractive marketing option to Community Education departments. This thesis attempts to determine which social media communications are best for the existing "best customers" serviced by the Adult Enrichment department at Rochester Community Education. The research used a 22-question email survey with responses based on a 5-point Likert scale. The research found the online communication tools most often used by the "best customers" group included emails, …

Hospice Organizations On The Social Media Scene: Benchmarking The Uses And Strategies Of Hospice Organizations On The Internet In 2011, Emily Tiller

LSU Master's Theses

As baby boomers age and the hospice industry grows to meet the demands for care, it is important that these organizations reach their consumers in sensitive and responsible ways. Building caring and mutually beneficial relationships with these consumers is important. Social media can give these organizations the platforms to build and maintain these relationships, but most of the hospice organizations in this qualitative study did not make good use of the opportunities online to relate to their publics. Using public relationships and relationship management measurements, this study monitored the online activity of seven hospice organizations. In general, these organizations under …

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 …

Use Of Social Media Tools To Promote A Community Event: Analysis And Recommendations For The Madonna Plaza Farmer's Market, Genevieve Pearl Loggins

Journalism

The relationship between the community and the organization is looked at and analyzed through two types of interpersonal relationships. The exchange relationship and the communal relationship help evaluate the relationship or the organization compared to the community by researching the organization and the public. The farmer’s market located in the Madonna shopping center has a certain public attracting clientele based on their needs within the community, and it is the job of a public relations practitioner to help perceive the organization based on these publics. In this case, the main demographic was senior citizens, numerous case studies and research shows …

Politics 2.0 : The Emergence Of New Media And Its Impact On Political Communication In Ireland: A Public Relations Perspective, Gerald Counihan

Theses

Political communication occurs as a by-product of any political action. It can either be managed or not. The traditional methods of communication are still very prevalent in Irish political communication. The party maintains a strong role in communicating, but it does not infringe overly much on is national and local representatives.

The traditional mass media are play a crucial role in facilitating communication but the emergence of web 2.0 applications in social media is slowly beginning to revolutionise political communication in Ireland.

The evolution of communications tools over the past number of years has revolutionised the PR industry, and therefore …