Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rival Brands’ Response Strategies To Mitigate The Negative Spillover Effects During A Brand Crisis, Jan-Juba Y. Arway

Theses - ALL

Effectively managing a crisis is highly essential to any company to protect or restore its reputation, including consumer faith and loyalty to the brand, after the crisis has occurred, especially to competing brands. It is also essential that the rival brand approaches the situation with the correct response strategy (Veil, Dillingham, & Sloan, 2016). Extending Rohem and Tybout's (2016) research about the Negative Spillover Effect (NSE), this study’s purpose is to examine the effective communication strategy a rival brand can employ to lessen and or prevent negative spillover from competing brand scandal and or crisis. Furthermore, exploring differentiation and bolstering …

Rhetsec_ | Rhetorical Security, Jennifer Mead

Culminating Projects in English

Rhetsec_ examines the rhetorical situation, the rhetorical appeals, and how phishing emails simulate "real" emails in five categories of phishing emails. While the first focus of cybersecurity is security, you must also understand the language of computers to know how to secure them. Phishing is one way to compromise security using computers, and so the computer becomes a tool for malicious language (phishing emails and malware) to be transmitted. Therefore to be concerned with securing computers, then you must also be concerned with language. Language is rhetoric's domain, and the various rhetorical elements which create an identity of the phisher …

Getting Over The Dam: Overcoming Institutional Barriers To The Recovery Of Atlantic Salmon By Navigating The Social-Science/Policy Interface, Melissa E. Flye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term governance has undergone somewhat of an evolution since its inception, originally describing the act of governing, it has come to represent a more collaborative form of governing which is distinct from hierarchical control models (Marin and Mayntz, 1991). Collaborative governance refers to the systems associated with public policy decision making and resource management which span the jurisdictional boundaries of public agencies, levels of government, and/or public and private spheres in order to pursue a public policy goal or outcome (Emerson et al., 2012). Environmental management is often considered an inherently collaborative effort, as ecological systems and species rarely …

Framing The Crisis In The Merrimack Valley: The Opioid Epidemic, White Despair And Authoritarian Populism On The New England Borderlands, Gyuri Kepes

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how discourses and ideologies about the opioid crisis were framed, produced and constructed in the geographic specificity of the Merrimack Valley in the period leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Applying the theoretical and methodological frameworks offered by the cultural studies tradition, this dissertation project attempts to map out the complex interplay between the news media, law enforcement, policymakers, and citizens in producing, circulating, amplifying, framing and sustaining public anxiety about the opioid crisis in the Merrimack Valley and beyond. Employing a mix of qualitative and quantitative forms of inquiry, including interpretation of data collected through …

The Effect Of Perceived Role Suitability On Prestige, Dominance, Performance, And Communication., Lynden Jensen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The pursuit of social rank is pervasive across societies and cultures. Previous studies have identified two distinct avenues for attaining social rank: prestige and dominance. While prestige (communication of skill/ability) and dominance (communication of superiority) are crucial to interpersonal interactions, it is unclear how people communicate prestige or dominance and how such communication affects team performance. To investigate these ideas, 206 individuals participated in a cooperative dyadic building task. A computer randomly assigned dyad members to one of two roles—builder (who handled and placed model pieces) and instructor (who directed the builder's actions). Additionally, using a false feedback paradigm, a …

To Meme, Or Not To Meme: Applying The Theory Of Motivated Information Management To The Provision Of Support After Depressed Individuals Share Suicidal Memes, Jacki Paige Willenborg

Theses and Dissertations

Social media sites are increasingly where individuals seek and share information on a range of topics. The focus of this thesis is on suicidal memes and how individuals interpret them. Suicidal memes are memes that suggest suicide through either text or visual images. No research has investigated interpretations of suicidal memes to date as well as why individuals post them. It is important to study such issues as the interpretations of these memes can mean the difference between depressed individuals, for example, receiving the help they need or those same individuals alienating themselves from their loved ones. Informed by the …

Vocal Response Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) To A Novel Stimulus, Lindsey Johnson

Master's Theses

Bottlenose dolphins utilize acoustic signals as their primary mode of communication. Although some aspects of dolphin vocal behavior are well understood, less is known about vocalizations in different behavioral contexts and how these vocal behaviors may indicate habituation and sensitization. The focus of this study was to investigate how bottlenose dolphins respond vocally to a novel stimulus. Archival data from three populations of bottlenose dolphins (N = 20) living in a human-care facility were exposed to a novel apparatus (a mirror) for 10 trials, each lasting 20 minutes. Five of the trials presented the mirror covered with an opaque …

Digital Political Information Consumption And Ambivalent Political Attitudes., Dane Ryan Warner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understating how individuals form, reinforce, or change attitudes has a long history in political science research. This study seeks to contribute to the existing literature by bridging the gap between the ambivalence and digital political communications literature by examining the relationship between digital political information consumption and ambivalent political attitudes. Using the American National Election Studies 2016 Time Series Study, I examine the role of digital political information consumption as a moderator of value conflict and ambivalent political attitudes. The findings suggest that increased levels of information gather significantly reduce group ambivalence, candidate ambivalence, and value ambivalence.

“We Practice Lakota Way, But We Are Not An Indian Church”: The Diverse Ways Lakota Christians Articulate, Perform And Translate Ethnicity In Congregational Life, Kristin A. Fitzgerald

Anthropology ETDs

This study looks at articulations, performances and translations of ethnicity among urban Lakota Christians at St. Matthew’s and St. Isaac Jogues in Rapid City, South Dakota. Within the context of increased ethnic revitalization and recognition, Native American Christians are negotiating new models of ethnicity in typically Western arenas, often manifesting through actions and discourse that are ostensibly traditional. Yet even in this era of recognition, the public performance of cultural authenticity is not the only thing on people’s minds. Native people mark various practices, symbols, and persons as traditional or modern at different points in history or within different contexts …

Widow Narratives On Film And In Memoirs: Exploring Formula Stories Of Grief And Loss Of Older Women After The Death Of A Spouse, Jennifer R. Bender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes narratives (written and mediated) about widows’ post-loss experiences—specifically the ways in which these women embody and adjust/adhere to their post-loss widow identities—and whether or not the canonical/formula stories about widows reflect current experiences of widowhood. I look at older widowed women—both those in well-read widow memoirs and also in media portrayals of widows on film. The canonical view of widows as not attractive, not useful, and not interesting needs to be reexamined in light of changing ideas about gender roles and increased longevity. Surely older women have experiences, desires, and goals that encompass more than being socially …

‘A Better Country To Die In’: Self-Determination, Drugs, And The Limits Of Medical Assistance In Dying In Canada, Wendy Pringle

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines Canada’s legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Specifically, it focuses on how the debates surrounding the legalization process, the cultural history of euthanasia drugs, and the ethical dimensions of disability shaped assisted dying outcomes in the country in the period between the precedent-setting February 2015 Carter v. Canada Supreme Court case and the legislation, passed in June 2016, that enacted legalized MAiD. This mixed methods project uses discursive analysis of media texts, pharmacological history, and rhetorical analysis of first-person testimonies. The first analytic chapter, “Self-Determination, Euthanasia, and the Right to Die,” considers how the shift toward …

Side Effects Of Self-Referential Discussion: The Impact And Interaction Of Deductive And Inductive Routes Of Identity, Chandler Macswain

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Studies of group communication and group identity rest on two competing theoretical concepts of the group, one that prioritizes examining the relationships between members and one that examines the group as a gestalt construct. For live groups, it is not always clear which style, individual or gestalt, is most appropriate or provides more insight into any specific group because groups’ identities and communication behaviors are sometimes explicable by both theoretical concepts. This occurs because in real-world groups the formation process typically involves an amalgamation of both influences. In other words, live groups form identities built around both members’ individual traits …

Personality And Process: The Role Of Dyadic Homophily, Christina N. Falcon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper focuses on understanding the development of quality of intra-team processes. Utilizing semester-long project teams, social networks were used to measure the information sharing and coordination between all pairs of members with the teams. Dyadic-level homophily on the personality traits of agreeableness, extraversion, and openness to experience were used to predict the quality of these dyadic processes. Additionally, data from 11 weeks were used to examine whether the personality-process relationships change during the life cycle of the team.

Uniquely U: The Effects Of Tertiary Education Disciplines On The Development Of Dual Self-Construals And Its Impact On Conflict Management Tendencies, Wan Yee Choo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

While the effects of self-construal on one’s conflict management tendencies are well-documented, the effects of dual self-construals on conflict management tendencies are under-explored. In present paper, two studies were conducted to explore how tertiary education disciplines could influence the development of dual self-construals among Singaporeans which, in turn, determine their conflict management tendencies, as well as, how context influences the switch of different self-construals and conflict management styles. Our findings revealed that individuals from business disciplines displayed greater competitive conflict management tendencies than their peers from social science disciplines and this relationship is mediated by their endorsement of independent self-construal. …

Redefine: Messages About Masculinity, Anna Leonidovna Goryachikova, Mason Mitchell Montgomery, Hannah Jayne Martell

Communication Studies

REDEFINE: Messages about Masculinity was held in the Berg Gallery on May 7th, 2019. REDEFINE’s story began on an evening of Fall Quarter of 2018 at Barrelhouse in Downtown San Luis Obispo. The overarching goal of the event was to start a conversation about masculinity and to educate. As communication students, we studied the value of building relationships and communicating effectively. We believe that listening to personal narratives of diverse interpretations through monologues, music, and video is a great way to learn about masculinity. As audience members and performers, we came to understand how crucial it is to create a …

Event Planning As A Means Of Applying Transferable Skills: The Planning Of The 2019 Communication Studies Banquet, Kylie E. Clark

Communication Studies

Though an annual event, The Communication Studies Banquet has had low attendance in the past and was seen as formal and expensive. This year’s event was revamped in order to make the banquet more fun, accessible, and affordable. The planning and enhancement of this event required several transferable skills which can be applied not only to event planning, but also to many other careers. These skills include organization, communication, negotiation, creativity, financial management, and resourcefulness. This paper examines the utility of transferable skills, including how they are acquired and why they are valuable, and explains how these skills were applied …

Discursive Leadership: Exploring The "Black Box" Challenge In Transcultural Leadership Studies, Christopher Patrick Brown

Dissertations

The increasingly globalized U.S. workforce includes significant numbers of adult immigrants integrating into the North American professional sphere. As such, it is important to have concrete ways to study and interpret different cultures’ thinking about teamwork, and their models of enacting shared leadership and communication in a multicultural context. Since 2006, hundreds of millions in federal grant funding has been invested in university-based language and culture programs focused on training government personnel and heritage populations in the languages and cultures of the Middle East and Central and Southeast Asia. Little is known about the performative strengths and challenges of the …

A Collaborative Approach Toward Onboarding For Graduate And Law Students, Yuri Kwak

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this action research was to examine the silo effect across schools when onboarding graduate and law students to the University of San Diego. My research question was, how can I collaborate with students and administrators in enhancing the onboarding experience to foster a sense of community for graduate and law students across campus? By evaluating administrators’ practices and graduate and law students’ experiences, I found that creating a culture of communication among administrators and involving graduate student leaders are key steps toward standardizing onboarding processes and designing opportunities for engagement among all incoming graduate and law students.

When Humanity Meets Technology: Contemplating Neil Postman's Critique Of Advertising, Yingwen Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project aims to contemplate Postman’s critique of advertising and offer insights to understand Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in today’s mediated environment. As an essential component of IMC, the history of advertising demonstrates and documents that the medium of communication has an extensive influence on IMC practices. The concern about how communication media affect human perception, understanding, and behavior, resides within the central claim of the study of media ecology. Thus, this project investigates IMC through the lens of Postman’s media ecology perspectives, and argues that Postman’s prescient ideas provide both hope and constructive insights. Moreover, Postman’s thermostatic perspective, rooted …

The Ethics Of Occultic Communication: An Invocation Of Joshua Gunn And Sissela Bok, James Thomas Begley Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Occultic rhetoric, according to Joshua Gunn, is a genre of discourse concerned with the study and practice of secret communications. The strategic sharing of secret messages involves a host of methods and conventions designed for the selective disclosure of hidden knowledge, thus controlling the boundaries of (and accessibility to power between) insider and outsider groups. Occultic rhetoric has its uses in everyday encounters, but the abuse of such manipulative strategies, especially by those in the academy and other positions of power and trust, calls for an ethical response. This dissertation submits occultic rhetoric to moral investigation by incorporating the works …

Reclaiming Rhetorical Intersectionality: From Silence To Parrhesia And Attuned Listening, Tahirah Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intersectionality is a term applied by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in the late 1980s to a social experience. A person experiences intersectionality when different aspects of her identity converge in a way that causes uniquely amplified marginalization or oppression. The classic three identities that produce intersectionality experiences in the United States are race, gender, and class, making poor women of color the central figures of intersectionality study. Crenshaw explained that these forces take three main forms: structural, political and representational (“Mapping the Margins” 1243).

Intersectionality has always been rhetorical. Structural, political and representational intersectionality are supported in language. The power of …

Pastoral Leadership In A Cross-Cultural, Multicultural, Conflict-Driven Congregation: A Filipino Case Study, Ed Volfe

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Pastoral Leadership in a Cross-Cultural, Multicultural, Conflict-Driven Congregation: A Filipino Case Study

Christ Redeemer was a Cross-Cultural, Multicultural church where the majority of the members were Filipinos. The church experienced way too many conflicts that distracted everyone in the congregation from the real calling to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”[1] The ethos of Christ Redeemer seemed to be driven by conflict, regardless of whether the leadership provided came from a Filipino or a non-Filipino pastor. The congregation fed conflict upon conflict, creating a cycle of tension with little engagement in critical issues in the …

Bridging The Synapse: Seeing The World Through A Neuroscience Lens, Madeline Macarthur

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Ill Man: An Exploration Of Chronic Illness Disclosure Within Masculine Culture, Matthew Daggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Masculine culture is known for teaching men to be strong, independent, and in control; however, the presence of chronic illness creates challenges for men when attempting to uphold a dominant masculine identity and make disclosure decisions about sharing illness information. This study explores the intersection between illness related self-disclosure and masculine culture. Utilizing qualitative methods, it examines the challenges chronically ill men face when making decisions about self-disclosure. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five men (N=5) who have one or more chronic illnesses. Transcripts were analyzed and coded using grounded theory to identify emergent themes. The analysis revealed three primary …

Email Is Alive: How To Communicate With Graduate College Students, Valarie C. Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to ascertain how graduate college students prefer to be communicated with regarding academic deadlines, professional development events and social events. Living in a Web 3.0 world, where people are never alone, but rather always connected, there are several methods to share information. I focus on email, websites, text messaging, instant messaging, and Facebook. For the richest data, I used both quantitative and qualitative methods. First, I conducted focus groups and then designed and distributed a survey. If more engaged students are the more successful, they first need to be aware of ways to get …

Goblin: Microaffirmations, A Theory Of Communication, Haunt Pitcher

Media and Communication Studies Honors Papers

This project is a study of nonbinary identity and the ways in which nonbinary individuals find validation from nonbinary communities, cisgender friends and family members, and themselves. It advances a theory of “microaffirmations,” or small acts that can have a large, positive impact on nonbinary individuals, with a significant focus on humor, language, and other forms of communication. Research for this project was conducted through a series of personal interviews with friends and families, as well as analyzing the author’s own experiences as a nonbinary individual. These interviews and experiences are filtered through lenses of feminist theory, trans theory, and …

Parental Influence On The Communicative Behaviors Of Black Young Adults, Sarah R. Brockett

Honors Theses

This study examined communicative behaviors of Black young adults and how they were impacted by the relational dynamics of their parents. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 73 Black young adults 18-35 years of age. The survey instrument measured the students' argumentative approach and avoidance behavior in interpersonal relationships. There were three directional hypotheses, but the data collected did not prove or disprove them. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents had parents that were still married. The results showed there to be no significant difference in argumentativeness between the "together " and "strained" groups. Verbal and …

Post Millennial Generations In The Workforce, Tarynne Scott

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Post Millennials, defined as individuals born between the years of 1997 to present day and whom are currently between the ages of zero and twenty-one years old, are one of the largest generational cohorts to enter the workforce thus far (Ozkan, Soulmaz, 2015). Without understanding the characteristics of this generation, leaders could find themselves with followers they do not know how to motivate or communicate with (Seemiller, 2017, pg. 8). The purpose of this study is to explore and gain a deeper understanding of what Post Millennials need to be successful in the workforce, and how they differ in their …

Virtual International Leadership Within Organizations: Overcoming Cultural, Language, And Physical Barriers, Jaye Goulet

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Advances in technology are allowing members of a team to collaborate while being geographically and spatially apart. These new teams, known as virtual teams, have benefits for both the organizations to which they belong and to the individual members. Organizations are able to utilize highly-skilled experts without the associated relocation costs. Team members are able to contribute to projects in their field of expertise without having to leave their homeland. These teams require a leader whose interactions build trust and loyalty without the benefit of face-to-face contact with other team members. Although virtual teams are rapidly growing, research is lacking …

The Power Of Apology: How Crisis Communication Practices Impact Brand Reputation, Abigail R. Meister

Senior Theses

During April 2017, Pepsi launched its tone-deaf Kendall Jenner commercial, United Airlines dragged a passenger off of Flight 3411 and the public responded to both incidents with “online firestorm[s]” (Pfeffer, Zorbach, & Carley, 2014). The purpose of this thesis was to use the aforementioned events of April 2017 as a case study for how crisis communication practices impact brand reputation. While there is an abundance of literature written on what the best communication practices are in crisis situations, there is little that depicts the direct, real-life ramifications that these practices have in regard to brand reputation specifically. This thesis aimed …