Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Geospatial Data Accessibility In Web 2.0 Environments, Sara Helen Mcnamee

Masters Theses

Geographically referenced data is becoming a robust source of information because the use of place-based relevance searching is being employed as a popular form of information access and dispersal. To address this trend, the researcher conducted a study on the usability of the USA National Phenology Network (http://www.usanpn.org/), engaging 6 volunteer participants structured usability test of the USANPN mapping application. The participants were asked to complete two tasks, and data was collected both during (in the form of a think aloud exercise) and after the test (in the form of an exit interview). From the data collected, the researcher aimed …

La Vida Online: The Parallel Public Sphere Of Facebook As Used By Colombian Immigrant Women In Atlanta, Michaelanne M. Dye

Anthropology Theses

This thesis examines how Colombian women within the city of Atlanta utilize Facebook as a parallel public sphere, a cultural phenomenon through which the silenced use mediums of popular culture to discuss private and public dilemmas (Dewey 2009). Through ethnographic research in Atlanta, I analyze how these young women use Facebook as they negotiate their identity through the multiple contexts of their everyday lives. Drawing from feminist critiques, I explore whether Facebook provides an alternative to the traditional public sphere, while also investigating how power structures influence freedom of expression online. Through an international network of friends, these women tackle …

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.

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 …

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 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 …

The Administration Of Community College Blogs: Considering Control And Adaptability In Loosely Coupled Systems, Troy A. Swanson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study using a multiple case study method is (1) to further the understanding of how community college administrators and blog authors strike a balance between organizational control and adaptability when implementing and using blog technologies and (2) to create a model that will help administrators better strike this balance within a loosely coupled system of college units and individuals. The rise of Web 2.0 technologies, which allows for direct publication to the Internet, presents two conundrums for community colleges: the conundrum of control and the conundrum of adaptability. As the oldest implementation of Web 2.0 technologies, …