Communication Commons^™

Trust Migration In The Digital Era: Information Regimes And The Transformation Of Buyer–Seller Relationships, Stephen C. Carlson

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Business-to-business selling is being reshaped by rapid advances in digital platforms, enterprise systems, analytics, and artificial intelligence. Organizational buyers increasingly rely on algorithmic tools, peer communities, institutional certifications, and automated evaluation systems before engaging directly with sales representatives. Yet much of the buyer–seller trust literature continues to emphasize interpersonal communication quality, listening behaviors, and individual credibility as primary drivers of relational success.

This article argues that the central transformation in contemporary selling is not the erosion of trust, but its relocation. As technological infrastructures evolve, trust progressively migrates from individual sales representatives to organizational systems, platforms, governance mechanisms, and algorithmic …

A Captured Audience: How Job Stress Leads Employees To Online Shopping Via Cyberloafing, Seth Williams

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper investigates the hyper-connected workplace and how the modern employee deals with job stress in their work environment. Using the theory of compensatory consumer behavior and partial least squares structural equation modeling, we investigate how job stress impacts employees in the workplace to shop online. This shopping is done via cyberloafing, which is using the internet for personal reasons at work. Psychological detachment is also studied as a mediator. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for managers in the workplace as well as businesses marketing to individuals taking a break on the clock.

Five Strategic Categories Ai Is Transforming Marketing, Ryan Matthews

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary technology that provides tools and methodologies to expand marketings impact. AI enables companies to better understand customer needs, preferences, and behaviors to personalize an approach to different market verticals and segments. AI has become a significant factor influencing how businesses interact and retain the attention of customers. Customers increasingly have an appetite for a highly personalized interaction. AI-driven data approaches and innovative technologies are increasing personalization and efficiency. AI is a revolutionary tool that enables marketing to grow beyond traditional limitations. Understanding the correct tool is vital for marketing executives, whether they are obtaining …

A Cross-Cultural Investigation Of Consumer Hoarding Behavior During Covid-19: Differences Between Sweden And The United States, Christy M. Cook, Pia A. Albinsson, James E. Stoddard

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This study is a cross-cultural exploration of consumer hoarding behavior during Covid-19; specifically, a comparison between Sweden and the United States. This research analyzes whether Swedish and American consumer hoarding behavior factors of prosocial orientation, consumer resilience and consumer risk-taking propensity reflect identical relationships during less predictable environmental forces (i.e., Covid-19 or global pandemic). Results from Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) show that consumer prosocial orientation is negatively related to consumer hoarding and prosocial orientation is positively related to consumer resilience. In turn, both prosocial orientation and consumer resilience exhibit a positive relationship towards consumer hoarding. Consumer resilience is …

Pour & Ponder: A Gen Z Evaluation Of Hospitality And Communication In Wineries Of The Ozarks, Evan W. Seay

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Generation Z represents an emerging consumer group within the hospitality and tourism industry, yet winery experiences are often designed with more traditional audiences in mind. As younger consumers increasingly value authenticity, communication, and experience-driven hospitality, wineries must consider how their practices align with evolving expectations. This honors thesis explores winery hospitality and communication practices in the Ozarks through a Generation Z perspective using a creative, experience-based approach. The final product of this project was Pour & Ponder, a podcast created to document reflective discussions following visits to three wineries: Sassafras Springs Vineyard, St. James Winery, and Ozark Hills Winery. …

Bounded Transformation: From Static Readiness To Trajectory Based Change Viability, Mary Piecewicz, Manjari Gupta

Master of Public Administration for Senior Leadership

Most organizational transformations do not fail loudly. They fade, fragment, and quietly exhaust the people expected to sustain them. What practitioners often diagnose as resistance, poor adoption, or weak execution may begin earlier, with an untested assumption that the organization is stable, coherent, and capable enough to absorb planned change. Existing change frameworks offer useful guidance for implementation, but they do not formally ask whether the organization is currently moving in a direction, and with enough stability, to make planned change viable.

This capstone introduces Bounded Transformation: From Static Readiness to Trajectory-Based Change Viability, a trajectory-based pre-condition framework for …

The New York Times: A Strategic Audit, Kaylee Campbell, Cassidy June, Keira Cummins, Tanner Maas, Alyssa Fjelstad

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The New York Times is a legacy newspaper that has navigated a great many changes since its founding in 1851. The company rose to success with its traditional print journalism, but has now transformed into a largely digital, subscription-based business model that provides subscribers with access to news, games, recipes, podcasts, product recommendations, and more. This provides an excellent foundation for a strategic audit to understand how one of the giants of a dying industry has not only managed to stay alive, but to thrive.

A PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis reveals that The New York Times operates in …

Voices Of A New Era: A Discursive Psychology Study Of Influencer-Follower Discourse On Tiktok, Andrea Guerrero Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study researched and investigated the discourse of five mega fashion influencers on TikTok, as well as the discourse of 15 followers engaging with fashion influencer content on the same platform. The theory used to guide this study was discursive psychology theory, which provided the groundwork for understanding how both influencers and followers position their identities, justify their actions and decisions, and construct their reality. The primary aim of this research is to deepen understanding of how influencer discourse shapes follower discourse, identifying recurring patterns, contradictions, and the ways in which tensions are negotiated. The findings reveal a range …

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

Personal Tendencies And Traveler Preferences: A Study On Personality-Driven Travel Marketing, Evelyn Filleman

Honors Theses

This study examines the influence of personality typing (as outlined by the International Personality Item Pool test structure) on travel decision-making as it relates to marketing matrix strategies. Understanding the relationship between personality type and travel is crucial, as individuals will have different need hierarchies and place decision-making factors on different levels of priority. This study uses the theoretical frameworks of Clifford Geertz and Michael Pacanowsky (Cultural Approach to Organizational Communication) and Judee Burgoon (Expectancy Violations Theory) to inform, direct, and explain the results of the completed research. A total of 261 participants were asked to take a survey outlining …

Platform Affordances, Produsage, And The Attention Economy: From Red (Taylor’S Version) To The Life Of A Showgirl, Angela Rose Asuncion

The Manuscript: Journal of Taylor Swift Studies

Social media platforms increasingly operate as infrastructures of visibility, shaping the conditions under which cultural content is produced, circulated, and recognised (van Dijck et al.; Nieborg and Poell). This article examines Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) and The Life of a Showgirl as two distinct visibility configurations emerging from the affordances and algorithmic logics of TikTok and Instagram. Drawing on platform studies (Abidin), celebrity theory (Dyer; Marshall; Marwick), and participatory culture and produsage (Jenkins; Bruns), the study employs a QCA-inspired configurational approach (Ragin) to analyse how clusters of affective cues, aesthetic strategies, parasocial signals, and circulation patterns generate contrasting visibility …

Latine Financial Wellness Content Creators: Rhetorical Strategies And Approaches, Ariana Bribiesca

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

The following paper explores Latine popular culture through the lens of Latine Instagram content creators who focus on financial literacy and wellness. First, “Viv” from Overcoming Generational Poverty provides a free budget template and money resources. She is the first in her family to build generational wealth while simultaneously supporting her family financially. Second, Giovanna González, a financial educator and award-winning author of Cultura & Cash: Lessons from the First Gen Mentor for Managing Finances & Cultural Expectations, explores the intersection of culture and finances. Finally, Hip Latina’s “Finances Section” explores content with financial resources as part of their larger …

From Novice To On-Air: Developing A Student Radio Personality At 89.1 Widr Fm, Travis Melson

Honors Theses

This honors thesis explores the full development of my role as a student radio personality at 89.1 WIDR FM, documenting each stage of the process, from the earliest introductory meetings and technical training to the experience of shadowing established shows and launching my own on-air program. The project serves not only as a record of my personal progression through WIDR's broadcasting environment but also as an analysis of the learning curve required to transform from a complete novice into a confident, consistent radio host.

A significant component of this work is my perspective as someone entering the radio space with …

Pilattes; A Campaign With Prickly Pear Coffee Co., Grace Elizabeth Lappenga, Karis Grace Joe, Abigail Brooke Encalade

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The Prickly Pear Coffee Co. campaign sought to build awareness and community engagement around the brand’s new mobile camper location in Franklin, Tennessee. Founded by Annika Baylis, Prickly Pear Coffee Co. is a Christ-centered brand that began as a mobile espresso cart during the COVID-19 pandemic and grew into a Nashville staple with multiple storefronts.

With the new Franklin location facing limited awareness and a reduced marketing budget following complications from the January 2026 ice storm, three students in Belmont University’s PR Campaigns class conducted a situation analysis that included audience research, social media audits, and influencer identification. These insights …

The Evolution And Impact Of Fashion Marketing In The Age Of Social Media, Lillie L. Warrington

Honors Theses

This research paper aims to analyze the effect of social media on consumer behavior in fashion marketing by investigating how fashion brands have adapted their strategies to leverage social media platforms effectively and exploring the role of social media influencers in shaping brand perception and consumer loyalty. By addressing these objectives, this research seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on digital marketing in the fashion industry, offering valuable insights.

The study will be conducted through a comprehensive review of existing research and primary research, including a survey of 143 participants, to better understand how social media affects …

Beyond The Badge: How Internal Culture Contradicts External Service In Urban Police Departments, Rowan Bari Eiselman

Educational Studies Student Papers and Posters

This ethnographic study examines how gendered workplace culture and mental health culture shape officer retention in two urban police departments: the Orange Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th District. Through ride-alongs, observations, and informal interviews with nine current and retired officers (four female, five male) across various ranks conducted between March and April 2026, this research reveals a troubling contradiction: departments tasked with serving diverse communities struggle to support diversity within their own ranks. Female officers navigate professional isolation, prolonged competence-proving expectations, and implicit career-versus-motherhood choices, with experiences varying significantly between the more supportive Orange PD and …

Spe 2400-Career Communication Course Syllabus, Alyse Anna Keller Johnson

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus outlines a 12-week asynchronous Career Communication course focused on developing practical communication skills for professional contexts. Through open educational resources (OER) and a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) approach, students engage in applied learning activities such as resume development, interview practice, and professional writing. The course is designed for adaptability across institutions and emphasizes accessibility, skill-building, and real-world application.

Staging Technological Change: Media Ecology, Cultural Memory, And Fantasy Theme Analysis In The Tesla Cybertruck Unveiling, John Rodgers

Communication Theses

This thesis examines contemporary product launches as communicative events, arguing that they help shape how technological change is publicly interpreted and remembered. Drawing on media ecology and cultural memory, and using Fantasy Theme Analysis as the primary method, the study analyzes Tesla’s 2019 Cybertruck unveiling as a case of symbolic meaning-making at the moment of introduction and in its immediate circulation. The analysis identifies four dominant fantasy themes that organize the launch’s symbolic world and cohere into a rhetorical vision presenting Tesla as a disruptive actor introducing a resilient technology for an already arriving future. It then traces how that …

Defining Cultural Credibility: Perceptions Of Authenticity, Representation, And Appropriation In Brand Campaigns, Santiago Reyes, Alessandra Noli, Ashley Johns, Hannah Trandle, Leticia Falcao

AMTP Proceedings 2026

As brands navigate increasingly diverse consumer markets, cultural authenticity has become essential for building trust and relevance. Yet marketing scholarship lacks a clear framework for understanding cultural credibility as distinct from traditional notions of source or brand credibility. This study addresses that gap by examining how consumers conceptualize and evaluate cultural credibility in brand campaigns and collaborations. Drawing on theories of authenticity, cultural identity, and persuasion, the research positions cultural credibility as a socially constructed judgment shaped by perceived authenticity, shared values, and relational alignment. Using semi‑structured interviews and focus groups with multicultural consumers, the study employs thematic analysis to …

What It Means To Be Latino: Exploring Identity Among U.S.-Born Gen Z Youth, Santiago Reyes, Alessandra Noli Peschiera, Melany Sarcevic, Tatiana Garcia, Leen Tlanepantla

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study explores how U.S.-born Hispanics and Latinos define their identity within a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse demographic group. As the Hispanic population expands, traditional labels such as Hispanic and Latino often fall short of capturing the community’s cultural, linguistic, and generational complexity. With most growth now coming from U.S.-born generations, identity is shaped by a blend of American influences and heritage traditions, making it more fluid and context-dependent. Guided by Social Identity Theory and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this research uses focus groups with Gen Z participants to examine how they describe themselves, what characteristics they associate with being …

Influencer Effect? An Examination Of Dunkin’ And Tarte’S Use Of Influencers, Amanda D. Damiano Ph.D., Wenjing Xie Ph.D.

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The purpose of this project was to understand public perceptions of brands using influencers. The brands Dunkin’ and Tarte Cosmetics served as case studies for this study. A mixed-methods approach was undertaken. Specifically, social media listening in the form of a content analysis was conducted. That was then followed by an online survey of students from a medium-sized university in the northeast. A number of factors were measured related to participants’ stated brand and influencer effectiveness on social media in general, as well as specific to Dunkin’ and Tarte. Additionally, participant demographic factors were measured in accordance with their stated …

Understanding The Life Satisfaction Gap In Political Consumerism: Buycotting Vs. Boycotting, Neleen S. Leslie-Piper, La Toya M. Russell

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Drawing on approach–avoidance motivation, regulatory focus, warm-glow reward, and self-determination theory, this study examines whether political consumerism, specifically boycotting and buycotting, is associated with life satisfaction in environmental and social issue contexts. Using survey data from Prosper Insights, we compare life satisfaction across buycotters, boycotters, and indifferent consumers and examine how Big Five personality traits and demographics moderate these relationships. We predict higher life satisfaction among buycotters than boycotters, and anticipate a moderating effect of personality traits. Our findings advance marketing theory and practice by linking political consumerism to consumer well-being.

Framing Emirati Womanhood: Heritage, Modernity, And Soft Power In Tourism Discourse, Valerie Priscilla Goby

All Works

This paper examines how Emirati womanhood is framed within the tourism discourse of the United Arab Emirates, analysing how gendered representation operates as both a cultural and political instrument in nation branding. Drawing on framing theory and informed by feminist perspectives on tourism and media representation, this study explores the visual and textual portrayal of women on official online platforms, including Visit Dubai, Visit Abu Dhabi, Emirates Airlines, and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth. These materials constitute a state-sanctioned narrative of national identity that integrates cultural heritage with modernity. Through qualitative framing analysis, four recurrent interpretive frames were …

When The Jingle Isn't Human: How Ai-Generated Vs. Human Composed Sonic Branding Shapes Consumer Response, Zecong Ma, Hong-Hee Lee, Danielle Rangel

Posters - 2026

Sonic branding elements—such as sound logos and jingles—shape brand meaning by communicating cues that consumers process quickly and often implicitly (e.g., through affect, fit, and memory). Recent evidence suggests that even specific musical choices (like instrumentation in a sound logo) can shift perceived brand personality traits (e.g., sophistication, ruggedness), indicating that audio can function as a powerful identity signal rather than mere “background.” At the same time, generative AI is rapidly lowering the cost and increasing the speed of producing branded music, making AI-composed jingles a realistic and scalable tool for marketers. Yet consumer responses to AI-generated creative work are …

The Role Of Short-Form Video Content Strategy In Campaign Performance In Service Operations, Arianna Yates, Aileen Olivares

Posters - 2026

Short-form video content, particularly Instagram Reels, has become central to digital marketing strategies aimed at increasing engagement and campaign effectiveness. As consumer attention spans decline, marketers increasingly rely on visually engaging, concise, and interactive content formats. Prior research highlights the importance of content characteristics in shaping engagement outcomes. However, limited empirical evidence exists on which specific attributes most strongly influence performance in short-form video contexts. This study examines how call-to-action (CTA), audio type, and authenticity influence engagement rates in Instagram Reels.

Corporate Response To The Black Lives Matter Movement: Determinants Of Speaking Out In Support Of Social Causes, A. J. Yuan Chen, Patricia M. Dechow, Samuel T. Tan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We document that firms vary in their timeliness of support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, and that timeliness is an indicator of authenticity. We predict that firms that speak out quickly in support of BLM (via Twitter or their websites) have made more investments in diversity and inclusion, relative to firms that speak out slowly (via conference calls or annual reports) or that remain silent. Consistent with this prediction, quick-disclosing firms have greater workforce diversity, have boards with greater ethnic diversity, and are more likely to tie executive compensation …

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

Precision Or Invasion? Mapping The Personalization Paradox, Shyamala N. Chalakudi, Gnana Bharathy

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

AI-driven personalization has transformed consumer engagement, yet existing research offers no systematic way to determine when personalization shifts from helpful to intrusive. Current research and models explain privacy concerns or expectancy violations but do not measure the point at which personalization triggers user discomfort, creating the personalization paradox. This study introduces the Discomfort Threshold Assessment & Measurement (DTAM) framework, a conceptual model that identifies and evaluates this threshold by integrating Dual Process Theory, Expectation Violation Theory, and Privacy Calculus Theory. DTAM distinguishes between affective discomfort reactance and cognitive discomfort reactance and outlines how these constructs could, in future empirical studies, …

Deinfluencers As Institutional Actors: Dramaturgical Work And The Embedded Contestation Of Consumerism, Gokcen Coskuner-Balli, Charlene Chu, Niklas Myhr, Cristina Nistor

Business Faculty Articles and Research

"In the sections that follow, we develop theoretical scaffolding for our analysis. We begin by reviewing the literature on institutional work, focusing on how embedded actors engage in purposive actions to disrupt taken-for-granted norms. Next, we examine theoretically how influencers operate, setting the stage for understanding how deinfluencers leverage and subvert these roles. We then review scholarship on anti- consumption and consumer resistance, highlighting how deinfluencers depart from conventional activist modes by adopting culturally embedded, everyday practices. Collectively, these literatures inform our conceptualization of deinfluencing as a dramaturgically enacted form of institutional work. Subsequently, we present our methodology, followed by …

The Writing On The Wall: The Rise Of Applied Ai And The Life-Or-Death Choice Every Ceo Must Make Now, Gary Sheng, Ron Roberts

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

Applied AI is putting AI to its highest and best use: running your organization as autonomously as possible so you can deliver value for humanity while maximizing the scale of the value. The economy is splitting. Organizations that adopt applied AI are expanding their capacity, accelerating their impact, and pulling ahead. Those that don't are quietly becoming irrelevant, not because they're doing bad work, but because the gap between what they can do and what the moment requires is widening every day. This is not a technology question. It is a leadership question. This paper is written for organizational leaders, …