Communication Commons^™

Review Of Journalistic Autonomy: The Genealogy Of A Concept (Journalism In Perspective), Patrick R. Johnson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Sharon Dunwoody Memorial Issue, Robert J. Griffin, Susanna Priest, Lee A. Kahlor

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This introduction to our February 2023 issue is intended to provide context for the issue content, which presents multiple examples of the ongoing influence of the work of the late Sharon Dunwoody. Contemporary research articles, commentary pieces, and the introduction itself reflect Sharon’s deep influence on science communication and science communication researchers and their work.

Public’S Ethical Perception, Moral Outrage In Activism: Testing A Perceptual-Affective-Behavioral Model For Public Activism In Ethical Issues, Kyujin Shim, Young Kim, Chihyao Chang

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

This study aims to propose a model of publics' ethical activism, testing the role of emotional outrage in an extended framework of the previously established STOPS model. Thus, this study aims to investigate (1) how ethical perception of a social issue affects situational motivation that leads to participation in public activism, and (2) how emotional outrage plays a role in mediating between situational motivation and activism behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

The study aims at investigating the mediating role of emotional outrage between situational motivation and activism behaviors, which have not been investigated thoroughly in public relations research. By conducting a national …

Leading The Charge: Female Leaders Advance Dei Initiatives Through Employee Empowerment, Kati Tusinski Berg, Katharine Miller

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Today the public relations industry faces the challenge of championing and executing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Women leaders in public relations are well situated to do this work and drive meaningful change. A grounded theory approach was chosen to analyze narratives from the honorees of PRWeek’s Women of Distinction classes from the last three years. We argue that female public relations leaders are advancing the conversation related to DEI initiatives to empower their organizations and, in turn, shape the larger societal discourse on DEI. Our thematic analysis of narratives by female leaders in public relations resulted in four …

Editorial: Resilience In The Face Of Environmental Disasters In The Age Of Covid-19, Sumana Chattopadhyay

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Finding Political Balance In Times Of Political Inconsistency, Patrick R. Johnson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

To Stay Silent Or Speak Up Against Corporate Racial Discrimination? An Internal Public Segmentation Approach To Employee Voice And Silence Behaviors, Young Kim, Hyunji (Dana) Lim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This book aims to explore the connection between internal communication and employee engagement in both educational and business settings. Through the collection of chapters contributed by leading public relations, communication, and management scholars as well as seasoned practitioners, readers will gain new insights into current issues in internal communication and employee engagement through a series of real-world case studies analyzing current issues and offering best practices in internal communication and employee engagement in specific industry and organization settings.

Learning outcomes and discussion questions for both classroom use and business strategizing round out each chapter, providing a springboard to further inquiry, …

Integrating The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Bonding Social Capital To Examine Chinese Women’S Tampon Use Intentions, Yin Yang, Young Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study integrates the theory of planned behavior with a structural approach to examining social capital to investigate how bonding social capital affected Chinese women’s tampon use intentions. Bonding social capital was operationalized as network closure, which included two main dimensions: density and hierarchy. Results from an online survey (N = 766) showed that network density was positively associated with attitudes toward, social norms about, and perceived behavior control around tampon usage, while network hierarchy negatively predicted attitudes only. Moreover, the indirect effects of network density on tampon use intentions were mediated by descriptive norms and perceived behavior control. …

Whose Public Virtue? Exploring Freedom Of Information Efficacy And Support, A.Jay Wagner

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Little is known about public perceptions of how FOI laws influence government operations or impact citizens’ daily lives. A large representative sample of U.S. adults was surveyed for support of FOI laws and perceptions of FOI efficacy. Findings showed advanced education and higher perceptions of general government efficacy to be strongly significant in predicting both support for FOI and greater FOI efficacy. Males and liberal respondents also demonstrated significance in predicting support for FOI and higher FOI efficacy, while Black race was a significant negative predictor in support for FOI and whether FOI improved government operations and accountability.

Listening To The Aftermath Of Crime: True Crime Podcasts, Amanda R. Keeler

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Employee Sensemaking Of Csr: On Micro-Discourses Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Katharine Miller

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: Recently, scholars are pushing for an internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) view through employee perspectives regarding CSR efforts, particularly in considering how organizations can act responsibly toward internal stakeholders (May, 2011). Thus, research has begun taking a “micro-turn” in analyzing CSR (Aguinis and Glavas, 2012), focused on individual analysis of such practices within organizations. The purpose of this study is to uncover the organizational sensemaking of CSR by an important yet less understood stakeholder group, employees.

Design/methodology/approach: This study takes a primarily qualitative, micro-approach via interviews (n = 42) to understanding the internal sensemaking of various organizations' CSR …

Covering (Il)Legible Bodies: A Cda Of News Discourse About Undocuqueer Life In The U.S., Ayleen Cabas-Mijares

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

News narratives about immigration shape not only constructions of immigrants but of nation states. Through a critical content analysis informed by intersectionality and queer of color critique, this study explores how the news coverage of undocumented LGBTQ immigrants and the Undocuqueer Movement render distorted and incomplete constructions of these immigrants, their struggles and activism. Furthermore, the analysis shows how selective (mis)representations and erasures in the coverage contribute to the constitution of a homonationalist reimagination of the United States. Additionally, the paper makes the case for the incorporation of transnational sensibilities to enhance intersectional approaches to reporting.

Snake In The Grass: Adapting Sex And Sexuality From Journalistic Truth To The Silver Screen, Patrick R. Johnson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Test Of A Dual Model Of Positive And Negative Eors: Dialogic Employee Communication Perceptions Related To Employee-Organization Relationships And Employee Megaphoning Intentions, Minjeong Kang, Ejae Lee, Young Kim, Sung-Un Yang

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated how employees’ perceptions of an organization’s dialogic employee communication influence their evaluations of their positive and negative relationships with the organization. The study further examined how employees’ relationship assessments could drive their intentions for positive and negative megaphoning about their organizations. To test the differentiating effects of dialogic employee communication on positive and negative employee-organization relationships (EORs) and, subsequently, employee megaphoning intentions, we used a dual measure with the positive and the negative EORs. The online survey of 527 full-time U.S. employees showed that dialogic employee communication – particularly mutuality orientation – distinctively influenced the employees’ EOR …

The Effects Of Leadership In Corporate Social Advocacy On Positive Employee Outcomes, Sung-Un Yang, Minjeong Kang, Young Kim, Ejae Lee

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Despite the growing attention to corporate social advocacy in the extant literature, little empirical research has examined the effects of corporate social advocacy in the context of employees. The purpose of this study was to delve into the impact of leadership in corporate social advocacy (CSA) on positive employee outcomes, using data from an online survey of full-time employees working in various corporations in the United States. Controlling for the participants’ tenure, demographic information, and company size, this study found that leaders’ facilitation of corporate social advocacy strongly influenced employee advocacy for their organizations, which was also significantly mediated by …

Accuracy- And Defense-Motivated Information Insufficiency: Examining Their Downstream Consequences In The Risk Information Seeking And Processing Model, Timothy K.F. Fung, Po Yan Lai, Robert J. Griffin, Sharon Dunwoody

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study advances the RISP Model by examining (1) how defense- and accuracy-motived information insufficiency influence individuals’ seeking, avoiding, and processing of COVID- 19 information and (2) how operationalizing channel beliefs in an expectancy-value format strengthens their role in the model. We collected 960 online responses based on a probabilistic panel. Results revealed the effects of the two information insufficiencies, and channel beliefs on the extent and direction of risk information seeking, avoidance, and processing.

The Emergence Of Core (Hash)Tags And Its Effects On Performance, Larry Zhiming Xu, Matthew Sargent, Yu Xu, Jingyi Sun, Yiqi Li, Janet Fulk

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

The informational and social impacts of tags on forming networked publics have drawn extensive scholarly attention. However, existing literature lacks systematic and longitudinal accounts of how trending tags garner community interest and facilitate the promotion of user-generated content. This study addresses this issue by explicating the structures and functions of social tagging, showing how users employed certain tags to improve performance. To provide empirical evidence, we tracked and analyzed social tagging activities in an online community from its early stage for seven years. Over this time frame, very few tags emerged as core tags--the consensus choices that both occurred and …

Popular Information: An Analysis Of Foi Use And Behavior, A.Jay Wagner

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

A substantial amount of freedom of information research exists, though a majority is focused on U.S. laws' outcomes and FOI's shortcomings. But little is known about who makes requests and why requests are made in the United States. The exploratory study addresses these gaps via a nationally representative survey across key demographic variables of 1116 U.S. residents. Analysis found advanced education to be a strong, positive predictor of FOI familiarity and request submission. Malegender and a belief that FOI improves government accountability were also found to be significant predictors of FOI knowledge and use. The survey sampled U.S. residents, but …

Exploring The Interrelationship And Roles Of Employee–Organization Relationship Outcomes Between Symmetrical Internal Communication And Employee Job Engagement, Ejae Lee, Minjeong Kang, Young Kim, Sung-Un Yang

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how employee–organization relationship (EOR) outcomes – types and qualities – are interrelated and how employees' perceptions of types (exchange and communal EORs) and qualities (trust, satisfaction, commitment, and control mutuality) play a role in their evaluations of symmetrical internal communication (SIC) and employee job engagement (EJE). Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an online survey of full-time employees (N = 804) from major US industries. This study performed a confirmatory factor analysis to check the validity and reliability of the measurement model using latent variables and then conducted structural equation modeling. Findings The findings demonstrate that …

Exploring Effects Of Message Framing On Supportive Behaviors Toward Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility, Young Kim, Myoung-Gi Chon

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to shed light on how effective environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication can be achieved through persuasive communication strategies using message framing.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted an online experimental study with a 2 (narrative: narrative or non-narrative) × 2 (framing: gain or loss) between-subjects design.

Findings

The findings showed that environmental CSR communication using narrative framing messages is most effective in creating strong CSR associations between a company and the environmental CSR domain and sharing the company's CSR information on supportive communication and advocating for the environmental campaign.

Originality/value

This study highlights the …

Understanding The Influence Of Authentic Leadership And Employee-Organization Relationships On Employee Voice Behaviors In Response To Dissatisfying Events At Work, Young Kim, Ejae Lee, Minjeong Kang, Sung-Un Yang

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study demonstrates how authentic leadership and the quality of employee-organization relationships (EOR) influence employee behavioral reactions to dissatisfying events at work. We conducted a nationwide survey of 644 full-time employees in the United States. The results from the structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that authentic leadership was positively and directly related to employees’ considerate voice but was not directly associated with other behavioral responses. Additionally, the quality of EOR was found to be a strong mediator between authentic leadership and employee behaviors—particularly in enhancing considerate voice and patience and reducing exit—in the context of dissatisfying workplace events. The implications …

Megaphoning Effects Of Skepticism, Cynicism, And Situational Motivation On An Environmental Csr Activity, Myoung-Gi Chon, Young Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine how individuals’ skepticism and cynicism about an environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity influence their positive and negative communication behaviors toward a corporation (megaphoning effects). The findings demonstrated the important mediating role of situational motivation in problem solving on a given environmental issue between skepticism/cynicism and megaphoning effects. Using a nationwide survey of 504 participants living in the United States, this study found that skepticism and cynicism increased the negative megaphoning effect and decreased positive megaphoning behaviors. Furthermore, skepticism/cynicism and megaphoning behaviors were partially mediated by situational motivation in problem solving. In …

Decolonizing Open Science: Southern Interventions, Mohan Dutta, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Mereana Barrett, Christine Elers, Devina Sarwatay, Preeti Raghunath, Satveer Kaur, Debalina Dutta, Pooja Jayan, Mahbubur Rahman, Edwin Tallam, Sudeshna Roy, Ashwini Falnikar, Gayle Moana Johnson, Indranil Mandal, Uttaran Dutta, Iccha Basnyat, Cheryll Soriano, Vinod Pavarala, T. T. Sreekumar, Shiv Ganesh, Asha Rathina Pandi, Dazzelyn Zapata

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Hegemonic Open Science, emergent from the circuits of knowledge production in the Global North and serving the economic interests of platform capitalism, systematically erase the voices of the subaltern margins from the Global South and the Southern margins inhabiting the North. Framed within an overarching emancipatory narrative of creating access for and empowering the margins through data exchanged on the global free market, hegemonic Open Science processes co-opt and erase Southern epistemologies, working to create and reproduce new enclosures of extraction that serve data colonialism-capitalism. In this essay, drawing on our ongoing negotiations of community-led culture-centered advocacy and activist strategies …

Engaging Consumers With Corporate Social Responsibility Campaigns: The Roles Of Interactivity, Psychological Empowerment, And Identification, Sun Young Lee, Yeuseung Kim, Young Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study explores the mechanisms through which corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns that solicit consumer participation benefit companies more than do non-participatory campaigns. In Study 1, we demonstrated that consumers who were asked to actively participate in CSR campaigns were more likely to consider the company’s motives public-serving rather than self-serving, evaluated the company more favorably, and had higher purchase intentions regarding the company’s products, mediated by perceived consumer–company interactivity. In Study 2, we showed that psychological empowerment and consumer–company identification can explain the positive effects of perceived interactivity. Unlike non-participatory campaigns, participatory campaigns empower consumers and strengthen consumer–company identification …

Inherent Frictions And Deliberate Frustrations: Examining The Legal Variables Of State Foi Law Administration, A.Jay Wagner

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

FOI laws are of a category of laws acutely predisposed to internal resistance and erosion. The study seeks to better understand these limitations by examining legal elements of the laws through an exploratory field study, or audit, of nine state FOI laws. Among the study’s findings are two uniquely strong predictors of better FOI results: The existence of an independent FOI advocacy organization in the state and a legislature subject to the law. The findings suggest cultivating a culture of transparency may be as or more important than any of the generally considered legal variables, such as deadlines or penalties.

Examining Antecedents To Accuracy- And Defense-Motivated Information Insufficiency In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Timothy K.F. Fung, Po Yan Lai, Robert J. Griffin, Sharon Dunwoody

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Although the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model recognizes that people seek and process risk information in various ways and for various motives, no research, to date, has examined the model beyond accuracy motive. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to advance the model by examining (1) the antecedents that induce individuals’ accuracy- and defense-motivated information insufficiency and (2) the effect of a broader array of the RISP’s perceived hazard characteristics and affective responses. To do so, we used the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study because COVID-19 is a newly emergent infectious disease with highly politicized, controversial …

Building Organizational Resilience Through Strategic Internal Communication And Organization–Employee Relationships, Young Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study explores the impacts of internal strategic communication and relationship management with employees for organizational resilience in effective internal crisis communication, thereby filling a gap in crisis communication research. Specifically, it provides empirical evidence for how organizational resilience in a crisis can be achieved through strategic internal communication and relationship building with employees. A nationwide survey (N = 830) was conducted among full-time employees in the United States. The results revealed the important mediating role of organization–employee relationships (OER) between resilience and its antecedent, demonstrating that OER is a strong underlying factor in understanding how two-way symmetrical communication …

Operationalizing Critical Race Theory In The Marketplace, Sonja Martin Poole, Sonya A. Grier, Kevin D. Thomas, Francesca Sobande, Akon E. Ekpo, Lez Trujillo Torres, Lynn A. Addington, Melinda Weekes-Laidlow, Geraldine Rosa Henderson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Race is integral to the functioning and ideological underpinnings of marketplace actions yet remains undertheorized in marketing. To understand and transform the insidious ways in which race operates, the authors examine its impact in marketplaces and how these effects are shaped by intersecting forms of systemic oppression. They introduce critical race theory (CRT) to the marketing community as a useful framework for understanding consumers, consumption, and contemporary marketplaces. They outline critical theory traditions as utilized in marketing and specify the particular role of CRT as a lens through which scholars can understand marketplace dynamics. The authors delineate key CRT tenets …

The Year, So Far, In Foi Law: Novel Evasions And Efforts To Undermine, A. Jay Wagner

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Enacting Anti-Racist Visualities Through Photo-Dialogues On Race In Paris, Francesca Sobande, Alice Schoonejans, Guillaume D. Johnson, Kevin D. Thomas, Anthony Kwame Harrison

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

Grounded in experience of co-organizing a two-day photography-based workshop in Paris, this paper explores how photo-dialogues can facilitate anti-racist pedagogy and generative discussions about how race and racism function in marketplace contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on the authors' involvement in a cross-national and cross-disciplinary team of scholars who worked with local community stakeholders—including activists, artists and practitioners—to discuss, theorize and photo-document issues regarding race and racism in the Parisian marketplace.

Findings

This paper contributes to the literature on visual culture studies and critical race studies as it demonstrates the potentials of photography combined with dialogue to challenge the …