Relationship building and the use of Web sites: How Fortune 500 corporations use their Web sites to build relationships

This study examines the dialogic features of corporate Web sites in order to determine the Web site practices of the corporations for building relationships with their publics. Content analysis of 100 Fortune 500 companies’ Web sites revealed that the corporations designed their Web sites to serve important publics and foster dialogic communication. The corporate Web sites appear to promote control mutuality, trust, satisfaction, openness, and intimacy. However, the corporations need to maintain repetitive interactions with their publics to enhance trust, commitment, and exchange relationship.     

Zur Bedeutung von mikropolitischer Kompetenz für den Aufstieg von Frauen in Führungspositionen – am Beispiel der Handlungsfelder Unternehmenskultur und Selbstdarstellung

The appropriation of micro-political competence affects the promotion of women into executive positions in a positive way. Evidence for this conclusion was found in the intervention study ??Micro-politics??. The study involved a research approach of Micro-politics-Coaching that was carried out on 30 female junior managers. As an introduction to the topic this contribution presents the Micro-political Competence Model (MCM) that was developed during the research project. The importance of micro-political competence for a successful carrier development is explained, based on the relevant action fields ??corporate culture?? and ??impression management??.The results of the research are made explicit by presenting two example cases of the coaching intervention study and by structuring the empirical evidence along the MCM. The conclusion clarifies why micro-political competence can be viewed as a partial area of carrier development competence and moreover provides implications for consultancy practice, for enterprises and for science.     

An analysis of corporate environmental responsibility on the global corporate Web sites and their dialogic principles

This study investigated how corporations use their Web sites as a way of helping to build corporate environmental responsibility. A content analysis of 2008 Fortune Global corporate Web sites compared environmental concerns and the use of dialogic principles across three regions (i.e., Asia, Europe, and North America). Results show that about 71% of Web sites have a stand-alone environmental menu as a central location for environmental information, and that Europe is the highest, followed by North America and Asia. The environmental concerns of ‘resources/waste management’ and ‘climate changes’ are more commonly highlighted than are ‘ecosystem’ and ‘environmental governance.’ Furthermore, most Web sites do not fully employ dialogic features, regardless of region.     

A New Privacy Paradox? Youth Agentic Practices of Privacy Management Despite “Nothing to Hide” Online

Focus groups conducted with Canadian teenagers examining their perceptions and experiences with cyber risk, center on various privacy strategies geared for impression management across popular social network sites (SNS). We highlight privacy concerns as a primary reason for a gravitation away from Facebook toward newer, more popular sites such as Instagram and Snapchat, as well as debates about the permeability of privacy on Snapchat in particular. The privacy paradox identifies a disjuncture between what is said about privacy and what is done in practice. It refers to declarations from youth that they are highly concerned for privacy, yet frequently disregard privacy online through “oversharing” and neglecting privacy management. However, our participants, especially older teens, invoked a different mindset: that they have “nothing to hide” online and therefore do not consider privacy relevant for them. Despite this mindset, the strategies we highlight suggest a new permutation of the privacy paradox, rooted in a pragmatic adaptation to the technological affordances of SNS, and wider societal acquiescence to the debasement of privacy online.     

The Professionalization of Medical Students: Developing Competence And A Cloak of Competence*

This paper describes how medical students in an innovative educational setting adopt a cloak of competence as a critical part of the professionalization process. Faced with inordinate and variable expectations to develop and display competence, students professionalize by distancing themselves from those they interact with and by adopting and manipulating the symbols of their new status. Students were observed to engage in impression management to convince others and themselves that they are competent and confident to face the immense responsibilities of their privileged role. The data were collected by means of participant observation and interviews.     

The ‘greening’ of organizational change: A case study

There are many emerging corporate strategies designed to make large, complex business enterprises more responsive to environmental concerns. One major corporate innovation that has a direct environmental impact is the increased use of telework options for employees. These programmes significantly reduce the amount of employee travel, thereby reducing air pollution. However, adoption of telework programmes requires a change in organizational management strategies. The prevailing attitude of “If I can't see them, how do I know they are working” must be changed. This attitudinal change, coupled with the structural move towards the ‘virtual corporation’ can be managed using existing organizational development strategies and tactics. The paper reports the results of several field studies in California which examined the phenomenon of telework. The studies consistently report increases in worker productivity of 16 per cent and a significant reduction of personal automobile travel of between 20–40 per cent while engaged in telework. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for a management strategy for managing this change and highlights areas for future research.     

Social responsibility and corporate web pages: Self-presentation or agenda-setting?

The recent growth of the Internet and World Wide Web has become a focus for both the popular press and social science scholars. The authors of this study examined how large corporate entities are making use of the Web to present themselves as socially responsible citizens and to advance their own policy positions.Analysis of a random sample of Fortune 500 companies revealed 90% had Web pages and 82% of the sites addressed at least one corporate social responsibility issue. More than half of the Web sites had items addressing community involvement, environmental concerns, and education. Few corporations, however, used their Web pages to monitor public opinion on issues or advocate policy positions. The number of social responsibility items on a Web page was positively correlated with the size of an organization and the implementation of tools to make a Web site more navigable, but was unrelated to a corporation's ranking within its industry. The researchers also distinguished between messages that proclaim the corporation does “no-harm”, and items that extol an organization's “good deeds.” Industry groups differed on the no-harm subscale but not good deeds.     

Warum Chamäleons (manchmal) beruflich erfolgreich sind

Individuals who strategically control their behavior to reach their professional goals may either be considered as persons with high social competence or, alternatively, as “dazzlers” or chameleons. Both of these perspectives are included in the construct of self-monitoring, as it focuses on social skills as well as on aspects of impression management and inconsistency (referring to the chameleon-like behavior). In this paper, we take stock of the findings on the career success of individuals characterized by high self-monitoring. It seems that they are particularly skilled in making a good impression on others and realizing career success (especially promotions). However, high self-monitors have also difficulties building stable relationships: Even though they attract more interest from others, they also experience rejection more often. All in all, the picture emerges that although high self-monitors do not perform above average, they do manage to reach career goals by obtaining promotions, switching between employers, controlling social networks, and holding key positions in organizations.     

Baoren Baoguo: Zhongguo Xinwenshi De Lingyizhong Dufa [To Serve the Nation: Journalists as Prisms of Chinese Press History] edited by CHIN-CHUAN LEE

Social networking sites (SNS) have become an important vehicle for corporate communication. However, there has been little research on how East Asian firms use international SNSs to communicate with global stakeholders. This study compares the communication strategies of Chinese and Japanese companies on Facebook and Twitter and analyzes the public responses and complaints on these corporate SNSs. The results revealed that in addition to the traditional strategies of corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR), Chinese and Japanese firms adopted the human interest (HI) strategy. The results showed that the Chinese companies in the study sample had a stronger preference for the CSR and interactive strategies, and they responded faster to online complaints compared with the Japanese firms, which were more likely to adopt the strategy of transferring in handling complaints. Moreover, “inviting participation into events” and “seeking specific feedback” were two types of interactive messages that received the highest numbers of responses from the public on Facebook, whereas “promoting sales” showed the highest engagement on Twitter. This study is the first to compare the effectiveness of different corporate response strategies for specific complaint topics on social media. Thus, it contributes to the literature on stakeholder–company interactions.     

The Politics of Gender in the NHS: Impression Management and ‘Getting Things Done’

This article is concerned with gendered differences in managerial repertoires in the National Health Service. Interviews carried out with senior NHS managers across several geographical areas suggest that, from an impression management perspective, where they are able to occupy senior management positions, a different management style begins to emerge amongst women, with a separation between their ‘front‐stage, ‘backstage’ and ‘outside’ stage activities. Women managers appeared to acknowledge that they could not behave front stage in the same way with doctors as they often did in their outside stage encounters with them, but that the additional strategies they utilized whilst outside stage were key elements to their repertoire for getting things done. This view of management is contrasted with a very different one exhibited by male managers. The implications of the analysis are explored in the article's conclusion.     

If the Organizations Won't Give Us Information…: The Use of Multiple New Media for Crisis Technical Translation and Dialogue

This study expands crisis message strategies to include those used to communicate technical details and examines them across multiple new media. A content analysis of blogs, Web sites, news articles, and press releases from the 2007 pet food recall crisis reveals that when stakeholders affected by the crisis desire emotional support—most frequently found in blogs—they do not include any types of technical explanations in their messages. Yet when they want rectification—assurance that the crisis will not happen again—they use more elaborate forms of technical translation explanations. Organizational use of technical translation explanations differ between media with Web sites and news articles containing more elaborate technical translation than press releases. When technical translation details are used, dialogic links, such as Web site links, are included.     

Know(ing) Your Power: Risk Society,Astroturf Campaigns,and the Battle over the Red Rock Coal‐Fired Plant

Using qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles, Web site matter, and newsprint advertisements, the authors analyze the nuances of Know Your Power (KYP), a corporate Astroturf campaign created in 2007 to challenge the permitting of the Red Rock coal‐fired facility in northern Oklahoma. Employing a risk society framework, the study contributes to literatures on Astroturf campaigns, the social construction and definition of risk, discourse on the contentious politics of energy, and corporate use of false grassroots coalitions in an environmental conflict. Findings indicate that KYP utilized an educational framework, neighborhood expert knowledge, themes central in the risk society, and the impression of a grassroots coalition to convince lay publics and regulatory actors that “Red Rock is wrong.”     

Congressional Web Sites and Their Potential for Public Dialogue

The Internet has emerged as one way that organizations can engage their publics in dialogue. The purpose of this article is to explore Congressional Web sites as spaces for government-constituent dialogue. An analysis of Congressional Web sites (N = 100) and interviews with Congressional offices (N = 32) shows that Congressional representatives recognize the value of the Internet and the World Wide Web for communicating with constituents. However, Congressional Web sites do not appear to be facilitating dialogue between elected officials and their constituents. Interviews with legislative aides responsible for the creation and maintenance of Congressional Web sites suggest that elected officials are using their Web sites primarily as information dissemination tools. The implications for organizational communication scholars, citizens, and government officials as they consider the dialogic capacity of a mediated governmental environment are discussed.     

The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife and the Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity

The purpose of this article is to document the collective nature of gender performance and sexual pursuit, activities typically associated with individual rather than group behavior. Drawing on narrative accounts, I analyze how young heterosexual male students employ the power of collective rituals of homosociality to perform sexual competence and masculine identity by “girl hunting” in the context of urban nightlife. These rituals are designed to reinforce dominant sexual myths and expectations of masculine behavior, boost confidence in one's performance of masculinity and heterosexual power, and assist in the performance of masculinity in the presence of women. This analysis illustrates how contemporary courtship rituals operate as collective strategies of impression management that men perform not only for women but for other men. In doing so, interaction rituals associated with the girl hunt reproduce structures of inequality within as well as across the socially constructed gender divide between women and men.     

Public Relations Practitioner Role Enactment at the Senior Management Level Within U.K. Companies

This article presents the findings of an initial investigation into the role that the public relations function plays in some of the leading companies in the United Kingdom. The study sought to uncover the pattern of practitioner role enactment within these companies and, in particular, the extent to which practitioners are involved directly in the formulation and implementation of corporate and business strategies. The study revealed considerable differences in the level of practitioner involvement in strategic decision making, with some practitioners fulfilling primarily technical roles and others enacting a more significant managerial role, advising senior executives on policy issues and assisting in the implementation of strategies. Factors such as the industry and organizational context, management expectations of public relations, and the perceived professional competence of practitioners emerged as important determinants of the level of practitioner involvement in strategic decision making. Drawing on the study's findings, a number of propositions have been advanced that may help to guide future inquiries into practitioner role enactment, particularly at the senior management level within organizations.     

Web CT–An Administrative Tool

SUMMARY

Web CT (Web Course Tools) is a leading software of integrated e-learning systems for higher education. It was designed as a tool to enhance classroom teaching and learning but the question is, could it be used for other purposes? When a breakdown of department communications occurred, other interventive strategies were developed that included Web CT to improve communication strategies. Utilizing the same criteria to enhance classroom teaching, Web CT was used to promote intradepartmental communications and cooperation. Results of this experiment were mixed but this was not a reflection from the use of the software as a tool, rather from resistance to its use. Web CT proved to be a good tool for improved management and communications. In addition, other management applications for the software also emerged.     

Use of social media for corporate communications by research-funding organisations in the UK

This research sought to explore the implications of social media for organisations’ business functions, to help inform organisational approaches to challenges presented by social media. UK-based research-funding bodies provided the focus of this study, and a literature review, quantitative survey and focus groups involving relevant communications professionals were undertaken. Findings show that most UK-based research-funding organisations have adopted social media channels for corporate communications, drawing chiefly on microblogging, video-sharing and social networking sites. Building a dialogue with stakeholders is a prime reason for using social channels, yet one-way ‘broadcasting’ of information is widespread. Web, media or communications/marketing teams generally manage social media channels. A minority of organisations have policies governing social media use by staff. Social media performance is mainly measured using quantitative metrics.     

How companies cultivate relationships with publics on social network sites: Evidence from China and the United States

This study advances our understanding of relationship cultivation on social media from a cross-cultural perspective. We examined how companies use popular social network sites (SNSs) to facilitate dialogues with publics in two culturally distinct countries: China and the United States. We employed a content analysis of 50 corporate pages with 500 corporate posts and 500 user posts from each country. Overall, companies in both countries have recognized the importance of SNSs in relationship development and employed the appropriate online strategies (disclosure, information dissemination, and interactivity and involvement), but the specific tactics vary across the two markets. Furthermore, cultural differences among the types of corporate posts and public posts on SNSs indicate that culture plays a significant role in shaping the dialogue between organizations and publics in different countries. Implications for corporate relationship management practice in the global market in the digital era are discussed.     

Walking the talk: An exploratory examination of executive leadership communication at startups in China

This study explored the under-researched topic of leadership communication in the context of startup companies in China. Specifically, this study examined the role of executive leadership in shaping corporate culture and leadership communication purposes, strategies, and channels in startups. Findings were derived through 25 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs in China, and they suggested that 5 major corporate culture types are prevalent and can coexist at startups, including innovation/adventure, openness, inclusiveness/participation, supportiveness, and aggressiveness/competitiveness. The character and management style of startup leaders shape the culture of the organization. Leadership communication serves various internal and external purposes at the informational, motivational, and behavioral levels. Symmetrical, transparent, authentic, and visionary communications are found to be effective leadership communication strategies at startups. Startup leaders overall prefer using face-to-face communication and mobile social messengers (e.g., WeChat) to communicate with internal and external stakeholders, followed by email and phone. Implications of the findings are discussed.