Relationship management through social media influencers: Effects of followers’ awareness of paid endorsement

This study aimed to examine the effects of awareness of paid endorsements by social media influencers on followers’ cognitive persuasion knowledge (ad recognition), attitudinal persuasion knowledge (relationships with the influencer), and behavioral intentions, specifically eWOM intention and purchase intention. Employing an online survey (N = 269), this study found that awareness of paid endorsement relates to ad recognition, which is correlated with purchase and eWOM intentions. We also found that awareness of paid endorsement is correlated with influencer-follower relationship, which is associated with purchase and eWOM intentions. However, ad recognition does not affect influencer-follower relationship. Implications for public relations theory, practice, and policy are discussed.     

Transparency tested: The influence of message features on public perceptions of organizational transparency

The concept of transparency has been promoted within the public relations and business literature as both ethical and advantageous; however, the effectiveness of transparency is seldom empirically put to the test. In particular, the use of clarity, disclosure, and accuracy in organizational messages needs to be empirically examined. To this end, we conducted an online experiment using a 2 (high vs. low message transparency) x 2 (news story placed before or after an organizational statement) between-subjects design. Participants (n?=?357) perceived organizations as more transparent and credible when exposed to messages exhibiting greater levels of clarity, disclosure, and accuracy as opposed to messages that did not. Placement of an information anchor in the form of an objective news story before the organizational message increased the perceived organizational transparency when messages employed transparent design features and decreased the perceived organizational transparency when messages did not use these features. These results provide significant implications for practitioners attempting to convey organizational transparency at the tactical level through message features.     

Toward professional standards for media transparency in the United States: Comparison of perceptions of non-transparency in national vs. regional media

This article reports the results of the national survey of 287 Public Relations Society of America members regarding current media transparency practices in the United States. The purpose of the study was to understand the forms of media non-transparency that exist in the United States, levels of non-transparency at the national and local/regional media, and perceptions of non-transparent practices by the public relations practitioners in the country. The project builds on previous research on global media transparency (Tsetsura & Kruckeberg, 2011) and uses Tsetsura’s (2005) framework to study media transparency. The survey results showed that direct media bribery is not a pressing issue in the United States; however, indirect media pressures that involve new forms of content creation, including native advertising and content marketing, are worrisome. Specifically, forms of indirect media bribery are common at the local and regional media levels in the USA. Research findings demonstrate that U.S. practitioners experience particular non-transparent challenges when working with the media and recognize financial pressures that U.S. media outlets face today.The results provide a basis for creating standards in U.S. practice to ensure that new forms of content creation, including native advertising and content marketing, are not acceptable at any level when sources of content are not disclosed. The study concludes with the discussion about the importance of understanding how new forms of sponsored content relate to media transparency in the USA and why U.S. practitioners should understand how media non-transparency relates to the issues of native advertising and brand journalism.     

Multi-method analysis of transparency in social media practices: Survey,interviews and content analysis

With the decline of public trust in corporate America, organizations must consider ways to improve their relationships with key publics. One of the best strategies to build trust is through engaging in transparent communication (Rawlins, 2009). The increase in the popularity of social media has brought both challenges and opportunities for organizational transparency. This study used multiple methods to explore whether public relations professionals believe they are using social media to communicate transparently, to investigate how social media can be used to improve transparency along with its benefits and challenges, and to identify how transparency is used in social media campaigns.     

论WTO区域贸易协定透明度机制委托执行机构的结构调整

区域贸易协定透明度机制经过四年多的实践,其运行模式已经得到WTO各成员方的普遍赞同。然而,实践中所暴露出来机制委托执行机构工作上的职权模糊和运行冲突,被不少成员归咎于现有委托执行机构机构的不合理。一些成员方因此提议简化现有的委托执行机构,形成由区域贸易协定委员会单一运行的结构模式。然而,单一的委托执行机构不仅难以解决当前的实践问题,还会给透明度机制的实施带来更大的困境。在保留目前委托执行机构机构结构的前提下,归纳总结目前机制所暴露的瑕疵,明确机构职能的划分,进而通过简化数据提交,规范通报和审议文本,无疑能使透明度机制的运行更加顺畅,整个体制也更加完善。     

WTO透明度原则法律适用研究

WTO的透明度原则作为WTO的基本原则之一,不仅蕴含在多边贸易体制之内,同时也贯穿于WTO各成员的承诺之中。WTO"争端解决机制"和"贸易政策审议机制"是检验透明度义务履行的两套重要机制。尽管入世后的三次WTO贸易政策审议报告对中国贸易政策透明度的改进给予了肯定,但是中国政府在透明度方面仍需改善,潜在的贸易纠纷依然存在。本文从WTO贸易政策评审机构的视角,结合WTO透明度原则理论分析,评析中国贸易政策透明度的改进,力求客观全面地认识这一原则的内涵和中国自身的实践与完善目标。     

论公开审判与保守审判工作秘密的界限及关系

由于现行法律法规对审判公开与保守审判工作秘密没有明确的界定,致使中国在加入WTO后,人民法院依法进行的司法审判活动,受到了国际条约的挑战。因此,现今的法院工作应当秉着审判公务信息公开原则与保守审判工作秘密原则,把握好公开与保密的关系,来切实贯彻国际透明度原则,以实现司法公正。     

Restoring trust through transparency: Examining the effects of transparency strategies on police crisis communication in Mainland China

Employing a 2 (accepting crisis accountability vs denying crisis accountability) x 2 (high vs low information substantiality) x 2 (high vs low participation) online experiment (N = 293), this study examines how different transparency strategies influence public anger and trust in a Chinese police crisis context, offering insights on government social media crisis communication. In general, transparency is crucial for Chinese local governments, especially police agencies, in managing crises on social media. Reporting organizational crisis accountability, delivering sufficient and evidence-based messages, and enabling public discussion on social media are three transparency strategies that can help minimize public anger and rebuild public trust. Results suggest the positive effects of delivering messages in crisis situations by using transparency. Furthermore, the study points out that police organizations in China should consider the possibility of information overload and unexpectedly low overall expectations for government transparency among Chinese publics.     

Transparency laws and interactive public relations: An analysis of Latin American government Web sites

A content analysis of 50 Latin American government Web sites was conducted to assess whether new transparency laws in the hemisphere impacted the interactivity, usability, technological expertise, and national symbolism manifest on the sites. Web sites were found to be generally usable but limited in interactivity. There was no difference in Web site interactivity between countries with transparency laws and those without them, but countries with laws used more visual symbols aimed at national branding. The article offers a model of Web site features for public relations practitioners interested in increasing the sophistication, usability, and interactivity of their sites in order to improve relationship building with stakeholders.     

公司信息透明度与大股东资金占用研究

本文以2002-2006年非金融类的中国A股上市公司为研究对象,分析了公司信息透明度与大股东资金占用之间的关系.研究发现,在控制其它影响因素条件下,公司信息透明度越差,大股东资金占用问题越严重.该研究结论表明,提高公司信息透明度将有助于改善大股东与中小股东之间的信息不对称,缓解二者之间的代理冲突,减少大股东资金占用的可能性.