Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies / Gregory Paul / Over the last decade, people have been able to access and use the Internet quickly and easily though several types of advanced technologies. Social networking sites (SNS) have attracted millions of users from all over the word and have become a part of their social and work lives. As the most popular SNS, Facebook.com has been leading the SNS market with 1.86 billion monthly active users (Facebook, 2017). Facebook has also been adopted by workplaces. Individuals in the workplace use Facebook for several reasons, such as staying in touch with colleagues. This integration of SNSs into people’s work life has led to personal and professional boundaries being blurred and created privacy dilemmas. This study examines factors that influence subordinate’s willingness to accept a Facebook friend request from their supervisor, using the theoretical lens of communication privacy management (CPM). Overall, 231 individuals who have a Facebook account and work at either a full-time or part-time job completed an online survey. A positive relationship was found between subordinates’ willingness to accept a Facebook friend request from a supervisor and subordinate communication satisfaction with a supervisor. This study’s results indicate that alterations in Facebook content, and being more open through privacy management practices do not predict subordinates’ willingness to accept supervisors’ Facebook friend request. Further, subordinates’ communication satisfaction with their supervisor did not influence subordinates’ content alterations of Facebook, such as deleting previously posted media content, wall posts, modifying profile information, or removing status updates. This thesis ends with a discussion of the implications of Facebook connections between subordinates and supervisors. This study also provides insights on the intersections of use of SNS, workplace use of SNSs, workplace relationships, and communication privacy management theory.

M.Comm. (Business Management) / The overall goal of this short dissertation is to investigate the influence of Facebook on the consumer decision-making process of students at a comprehensive university. The five phases of the consumer decision-making process will be atthe core ofthis study; (1) Problem recognition, (2) Information search, (3) Evaluation of alternatives, (4) Purchase, (5) Post-purchase. Included inthe study is the profile of consumers who use Facebook, the general trends surfacing from the use of online activities, an investigation into each of the five phases mentioned that contribute to the influence Facebook exerts. And ultimately, indicating that Facebook has various degrees of influence ornoinfluence on the different phases inthe consumer-decision making process. This study, through a self administered drop-off questionnaire whose valid respondents (total of 325 respondents), provided information about the respondents' demographic profile, online activities and behaviour along the five phase consumer decision-making process. As the topic of this study was about the usage of Facebook, the sample set qualifier was that having a Facebook profile was a prerequisite. The statistical techniques used in the study were based on descriptive analysis which enabled the analysis of the data with regard to the relationship of the variables whereby the data was easily summarised and understood. The other statistical technique used was factor analysis whereby the reliability and validity of the data was verified and further relationships between the variables were examined. The findings indicate that respondents exhibited actions influenced by Facebook in the first two phases of the decision making process (Problem recognition and Information search), than was evident in the remaining three phases. This framework provides the basis forfurther investigation into the influence of Facebook in the areas of problem recognition and information search and provides the opportunity for marketers to position themselves in a way that will address the two phases bybeing present on the Facebook platform.

Actualmente niños cada vez más pequeños interactúan con la tecnología, accediendo a internet y redes sociales en especial Facebook el cual no se recomienda para niños menores de 13 años, sin embargo existen algo de 83 millones de cuentas falsas de Facebook, las que incluyen la de niños menores de 13 años, que aún no saben medir las consecuencias de aceptar desconocidos como amigos, subir fotos personales y/o chatear con extraños. Ya que estos niños nacieron en una era tecnológica, antes que hablar con psicólogos se pensó que un sistema sería más efectivo para poder medir el nivel de vulnerabilidad de estos niños con cuentas en Facebook, Por lo tanto se formuló la siguiente pregunta:¿Un sistema experto aplicado a la seguridad de la información ayudará a determinar efectivamente cuán vulnerables son los niños ante peligros en Facebook? Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar un sistema experto que pueda determinar el nivel de vulnerabilidad de estudiantes ante algunos de los peligros que existen en Facebook. Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio pre experimental de preprueba /postprueba con datos primarios recolectados a través de encuestas, en alumnos entre 10 y 12 años de edad. Resultados. Con respecto a las actividades en Facebook que más realizan el chat es usado por una mayoría de (57,9%), también se evidenció que del total de usuarios de Facebook el (69,23%) le es más cómodo conversar a través de la red social. Después de la aplicación del sistema sacó como resultado que el (31,58%) presentan un nivel de vulnerabilidad alto. Con respecto al nivel de vulnerabilidad, se encontró una correlación con las actividades que el alumno lleva a cabo en Facebook por nivel de impacto. Conclusión. El Sistema Experto demostró que los alumnos que usan Facebook son vulnerables en algún nivel y al mostrarles los resultados directos de sus respuestas la gran mayoría aceptó cambiar sus hábitos en Internet y ser más cuidadosos con las personas que hablan por chat. / Tesis

À mesure que s’accroissent le temps passé en ligne et la richesse phénoménale des environnements web, ces « médias » doivent de moins en moins être pensés comme des canaux de communication et de plus en plus comme des espaces, voire des lieux d’habitation. Au même moment, les dispositifs de communications numériques, au premier chef www.facebook.com, sont constamment accusés d’être des espaces « irréels », de rendre les relations « superficielles », etc. Cette thèse cherche à qualifier l’être-au-monde lorsqu’il prend la forme de l’être-sur-facebook en mettant en relation les questions de l’habitation, de la technique et du numérique. De façon surprenante, bien que ceux-ci n’aient jamais écrit sur le web, les pensées de Martin Heidegger et de Peter Sloterdijk fournissent d’excellentes bases théoriques à partir desquelles penser l’habitation numérique. D’une part, Heidegger ne fait pas dériver la réalité d’une ontologie matérialiste, mais existentielle, ce qui correspond bien à la praxis numérique. D’autre part, il a cherché à établir des relations entre l’habitation et la technique, ainsi qu’entre l’authenticité et la publicité, ce qui se révèle fort utile pour penser ce que peut vouloir dire le fait d’habiter un environnement technique semi-public. Quant à Sloterdijk, ses notions de sphère et d’immunité sont intéressantes pour penser le nouveau genre d’espace créé par Facebook où l’usager contrôle lui-même l’accès à son réseau. Pensé avec les catégories de Sloterdijk, Facebook.com apparait comme un milieu s’acquittant de la double exigence d’immunité et de mobilisation où l’usager fait de son propre reflet sa « maison web ». Le projet guidant la trilogie « Sphères » – penser l’existence humaine à partir de ces lieux de production et d’installation – est ainsi poussé, par-delà son attachement à la concrétude, vers le web.

Un sentiment de solitude survient chez un individu lorsque ses relations interpersonnelles sont insatisfaisantes, que ce soit sur le plan quantitatif ou qualitatif. Considérant que la communication interpersonnelle, qui permet la création et le maintien des relations interpersonnelles, a grandement cours par l’entremise de technologies de communication via Internet, bon nombre de recherches se sont penchées sur les liens potentiels entre les usages de ces technologies et le sentiment de solitude. Les résultats de ces travaux sont toutefois très disparates. Ainsi, la présente recherche explore cette problématique en se concentrant spécifiquement sur un dispositif de communication en particulier : le site de réseaux sociaux Facebook. Les usages de celui-ci sont conceptualisés selon un ensemble cohérent d’approches et de notions théoriques, soit les usages et gratifications, les affordances des technologies ainsi que certaines notions empruntées à la sociologie des usages (contextes de pratiques, entrelacement des usages). En ce qui concerne le sentiment de solitude, l’approche multidimensionnelle des besoins sociaux est mobilisée. Au niveau méthodologique, une méthode mixte utilisant le sondage par questionnaire comme outil de collecte de données a été préconisée. Les résultats démontrent un entrelacement des usages des différentes fonctionnalités de Facebook, ainsi que des corrélations entre certaines utilisations spécifiques de Facebook et le sentiment de solitude, tant sociale qu’émotionnelle. Ces résultats viennent s’ajouter à ceux d’autres publications récentes, qui démontrent qu’il y a effectivement des relations complexes entre les usages de Facebook et le sentiment de solitude.

Transdisciplinary focused work concentrates on communication on the social network Facebook. Firstly, the author puts forward a theoretical introduction to social communication and afterwards to communication on social networks. The thesis introduces the concept of New Media and Web 2.0 as the essential platform for the full development of the potential of Facebook. Further, the author discusses the term Online Social Networks and the definition of Social Capital. With the help of the former and latter the author demonstrates the rightfulness of people social ties; i.a. on the Small-World theory. The subsequent analysis is dedicated to Pages and Groups, which appear o Facebook. On sampled examples the author examines the content of communicated messages, the motivation people have to join such Groups and Pages and the overlap this activity has in the real world.

This diploma thesis analyzes the position of social networks in the Czech Republic and describes their potential usage for business with a scope on marketing. The work focuses on the social network Facebook, which in terms of number of users and their activity is the most represented social network in the Czech Republic and therefore represents the highest advertising potential. The work describes the creation of both paid and unpaid forms of communication within this social network and presents an optimal solution for its involvement in company's activities. The findings were applied in practice to the Facebook profile of www.milujito.cz e-shop.

This qualitative study explored Facebook as a communication tool for student affairs and compared it as a source with other communication modalities to describe the 18-24 year old student preference on receiving information about student affairs departments and activities. The research questions were designed to provide feedback on the current purpose[s] of student use of Facebook for student affairs services as well as reporting additional services and activities that would be considered through the use of Facebook. Differences in use among institutional types were also explored. The results of 395 online survey responses were compared to focus groups consisting of student ambassadors at a two-year public, four-year private, and four-year public institution. The online survey participants were asked to respond to specific modes of communication based upon each service or activity. The focus groups were asked the same questions in an open-ended format and the results were compared to the online results. The results indicate that depending on the event or activity, the students preferred a different method of communication, not necessarily Facebook for information on student affairs programming. These results also differed among institutional types. Two-year institutions have the greatest potential to increase their presence on Facebook. One theme that emerged from the open-ended response question in the online survey was that institutions participating on Facebook should limit content so that it is more social in nature and leave academically related issues to institutionally driven communication modalities. There are numerous options to communicate information to students and finding the best one may be more challenging than actually disseminating the information. With the administrative challenges and lack of student responses encouraging Facebook usage, institutions of higher education are not encouraged to spend enormous resources in this one particular communication modality. Given the high number of responses from the online survey combined with feedback from the focus groups, enhanced email options or web portal content might serve the current needs.

I den här uppsatsen har jag applicerat ett ritualperspektiv i en ny situation, nämligen sociala medier. Uppsala Gäris är en separatistisk grupp för kvinnor och ickebinära med koppling till Uppsala och Uppsala län. I uppsatsen frågade jag hur ritualerna i Uppsala Gäris ser ut och vad de har för beståndsdelar, varför ritualerna sker och vilka sociala ordningar som ses som problem och vilka ritualen försöker etablera. Jag frågade också hur communitas manifesterar sig och organiseras i Uppsala Gäris. Genom intervjuer och netnografi har jag kommit fram till att ritualerna är oförutsedda och orienterade efter gruppen, eftersom mycket fokus ligger på gemenskapen och dess communitas och förnyande kraft. Communitas uppstår på grund av gruppens gemensamma upplevelse av att de är utsatta i Uppsala och vilja att etablera en ny social ordning.

Social networking applications (SNAs) have experienced a boom in popularity in recent years. Sites like Facebook and MySpace continuously draw new users, and are successful in organizing groups of users around topics of common interest. Among SNAs, Facebook has demonstrably outgrown its rivals growing an estimated 157 percent from 2008 to 2009. Facebook is now estimated to be the fourth largest Internet site in the world, trailing only Google, Microsoft and Yahoo (Schonfeld 2009). This dissertation posits and tests a theoretical model composed of key factors that contribute to post-adoptive use of social networking applications and the relationship of those factors to one another. This study also identifies and clarifies new constructs that were not previously used to measure usage, and further refines the constructs that were previously used so that they better fit social networking applications. The results of this dissertation show that the critical factors of social capital, hedonic enjoyment, perceived usefulness, social influence, satisfaction and attitude have a positive influence on a post-adoptive user's intention to continue using Facebook. The results of this study yielded a structural model for predicting the post-adoptive use of Facebook. This work also developed an instrument for measuring constructs relevant to social networking applications.