M.Tech. (Information Technology) / Since the introduction of Web 2.0, there has been an increase in the number of applications that promote the use of user-generated content, support social and collaborative interaction on the Web, and provide engaging user interactions. This together with the continuous increase in internet speed gave rise to the formation of interactive online communication channels, such as Social Media (SM). SM moved from just being a purely social platform to being an integral part of many organisations` business practices. Organisations saw an opportunity through SM to market themselves and interact with customers more efficiently and cost effectively, whist reaching a larger number of potential clients online ...

Grounded in framing theory, this thesis presents a qualitative content analysis of newspaper coverage of genetically modified foods by two Chinese newspapers- People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis, in 2000-2017. The political, economic, public opinion and legal implications involved have made the reports of genetically modified (GM) foods present different framing, themes, and positions between People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis. This study aims to examine the various frames used in the coverage of GM foods in two major Chinese newspapers that operate within different media frameworks. Results of the content analysis illustrated that significant differences existed in the newspapers in their framing of GM foods, the themes of GM foods, the positions, news source, and media attributes. While the frames used by People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis were similar in the emphasis on the importance of “Supervision to GM product”, “Worries & Potential Risk/Safety”, and “International perspective”, Southern Metropolis presented a significance of pluralistic standpoint than People’s Daily whose attitude was likely to neutral and pro-GMO. People’s Daily preferred to use the frames of “Advanced Technology”, “International Perspective” or “Economic Consequences”, whereas Southern Metropolis preferred to produce the framed stories of “Worries & Potential Risk/Safety”.

Global Software Development (GSD) team members engage in intellectual activities that involve sharing business domain knowledge and technical knowledge across geographical areas, which is crucial to the successful development of software. In global software development, media choice may influence how virtual teams create and share knowledge. As digital technology advances and organizations become more digitally transformed, current communication theories for media selection lack the explanation to the complicated phenomena with the use of advanced media technologies. There have been many studies focused on the effectiveness of media, but they did not include user’s understanding of system security and its influence on knowledge sharing behavior. However, affordance theory explains the utility with both social actors and technical features. The use of media may be shaped by features of technologies and user’s perception on system security. The goal of this study was to empirically assess the effects of media affordances and media security awareness on knowledge sharing behaviors among GSD team members with the lens of affordance theory. In this study, data was collected through survey from 214 GSD employees, after inviting 1000 employees to participate. The survey data was analyzed to test the effects of communication media affordance and user’s awareness of media security on behavior in knowledge sharing. The analysis results show that awareness of media security had significant moderating effects on the relationships from some actualized media affordances to implicit knowledge sharing. The results of this study revealed positive relationships between perceived media affordances and actualized media affordances. The results also showed that organization tenure had a significant effect on implicit knowledge sharing, and professional tenure had a significant effect on explicit and implicit knowledge behavior. This study contributed to the body of knowledge in organizational communication literature by providing new insights into how technology properties and users’ awareness on technology security shape team members’ knowledge sharing practice.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Social media offers great opportunities for businesses and the use thereof will increase competitiveness. However, social media also introduce significant risks to those who adopt it. A business can use existing IT governance control framework to address the risks introduced by social media. However a business should combine existing control frameworks for adequate and complete IT governance. This study was undertaken to help businesses to identify incremental risks resulting from the adoption of social media and to develop an integrated IT governance control framework to address these risks both at strategic and operational level. With the help of the processes in COBIT 5, this study provides safeguards or controls which can be implemented to address the IT risks that social media introduce to a business. By implementing the safeguards and controls identified from COBIT 5, a business ensures that they successfully govern the IT related risks at strategic level. This study also briefly discuss the steps that a business can follow to ensure IT related risks at operational level is addressed through the implementation of configuration controls. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sosiale media bied groot geleenthede vir besighede en die gebruik daarvan sal mededingendheid verhoog. Sosiale media hou ook egter beduidende risiko's in vir diegene wat dit aanneem. 'n Besigheid kan bestaande Informasie Tegnologie (IT) kontrole raamwerke gebruik om die risiko's wat ontstaan as gevolg van die gebruik van sosiale media aan te spreek. Vir voldoende en volledige IT korporatiewe beheer moet 'n besigheid egter bestaande kontrole raamwerke kombineer. Hierdie studie is onderneem om besighede te help om die toenemende risiko's wat ontstaan as gevolg van die gebruik van die sosiale media, te identifiseer en om 'n geïntegreerde IT kontrole raamwerk te ontwikkel om hierdie risiko's op strategiese sowel as operasionele vlak aan te spreek. Met die hulp van die prosesse in COBIT 5 voorsien hierdie studie voorsorgmaatreëls of kontroles wat geïmplementeer kan word om die IT-risiko's waaraan die besigheid, deur middel van sosiale media blootgestel is, aan te spreek. Deur die implementering van die voorsorgmaatreëls en kontroles soos geïdentifiseer uit COBIT 5, verseker ʼn besigheid dat hulle die IT-verwante risiko's op strategiese vlak suksesvol beheer. Hierdie studie bespreek ook kortliks die stappe wat 'n besigheid kan volg om te verseker dat IT-verwante risiko's op operasionele vlak aangespreek word deur die implementering van konfigurasie kontroles.