Call number: LD2668 .T4 1982 M93 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 D96 / Master of Science

The purpose of this study is to highlight the existence ofpersonalization within Swedish political parties along withhow the parties work with this phenomena in order to achievemore voters. The method used is personal interviews with politiciansfrom four different government parties. As a complement, interviews with a political expert was also made.  All parties use personalization in different ways as a strategy tocreate dialogues and relationships with both media and voters. We distinguished two sorts of personalization: individualization and privatization, and discovered that not all parties use both.

Kommunikationsdirektör vid Sundsvalls kommun önskade undersöka hur man på bästa sätt kommunicerar vid kris med personer som inte talar svenska. Detta eftersom att Sundsvalls kommun ansåg att man saknade tillräckliga språkkunskaper för att hantera kriser. Enligt forskningen är det just personer av annat ursprung än landet det bor i som är mer utsatta vid kris (Olofsson, 2007:7), varför det är viktigt att anpassa kommunikationen så att den når ut till och kan hjälpa alla medborgare. Jag fann det därför intressant att undersöka Sundsvalls kommun och dess kriskommunikativa anpassning genom att intervjua de som inom kommunen är ansvariga för kriskommunikationen samt undersöka hur det ser ut i landet i stort. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om Sveriges kommuner anpassar sin kriskommunikation för medborgare med utländsk bakgrund med huvudfokus på hur Sundsvalls kommun arbetar strategiskt med sin kriskommunikation.   Metod och material: Kvalitativ samtalsintervju med Camilla Nilzén och Ulf Wallin vid Sundsvalls kommun med kompletterande kvantitativ webbenkät till 121 svenska kommuner. Huvudresultat: Sundsvalls kommun är inte anpassade i sin kriskommunikation till medborgare med utländskbakgrund vilket även antas gälla en större del av landets kommuner. Däremot visar resultatet på att kunskapen om att kommunicera på ett anpassat sätt finns varför Sundsvalls kommun och de av landets kommuner som inte är anpassade på ett enkelt sätt kan bli bättre på att anpassa sin

This research project is an analysis of the use of digital propaganda by the three major parties in the UK 2010 General Election. In addition to this empirical aim, the study also employs the discipline of memetics to generate a theoretical and methodological approach with which to study digital propaganda. Memetics is an evolutionary theory of culture based around the concept of the ‘meme’ or cultural replicator. This study contends that propaganda can be understood as an evolutionary phenomenon, with the ethical implications of its use specifically addressed in each instance, rather than assumed as part of its definition. The memetic ‘methodological toolkit’ which is used to analyse the data on the 2010 election is a means by which key concepts from within the literature on memetics can be practically deployed. As part of the study this ‘toolkit’ is presented and the testing of it is continually evaluated in order to improve upon the initial design, something which also has implications for the use of memetic concepts within thematic textual analysis. The election itself was not an ‘Internet election’ in the way that the 2008 Presidential Election in the USA might be characterised. Such an election can be identified by a convergence of factors from within the party campaign structures and the wider political environment on a specific subject or individual – commonly a candidate for office – resulting in a high degree of spontaneous online participation and organisation amongst citizen supporters. This study argues that the UK 2010 election did not produce such a convergence due to low levels of voter enthusiasm, uneven social and financial resources and an inability by the major parties to capitalise on the potential opportunities for digital campaigning which arose.

The purpose of this survey was to find out how news journalists and PR practitioners in the public sector interpret and apply the concept of ethics in their professional lives. With the help of qualitative interviews, we have investigated the similarities and differences in attitudes toward the ethical concept of the two professional groups, and also how important the personal attitude and the “inner ethical compass” are for the ethics applied in the work. We have also focused on the importance of the regulated professional ethics of each profession. A total of ten professionals were interviewed; five PR practitioners in public administration, and five news reporters. All respondents work in the region of Värmland and has been selected through a snowball sampling. We have used qualitative interviews that have been recorded on tape. The material was then transcribed and analyzed based on the ad hoc-method called briocolage, where we looked for themes and patterns in responses. The material was then compiled and interpreted on the basis of the theoretical framework surrounding the study. As a theoretical ground for the study two literature reviews have been used; one on what the research in public relations say about the ethics for the PR professions, and one on the journalism industry. The results from these are described in the theory chapter. There we also take a closer look at the concept of ethics, as well as the theoretical ideals consequence neutrality and social responsibility theory. We also discuss the concept of objectivity from an ethical theory perspective, and present research on the ethics concept at the individual level. The study results show that the similarities in the interpretation and application of the ethical concept between the two professional groups are greater than the differences. The main difference noted is that the journalists seem to attribute the overall professional ethics of greater importance than the PR practitioners do. This may be attributed to the fact that the industry-wide professional rules are much clearer and well established throughout the journalism business, than they are in the PR industry. However, there are several more similarities. Both professional groups emphasize the concept of truth as central when it comes to the ethics of the profession; the information they send out must be true, whether you are a journalist or a PR practitioner. Both groups say that their own perception of ethics, the “inner compass”, is very important, even more important than the industry standards 4 when it comes to ethical considerations in the profession. Another interesting result is that all respondents except one, based on the interpretation of the concept of ethics, can consider switching to the other industry; thus go from being PR practitioners to journalists, and vice versa. The studyʼs hypothesis; that journalists are more ethical in their professional role than PR practitioners, is not confirmed. The conclusion is rather that the interpretation and application of the concept of ethics, is not dependent on whether you work as a journalist or PR practitioner. It depends primarily on their own interpretation of what is ethical. / Syftet med undersökningen har varit att ta reda på hur nyhetsjournalister och kommunikatörer i offentlig verksamhet tolkar och tillämpar etikbegreppet i sin yrkesvardag. Med hjälp av kvalitativa intervjuer har vi undersökt likheter och skillnader i förhållningssätt till etikbegreppet de båda yrkesgrupperna emellan, liksom hur stor roll den personliga inställningen och den ”inre etiska kompassen” spelar för hur etik tillämpas i arbetet. En annan infallsvinkel har varit att undersöka hur viktig den branschreglerade yrkesetiken är för respektive yrkesgrupp. Sammanlagt har tio personer intervjuats; fem kommunikatörer inom offentlig förvaltning, och fem nyhetsjournalister. Samtliga respondenter är verksamma i Värmlands län och har valts ut genom ett snöbollsurval. Vi har använt oss av kvalitativa djupintervjuer som bandats och där materialet sedan har transkriberats och analyserats utifrån ad hoc-metoden briocolage. Vi har i analysen letat efter teman och mönster i respondenternas svar, vilket sedan sammanställts och tolkats i relation till det teoretiska ramverk som omger studien. Som teoretisk grund för studien ligger två litteraturöversikter; en om vad forskningen inom public relations säger om etikbegreppet för yrkesgruppen, liksom en motsvarande kring journalistikbranschen. Resultatet från dem redogör vi för i teorikapitlet. Där presenteras också etikbegreppet närmre, liksom de teoretiska idealen konsekvensneutralitet och social ansvarsteori. Vi diskuterar också begreppet objektivitet ur ett etikteoretiskt perspektiv, samt presenterar forskning om etikbegreppet på individnivå. Studiens resultat visar bland annat att likheterna i tolkning och tillämpning av etikbegreppet de båda yrkesgrupperna emellan är större än skillnaderna. Den största skillnaden som konstaterats är att journalisterna verkar tillskriva de övergripande yrkesetiska reglerna större vikt än vad kommunikatörerna gör. Det kan antas bero på att de branschgemensamma yrkesreglerna är mycket tydligare och mer inarbetade inom hela journalistikvärlden, än inom PR-branschen, genom Spelregler för press, tv, radio. Något motsvarande, branschövergripande regelverk kring etik finns inte för kommunikatörerna på samma sätt. Likheterna är dock desto fler. Båda yrkesgrupperna framhåller sanningsbegreppet som centralt när det gäller etik i yrkesutövandet; den information man för fram ska vara sann, oavsett om man är journalist eller kommunikatör. Båda grupperna tillskriver den egna etikuppfattningen, den “inre 2 kompassen”, stor vikt och framhåller den som viktigare än branschregler när det kommer till etiska avväganden i yrkesutövandet. Ett annat intressant resultat är att samtliga respondenter utom en kan, utifrån just tolkningen av etikbegreppet, tänka sig att byta till den andra branschen; alltså kommunikatörer till journalist och vice versa. Studiens grundläggande hypotes; att journalister skulle vara mer etiska i sin yrkesroll än vad kommunikatörer är, bekräftas inte. Slutsatsen blir snarare att tolkningen och tillämpningen av begreppet etik inte är avhängt på om du arbetar som journalist eller som kommunikatör. Det handlar i första hand om den egna tolkningen av vad etik är.

The thesis examined the phenomenon of micro-entrepreneurship, social selling and relationship management on WeChat. I used autoethnography as my research methodology, and the findings contribute to academic area on social selling, micro-entrepreneurship, social marketing, relationship management, and strategic communication. This paper also explored how WeChat users conduct their management strategies and relationship marketing in the common Chinese culture background. Findings revealed that WeChat is an ideal social selling and marketing approach for Chinese individual sellers to accomplish their business goal.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The link between a favourable corporate reputation and business benefits is well established. Most executives recognise the importance of a favourable corporate reputation in building a competitive advantage for their organisations. However, the measuring of a corporate reputation, particularly in the service industry, has remained problematic. This study addresses this lingering gap in the literature and focuses on the development of an instrument to measure the client-based corporate reputation of organisations functioning in the service industry. This includes the identification of the factors (dimensions) that clients of large service organisations consider when they evaluate the reputations of organisations. Large organisations functioning in two sectors, the banking sector and the airline sector, were selected as the focus in this study. Groundwork for the design of a reputation-measuring instrument included the clarification of key terms (e.g. corporate identity, corporate image, corporate brand and corporate reputation). It also included a review of corporate reputation from various perspectives (e.g. organisational studies, economics, strategy and corporate communication). It also included discussions on scale development and the various approaches to the conceptualisation and operationalisation of corporate reputation. This study followed mainly a positivistic paradigm, involving quantitative methods. However, two qualitative methods were also used: a focus group discussion to identify patterns of thinking used by clients to assess corporate reputation and the expert-panel method to obtain the inputs of a panel of experts. Six large-scale surveys in three waves served as primary data sources. Large samples of the target population were used to obtain data that was statistically analysable. Secondary data sources included an extensive literature review. To develop the measurement scale, a series of steps was used to refine, purify and replicate the instrument. The process started with an exploratory factor analysis and concluded with an invariance analysis. The data was analysed during three waves of data collection. A variety of statistical techniques was used to assess the construct validity of the proposed instrument, including unidimensionality, convergent validity, reliability, discriminant validity, nomological validity, model fit and invariance. The outcome is a 19-item instrument using five dimensions to measure the client-based corporate reputation of large organisations in the service industry. These dimensions are Emotional appeal, Corporate performance, Social engagement, Good employer and Service points. This study contributes to the existing literature by the development of a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to measure a service organisation’s client-based corporate reputation before embarking on a reputation-enhancement programme. This study proposes that the measurement of an organisation’s client-based corporate reputation is a crucial starting point to assess the gap between where it is and where it wants to be in terms of its corporate reputation, and to manage its reputation accordingly. By using the proposed instrument, managers will be able to track their organisations’ corporate reputation over time, both overall and at the level of the five dimensions separately. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die verband tusssen ’n gunstige korporatiewe reputasie en die voordele daarvan vir organisasies is goed gevestig. Die meeste bestuurders erken ook die belangrikheid van korporatiewe reputasie in die bou van ’n mededingende voordeel vir hul organisasies. Die effektiewe meting van korporatiewe reputasie is egter, veral in die dienstebedryf, steeds problematies. Teen dié agtergrond was die fokus van die proefskrif op die ontwikkeling van ’n instrument om die kliëntgebaseerde korporatiewe reputasie van organisasies in die dienstebedryf te meet. Dit sluit in die identifisering van die faktore (dimensies) wat die kliënte van groot diensteorganisasies oorweeg wanneer hulle organisasies se reputasies evalueer. Groot organisasies wat in twee bedryfsektore werksaam is, naamlik die banksektor en die lugrederysektor, is geselekteer as die fokus van hierdie studie. Die grondslag vir die ontwerp van ’n reputasiemetingsinstrument het die verduideliking van sleutelterme (soos korporatiewe identiteit, korporatiewe beeld, korporatiewe handelsmerk en korporatiewe reputasie) ingesluit. Dit het ook die bestudering van korporatiewe reputasie uit verskillende perspektiewe (soos organisatoriese studies, die ekonomie, strategie en korporatiewe kommunikasie) behels. ’n Bespreking van skaalontwikkeling en die verskillende benaderings tot die konseptualisering en operasionalisering van korporatiewe reputasie het deel van hierdie aanvoorwerk gevorm. Hierdie studie het hoofsaaklik ’n positivistiese paradigma gevolg wat kwantitatiewe metodes ingesluit het. Twee kwalitatiewe metodes is egter ook gebruik: ’n fokusgroepbespreking om die denkpatrone te identifiseer wat kliënte gebruik om korporatiewe reputasie te evalueer en die ekspertpaneelmetode om die insette van ’n paneel kenners te bekom. Daarby het ses grootskaal-opnames in drie golwe as primêre databronne gedien. Groot steekproewe van die teikenpopulasie is gebruik om data te bekom wat statisties analiseerbaar was. Sekondêre databronne het ’n omvattende literatuurstudie ingesluit. Om die metingsinstrument te ontwikkel, is ’n reeks stappe gevolg om die instrument te verfyn, te suiwer en te repliseer. Die vertrekpunt was ’n verkennende faktoranalise en die proses is afgesluit met ’n analise van die invariansie. Die data is ontleed in drie datainsamelingsfases. ’n Verskeidenheid statistiese tegnieke – soos eendimensionaliteit, konvergerende geldigheid, betroubaarheid, diskriminante geldigheid, nomologiese geldigheid, modelpassing en invariansie – is toegepas om die konstrukgeldigheid van die voorgestelde instrument te evalueer. Die uitkoms is ’n 19-item-instrument wat vyf dimensies gebruik om die kliëntgebaseerde korporatiewe reputasie van groot organisasies in die dienstebedryf te meet. Hierdie dimensies is Emosionele aantrekkingskrag, Korporatiewe prestasie, Sosiale betrokkenheid, Goeie werkgewer en Dienspunte. Hierdie studie dra by tot die bestaande literatuur deur die ontwikkeling van ’n geldige en betroubare instrument wat gebruik kan word om ’n diensteorganisasie se kliëntgebaseerde korporatiewe reputasie te bepaal voordat ’n reputasieversterkingsprogram in werking gestel word. Die studie stel voor dat die meting van ’n organisasie se kliëntgebaseerde korporatiewe reputasie ’n uiters belangrike vertrekpunt vorm vir die assessering van die gaping tussen waar die organisasie hom tans bevind en waar hy wil wees, en om hierdie reputasie dienooreenkomstig te bestuur. Bestuurders sal met behulp van die voorgestelde instrument hul organisasies se korporatiewe reputasie oor tyd kan navolg – oorkoepelend, sowel as op die vlak van elke afsonderlike dimensie.

This study examined the role and function of public relations in public higher education institutions by focusing on the messages being communicated by four public research-oriented universities. This study was designed to determine if and how these universities communicate their public good responsibility and how that communication is perceived by two constituent groups—higher education reporters and state legislators. The researcher used two qualitative methods: thematic analysis and in-depth/elite interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the universities’ mission and vision statements, strategic plans, legislative appropriations requests, presidential speeches, and 800 press releases (200 from each of four universities), to determine whether references to the public good were either present or absent in messages the universities disseminated during 2006 and 2007. In-depth/elite interviews were used to obtain the perspectives of the chief public relations officers at each of the four public research-oriented universities about their public relations strategies and communication goals. Higher education reporters covering these respective institutions and members of the legislature in positions of leadership on committees involved with higher education policy and funding issues were also interviewed to understand their perceptions about the universities. This study found the following 24 references to public good: the core concepts of research, teaching and public service; the benefits the universities create as engines of economic development; diversity; the recruitment and retention of faculty; the university as a center for arts, entertainment and cultural events; faculty and student achievement; student career enhancement; and institutional prestige, among others. The study demonstrated that public research-oriented universities are using public relations strategies and techniques to construct and distribute messages to their key constituents about the benefits they provide to the State and its citizens. Major findings also include the observation that higher education reporters cover higher education as a statewide beat which focuses on the state’s two flagship or Tier 1 universities—the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University and the institutions in the reporters respective cities. In addition, the higher education reporters write about “issues” related to higher education rather than institutions per se. The study also found that State Legislators only recognize the two Tier 1 institutions as research institutions and their perspectives about these institutions are driven by how these universities are funded. / text

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