{"title":"“Posts are my own”: effects of social media disclaimers on perceptions of employees and their organizations from tweets and retweets","authors":"C. Carr, R. A. Hayes, Cameron W. Piercy","doi":"10.1108/ccij-06-2022-0058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-06-2022-0058","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study empirically assesses the perceptions the public has of employees and their organization following a [re]tweet, and the additional potential ameliorating effect of a disclaimer distancing the organization from the individual employee's social media presence.Design/methodology/approachA fully crossed 2 (disclaimer vs. no disclaimer) × 2 (positive vs. negative valence post) × 2 (post vs. retweet) experiment exposed participants (N = 173) to an employee's personal tweet. Resultant perceptions of both the poster (i.e., goodwill) and the poster's organization (i.e., organizational reputation) were analyzed using planned contrast analyses.FindingsFindings reveal audiences form impressions of individuals based on both tweeted and retweeted content. Perceptions of both the poster's goodwill and the poster's organization were commensurate with the valence of the poster's tweets, stronger when posts were original tweets rather than retweets, and there was a significant interaction effect between valence and [re]tweet. Disclaimers did not significantly affect perceptions, suggesting employers may be better served by asking employees to omit reference to their employer on their personal social media accounts.Originality/valueThis research contributes to understanding how employee and organizational reputation are affected by employees' personal social media content. Results suggest that even when a disclaimer explicitly seeks to distance an employee from the organization, audiences still see the employee as an informal brand ambassadors of their organization.","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"13 4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89952981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Not enough yet”: CSR communication of stigmatized industries through news coverage","authors":"Hyun Ju Jeong, D. Chung","doi":"10.1108/ccij-11-2022-0138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-11-2022-0138","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) communication covered by the news media is considered as more credible and effective in shaping public perceptions toward corporations than CSR shared by corporations themselves. This is particularly true when CSR is about corporations with social stigma inherent in business practices. This study examines the CSR publicity of stigmatized industries from the journalism lens.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis was conducted with CSR stories from 2019 to 2020 by USA newspapers (n = 348).FindingsResults of this study showed that the overall volume of CSR from stigmatized industries has decreased, with fewer responses to the recent pandemic. Further, the media brought promotional CSR activities and the business motives behind the activities into focus. Opposing patterns were found for CSR of non-stigmatized industries presented with philanthropic activities based on corporations' social motives to help communities. Similarly, economic and legal responsibilities reflected in the CSR pyramid were more prominently reported for stigmatized industries, and ethical and discretionary responsibilities appeared more frequently for non-stigmatized industries.Practical implicationsIntegrating business and media literature, this study enriches scholarly discussions on media processes and effects for CSR communication. This study also provides practical implications for stigmatized industries by highlighting more authentic and careful approaches for CSR communication to earn positive publicity.Social implicationsThis study provides social implications by highlighting the importance of CSR communications through the lens of news media when corporations are socially stigmatized.Originality/valueStigmatized industries are known to be active in CSR communication to nullify social stigma surrounding themselves. The authors' findings provide empirical evidence suggesting that not all publicity benefits CSR communication for stigmatized corporations.","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"110 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85098436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Virtual onboarding and socialization, an exploration of employee discussions and experiences","authors":"J. W. Yarbrough, Leslie Ramos Salazar","doi":"10.1108/ccij-12-2022-0158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-12-2022-0158","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, employers struggled to develop virtual onboarding (VO) experiences among new employees. Prior research has examined VO processes. This study, by contrast, compares online commentaries in relation to current research findings to determine a functional description of effective VO.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative, inductive thematic analysis, the researchers explored new employees' online, anonymous, public commentary about the employers' VO experiences. Through analyzing 83 posted communications, the researchers sought to not only categorize themes, but to also identify meaning within the employees' commentary. From the thematic analysis, meaningful themes were established and compared to existing literature to identify comprehensive trends in effective VO.FindingsThe analysis developed nine themes of discussion question (DQ) prompts and nine themes of discussion responses. The professionals' online discussion about VO in the workplace as well as attributes of each theme was compared to contemporary VO research. In combination with a review of established literature of effective VO and an examination of organizational socialization theory, the study confirms that some virtually onboarded employees are excelling with, and some are challenged by the communication deficiencies of the remote experience. Employee experiences are highlighted to develop a description of contemporary effective VO experiences to support future workplace efficiencies.Research limitations/implicationsData were gathered via Blind and each response shared on Blind is subject to the viewpoint of the participants. For future research, face-to-face interviews might offer context regarding new hires' VO experiences. Also the generalizability is impacted because not all participants of VO participate via Blind. Participant bias is possible given the perceived dissatisfaction or negative experiences. Future research can perform a national random study of employees. Finally, the data and participants in this study were USA based. Future research should consider other international contexts such as Europe.Practical implicationsThe thematic findings of this study yield valuable practical recommendations. New hires that experience VO are seeking improved virtual communication channels between themselves and the managers and colleagues of the hires. As such, corporate managers/trainers can implement a virtual mentoring program to have senior employees prepare and guide new hires into employees' new remote working environment to reduce employees' uncertainty. To improve VO processes in a post-pandemic society, corporate managers/trainers can incorporate social media communication given that employees participate in social media to develop their careers. With social media work groups, new virtual hires can be better socialized through effective peer-to-peer informal internal communications where the hires can free","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"55 7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80955874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Online sustainability claims: lessons from high-scoring B corporations in the Canadian food and beverage sector","authors":"Natalia Lumby, Ojelanki K. Ngwenyama","doi":"10.1108/ccij-10-2022-0125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-10-2022-0125","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeSustainability certifications can support green innovation in important consumer sectors such as food and beverage. This research interrogates how certified companies communicate sustainability claims online and whether these practices differ from non-certified counterparts. The purpose of the study is to understand if certification stands to alter online communication about sustainability.Design/methodology/approachA discourse analysis of the websites and social media accounts of three highly-rated Canadian B Corps and three matching non-certified companies inductively identified 5 types of sustainability claims: transparency, brand story, green materials/processes, community engagement and sourcing partnerships. A comparative analysis was used to determine if certification alters corporate sustainability communication practices of firms.FindingsThe findings indicate that sustainability certifications alter external online sustainability communication. Of the 457 sustainability claims coded in the sample, 67.6% are from certified firms. Attaining certification also alters the areas of communication focus, increasing communication about the socially oriented community engagement dimension, which is often underrepresented.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the understanding of sustainability communication among privately held small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are currently underrepresented in the literature. The unique sampling used in this study considers how communication is altered post-certification as a novel way to understand the impacts of sustainability certifications.","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82808631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial 28.3: Human social responsibility","authors":"M. Topić","doi":"10.1108/ccij-05-2023-174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-05-2023-174","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75791470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Board gender diversity, quotas and critical mass theory","authors":"F. Lefley, V. Janeček","doi":"10.1108/ccij-01-2023-0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-01-2023-0010","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe corporate communications literature recently focused on corporate board gender diversity, specifically looking at two central aspects: gender quotas and equitable target percentages for women on corporate boards. This paper extends the debate by focusing on board gender diversity and critical mass theory.Design/methodology/approachThe paper gives a conceptual viewpoint on the issues raised in the literature on board gender diversity through a critical mass theory lens.FindingsFollowing the 2022 European Union (EU) directive, all EU member states will have to attain a 40% women representation on large corporate boards to achieve board gender diversity and what has been termed a “critical mass”. However, the literature indicates that gender diversity benefits may not be achieved if a critical mass is not composed of independent women directors who create a voice that produces a collective action. The authors highlight why a critical mass may not be achieved. The inconsistency in prior research linking corporate board gender diversity to economic performance may result from the critical mass of women directors not reflecting an independent collective action. However, as gender-diverse boards evolve, the authors argue that women will not just be seen as female directors but will be accepted on equal terms with their male counterparts and have an equal voice; gender will no longer be an issue and critical mass theory may then become irrelevant.Practical implicationsFrom a corporate communications perspective, this study will focus the minds of human resources (HR) professionals on the importance of the composition of women on corporate boards if the HR professionals wish to obtain the full potential benefits of board gender diversity. Theoretically, this study highlights the importance of critical mass and collective action when researching the economic benefits of corporate board gender diversity. Investment analysts may wish to look more closely at the structure of corporate boards and not just the numbers.Originality/valueThis paper gives a conceptual viewpoint on the critical mass theory and corporate board gender diversity, identifying that it is not just the numbers that are important but also the issue of minority independence and collective action, and this is, therefore, unique in this respect. Future research should identify if a critical mass (not just numbers) of women on corporate boards has been achieved. Only then that the linkage, based on critical mass theory, between board gender diversity and corporate performance/profitability can be made. Knowing whether board sizes are being increased to accommodate the added female directors would be also interesting, or will the new female directors replace existing male directors? However, the most important research question, once gender diversity has been achieved, could be: Is critical mass theory relevant with respect to board gender diversity?","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86446986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Data-driven human resource and data-driven talent management in internal and recruitment communication strategies: an empirical survey on Italian firms and insights for European context","authors":"Francesca Conte, Alfonso Siano","doi":"10.1108/ccij-02-2022-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-02-2022-0012","url":null,"abstract":"PurposePrevious research assumes that technologies 4.0, particularly big data, may be highly relevant for organizations to increase human resources (HR) communication strategies, but the research provides little or no evidence on whether and how these tools are applied in employees and labor market relations. This study intends to offer a first insight on the adoption of data-driven HR/talent management approach, contributing to the ongoing debate on the Industry 4.0. This study aims to investigate the use of 4.0 technologies in HR and talent management functions, focusing also on the adoption of big data analytics for internal and recruitment communication.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis of the literature enables to define the research questions and an exploratory web survey was carried out through a structured questionnaire. The analysis unit of the empirical survey includes the communication and marketing managers of 90 organizations in Italy, examined in the Mediobanca Report on the “Main Italian Companies.”FindingsFindings highlight a lack of the use of 4.0 technologies and big data analytics in employee and labor market relations and reveal some sectoral differences in the adoption of 4.0 technologies. Moreover, the study points out that the development of HR analytics is hampered by short-term perspective, data quality problems and the lack of analytics skills.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the exploratory research design and the circumscribed sample from a single country (Italy), further cross-national evidence is needed. This study provides digital communication managers with useful insights to improve the data-driven HR/talent management approach, which is a strategic asset for ensuring a sustainable competitive advantage and optimizing business performance.Originality/valueThe study offers an overview about the use of big data analytics in internal and recruitment communications. Considering the alignment between Italian and European trends in the use of big data and in the adoption of HR analytics, the study can provide insights also for other European organization.","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"104 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87775118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Javier Galan-Cubillo, Beatriz Garcia-Ortega, Blanca de-Miguel-Molina
{"title":"Assessing the strategic levers in the discourse of best-performing CEOs: a three-dimensional model","authors":"Javier Galan-Cubillo, Beatriz Garcia-Ortega, Blanca de-Miguel-Molina","doi":"10.1108/ccij-07-2022-0081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-07-2022-0081","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to assess the patterns in the public discourse of successful chief executive officers (CEOs) in terms of performance, with the CEO's strengths and aspects to improve.Design/methodology/approachThis paper aligns with the literature that appraises CEO public discourse and relevance. From the literature review, the strategic levers in CEO discourse toward high performance are identified. The CEO letters in the period 2017–2019 of the top 25 best performing CEOs (BPCs) according to Harvard Business Review ranking 2019 are qualitatively examined through a multiple close reading analytical technique and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) is applied to assess the patterns.FindingsThe paper delivers a three-dimensional model representing how the identified strategic levers are articulated by BPCs in the BPC's discourse following diverse patterns. This paper points out BPC's strengths, among them a high level of moral reasoning compared to previous studies and improvable areas such as the extended absence of autocritique at the firm and personal level or the lack of leverage on the need for agility and proactive adaption.Practical implicationsThis paper contributes further CEO awareness of the strategic role of the discourse and offers clues to enhance CEO awareness, as well as criteria for boards of directors to appraise CEO discourse.Originality/valueAdopting a novel approach, this paper addresses the strategic levers triggered by CEOs in their letters from a managerial implication perspective, providing relevant theoretical insight on how they are articulated.","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"105 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75191586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. N. Tripathi, D. Sethi, Nishtha Malik, Aparna Mendiratta, Manisha Shukla
{"title":"A pandemic impact study on working women professionals: role of effective communication","authors":"S. N. Tripathi, D. Sethi, Nishtha Malik, Aparna Mendiratta, Manisha Shukla","doi":"10.1108/ccij-09-2022-0107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-09-2022-0107","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe study aims to develop an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by Indian women professionals during the pandemic and the human resource (HR) initiatives like effective communication, taken by the organizations to mitigate the plight of these professionals.Design/methodology/approachA mix of two qualitative research methods namely focus groups in-depth and one-to-one in-depth interviews was used. A total of 32 females working with different organizations participated.FindingsThe thematic analysis revealed themes related to challenges faced by working women-gendered burnout, mental health issues, increased household responsibilities, job insecurity, work-life conflict, gender inequalities, reduced internal communication and financial independence, domestic violence and exploitation. The major themes that emerged for the organizational initiatives were flexible working hours, equal women representation in response to planning and decision making, driving transformative change for gender equality, paid leaves for family care, caregiving bonus, leadership development seeds, increased female recruitments, transparent communication and counseling sessions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study establishes a holistic understanding of the plight of Indian women professionals and the consequent organizational interventions accompanied by transparent communication. It adds rigor to the evolving literature on COVID-19 and enriches the theoretical narrative of policy adaptations by industry practitioners for aligning them with employee needs. This helps in routing the policy design and implementation in light of the challenges faced.Originality/valueThe study presents an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by women employees; and provides a foundation for identifying human resource management (HRM) interventions customized for working females. It also proposes a framework implementable in the recovery phase, deploying critical strategic shifts like reflection, recommitment and re-engagement of the women workforce in order to maximize their efficacy for rapidly evolving organizational priorities.","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81866354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Guest editorial: Digitalization of Corporate Communications: a multi-stakeholder approach","authors":"Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez, Bárbara Castillo-Abdul","doi":"10.1108/ccij-03-2023-173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij-03-2023-173","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10696,"journal":{"name":"Corporate Communications: An International Journal","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89510821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}