Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Pavel Shlossberg

Second Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Abstract

This study examined (a) how the traditional organizational communication strategy in place at a university impacts the utilization and effectiveness of social media as a university communication tool, (b) to what extent and how effectively have relational and networked approaches been incorporated into the traditional structure of communication at a university, and (c) how the flow of communication and the social media strategy on campus are impacted by the traditional structure of the university, identifying any potential communication bottlenecks and workarounds. The literature review examined the theoretical underpinnings behind traditional strategy organizations and the communication challenges that can arise in that environment. Fourteen open-ended interviews were conducted with communication professionals at a large, American university. The participants ranged from college and department level social media or communication professionals up to administrators tasked with creating and enforcing university communication policy. The study suggests how the organization, and central administration organized in traditional terms, can overcome bottlenecks when it delegates, trusts, and empowers communication and social media professionals to develop innovative, networked and relational approaches to implementing social media strategies. However, resources are allocated to support the traditional structure of communication and social media and emergent communication structures are underfunded. This important complication suggests how the traditional structure hinders the development of social media and networked strategies, even when central administration organized in traditional terms, promotes alternatives method and means of organizational communication.

Comments

All rights reserved.

Download

Share

COinS