Factors that influence students’ engagement with the Facebook page of a selected University
- Authors: Dundu, Nyaradzo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Universities and colleges - South Africa - Johannesburg , University of Johannesburg , Facebook (Electronic resource) - Social aspects , Online social networks , Universities and colleges - Communication systems , UJ Facebook page
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/262250 , uj:27675
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: Customer engagement creates an environment in which the customer can interact directly with the brand. Customer engagement is an important method that marketers apply to retain customers by creating loyalty and positive word of mouth, and this is also true in higher education. As competition within university institutions increases, engaging with students provides the university with direct access to students’ concerns, wants and expectations about the university. There are many social media platforms, which students can use to engage with their university, and Facebook is a popular tool used by this generation. On daily basis students spend a great deal of time on their Facebook accounts and they follow brands that are interesting, informative and fun. It is therefore important for universities to understand the factors that would increase students’ need to engage with the university’s Facebook page. These factors will assist in providing an analysis, which the university can use on their Facebook page to encourage engagement, increase loyalty, positive word of mouth and a satisfactory university experience for the students. A quantitative research study through surveys was conducted with the third year Faculty of Management students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Third years were targeted as they had more experience with the UJ Facebook page than other year groups. A non-probability quota sampling method was employed, which is a combination of judgement and convenience to access a representative sample from all eight departments in the specific faculty. From the 600 questionnaire distributed 399 could be used for analysis to achieve the main objective to determine the factors that influence student engagement with the UJ Facebook page. The two main methods used to analyse the data were Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). EFA was employed to group similar variables, test and verify the scale construction, reduce the information and ultimately to simplify the data for further analysis. SEM was employed to test the proposed casual relationships relating to the independent variables (perceived ease of use, critical mass, capability, and perceived playfulness), the intervening variables (perceived usefulness and intention to use) the moderate variable (trustworthiness) and the dependent variables (actual use/customer engagement) of the UJ Facebook page...
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- Authors: Dundu, Nyaradzo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Universities and colleges - South Africa - Johannesburg , University of Johannesburg , Facebook (Electronic resource) - Social aspects , Online social networks , Universities and colleges - Communication systems , UJ Facebook page
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/262250 , uj:27675
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: Customer engagement creates an environment in which the customer can interact directly with the brand. Customer engagement is an important method that marketers apply to retain customers by creating loyalty and positive word of mouth, and this is also true in higher education. As competition within university institutions increases, engaging with students provides the university with direct access to students’ concerns, wants and expectations about the university. There are many social media platforms, which students can use to engage with their university, and Facebook is a popular tool used by this generation. On daily basis students spend a great deal of time on their Facebook accounts and they follow brands that are interesting, informative and fun. It is therefore important for universities to understand the factors that would increase students’ need to engage with the university’s Facebook page. These factors will assist in providing an analysis, which the university can use on their Facebook page to encourage engagement, increase loyalty, positive word of mouth and a satisfactory university experience for the students. A quantitative research study through surveys was conducted with the third year Faculty of Management students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Third years were targeted as they had more experience with the UJ Facebook page than other year groups. A non-probability quota sampling method was employed, which is a combination of judgement and convenience to access a representative sample from all eight departments in the specific faculty. From the 600 questionnaire distributed 399 could be used for analysis to achieve the main objective to determine the factors that influence student engagement with the UJ Facebook page. The two main methods used to analyse the data were Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). EFA was employed to group similar variables, test and verify the scale construction, reduce the information and ultimately to simplify the data for further analysis. SEM was employed to test the proposed casual relationships relating to the independent variables (perceived ease of use, critical mass, capability, and perceived playfulness), the intervening variables (perceived usefulness and intention to use) the moderate variable (trustworthiness) and the dependent variables (actual use/customer engagement) of the UJ Facebook page...
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The fallacy of consensus in social media “APPs” ?
- Authors: Neethling, Eduané
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social media - Law and legislation , Social networks - Computer network resources , Online social networks , Contracts , Internet - Law and legislation
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/270693 , uj:28778
- Description: LL.M. (Commercial Law) , Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract.
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- Authors: Neethling, Eduané
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social media - Law and legislation , Social networks - Computer network resources , Online social networks , Contracts , Internet - Law and legislation
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/270693 , uj:28778
- Description: LL.M. (Commercial Law) , Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract.
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Not just at face value - understanding how the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Facebook members use notions of public and private to perform their identity
- Authors: Joshi, Hemali
- Date: 2011-08-25T06:39:30Z
- Subjects: Facebook , Identity (Psychology) , University of Johannesburg , Online social networks , Internet markering , Relationship marketing
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7172 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3783
- Description: M.A. , Identity is a broad term that has changed across time and within context. This paper focuses specifically on notions of ‘public versus private’ identity within an online context. Within this study I took both a qualitative and quantitative approach as a means of data collection. This research was aimed at answering the one research question: ‘How do UJ Facebook members use notions of public and private to perform their identity?’ I employed a ‘mixed methodology’ of a qualitative and quantitative approach to enable in gaining data. As part of my qualitative research I applied the ethnographic approach; I observed a total of 25 profiles in order to understand the way in which the UJ Facebook members ‘perform’ their identities through their individual profiles. For twelve months I used observations to understand and explore identities of UJ Facebook members. As part of my quantitative research, I randomly selected 105 individuals as a representation of the UJ Facebook group and with the use of a statistics programme (SPSS) I statistically represented my findings. During my twelve months of research I observed individual profiles of UJ Facebook members and focused on ‘identity markers’ to help me to understand how identities are represented within this space. By identity markers, I refer to markers such as name, sex, birth date, relationship status, religious and political viewpoint, and so on. These markers help create a perception of one’s identity based on the information that is filled in when the profile is created by the individual. Thus, both my qualitative and quantitative findings paint a picture of how profile pictures, status updates, walls, information, applications and so on help communicate a message of identity to an ‘outsider’. I have found a tension between public and private performances of identity. In tension, I don’t mean dishonesty but rather the tensions communicated by the UJ Facebook members in the way in which their identities are performed. For example, one of my participants does not indicate her relationship status, but her status updates and wall is a constant communication with her boyfriend. Therefore, at times these messages contradict each other and this tends to raise questions about ‘how public’ and ‘how private’ ones profile really is.
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- Authors: Joshi, Hemali
- Date: 2011-08-25T06:39:30Z
- Subjects: Facebook , Identity (Psychology) , University of Johannesburg , Online social networks , Internet markering , Relationship marketing
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7172 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3783
- Description: M.A. , Identity is a broad term that has changed across time and within context. This paper focuses specifically on notions of ‘public versus private’ identity within an online context. Within this study I took both a qualitative and quantitative approach as a means of data collection. This research was aimed at answering the one research question: ‘How do UJ Facebook members use notions of public and private to perform their identity?’ I employed a ‘mixed methodology’ of a qualitative and quantitative approach to enable in gaining data. As part of my qualitative research I applied the ethnographic approach; I observed a total of 25 profiles in order to understand the way in which the UJ Facebook members ‘perform’ their identities through their individual profiles. For twelve months I used observations to understand and explore identities of UJ Facebook members. As part of my quantitative research, I randomly selected 105 individuals as a representation of the UJ Facebook group and with the use of a statistics programme (SPSS) I statistically represented my findings. During my twelve months of research I observed individual profiles of UJ Facebook members and focused on ‘identity markers’ to help me to understand how identities are represented within this space. By identity markers, I refer to markers such as name, sex, birth date, relationship status, religious and political viewpoint, and so on. These markers help create a perception of one’s identity based on the information that is filled in when the profile is created by the individual. Thus, both my qualitative and quantitative findings paint a picture of how profile pictures, status updates, walls, information, applications and so on help communicate a message of identity to an ‘outsider’. I have found a tension between public and private performances of identity. In tension, I don’t mean dishonesty but rather the tensions communicated by the UJ Facebook members in the way in which their identities are performed. For example, one of my participants does not indicate her relationship status, but her status updates and wall is a constant communication with her boyfriend. Therefore, at times these messages contradict each other and this tends to raise questions about ‘how public’ and ‘how private’ ones profile really is.
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The psychosocial influence of regular Facebook™ interaction on the self-esteem of grade 10 adolescents in an urban public school
- Authors: Kleingeld, Lana
- Date: 2014-04-24
- Subjects: Facebook (Electronic resource) , Social media , Information society , Online social networks
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10895 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10402
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) , With the increasing development of technology and the cyber world, a culture of social networking has been established. Social networking sites, such as Facebook™, became useful and popular tools, specifically for young adolescents, as it offers engaging opportunities to connect, communicate and interact with peers while enabling and sustaining interpersonal relationships. Given the stage of development in which they reside according to Erikson, adolescents place immense value on their social activity and connectedness, and therefore a positive self-identity and self-esteem becomes dependent on their social success. This study attempted to explore the possible psychosocial effects, specifically on the self-esteem of adolescents, who regularly interact on Facebook™. The research was conducted at an urban public school in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Participants for the individual interviews were selected based on how thoroughly they completed their questionnaires which I requested of this grade 10 group. From the analysis of the data, four main categories emerged namely; positive and negative influences on self-esteem, deception on Facebook™, crystallisation of identity and dangers associated with Facebook™. Consistent with recent literature regarding social networking and its effects, the results suggested that there is a definite link between Facebook™ interaction and self-esteem and that the social interactions on Facebook™ can have both positive and negative effects on the self-esteem of the individual. It is however crucial to consider the dangers and detrimental effects on both the self-esteem and the safety of individuals. Furthermore interesting features that were illuminated by the research is the concept of deception on social networking sites and individuals’ tendency to deceive and mislead based on a desire to be accepted and to avoid criticism. Lastly the idea of individuals’ identity being crystallised through their social interaction on Facebook™ came through strongly. Recommendations made based on the findings include adapting the Life-Orientation curriculum to address social etiquette and moral guidelines pertaining to online behaviour and interactions. Recommendations for future research include, amongst others, broadening the context and exploring this issue throughout the whole of South Africa and to observe differences between urban and rural areas.
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- Authors: Kleingeld, Lana
- Date: 2014-04-24
- Subjects: Facebook (Electronic resource) , Social media , Information society , Online social networks
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10895 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10402
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) , With the increasing development of technology and the cyber world, a culture of social networking has been established. Social networking sites, such as Facebook™, became useful and popular tools, specifically for young adolescents, as it offers engaging opportunities to connect, communicate and interact with peers while enabling and sustaining interpersonal relationships. Given the stage of development in which they reside according to Erikson, adolescents place immense value on their social activity and connectedness, and therefore a positive self-identity and self-esteem becomes dependent on their social success. This study attempted to explore the possible psychosocial effects, specifically on the self-esteem of adolescents, who regularly interact on Facebook™. The research was conducted at an urban public school in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Participants for the individual interviews were selected based on how thoroughly they completed their questionnaires which I requested of this grade 10 group. From the analysis of the data, four main categories emerged namely; positive and negative influences on self-esteem, deception on Facebook™, crystallisation of identity and dangers associated with Facebook™. Consistent with recent literature regarding social networking and its effects, the results suggested that there is a definite link between Facebook™ interaction and self-esteem and that the social interactions on Facebook™ can have both positive and negative effects on the self-esteem of the individual. It is however crucial to consider the dangers and detrimental effects on both the self-esteem and the safety of individuals. Furthermore interesting features that were illuminated by the research is the concept of deception on social networking sites and individuals’ tendency to deceive and mislead based on a desire to be accepted and to avoid criticism. Lastly the idea of individuals’ identity being crystallised through their social interaction on Facebook™ came through strongly. Recommendations made based on the findings include adapting the Life-Orientation curriculum to address social etiquette and moral guidelines pertaining to online behaviour and interactions. Recommendations for future research include, amongst others, broadening the context and exploring this issue throughout the whole of South Africa and to observe differences between urban and rural areas.
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Brand perceptions of consumer activists using Twitter : an exploratory study
- Ferreira, Michelle Luciana Inez
- Authors: Ferreira, Michelle Luciana Inez
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social media , Twitter , Online social networks
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/294163 , uj:31999
- Description: Abstract: Since the rapid emergence of digital technology, social media in particular has empowered people to be more outspoken. As such, Twitter is the easiest and quickest way for people to connect worldwide through micro-messages, since there are no boundaries between users. Thus, conversations between consumers and brands or organisations have never been easier. Over the years, Twitter has been the platform that users turn to for activism and to bring awareness to social issues. This is due to the viral effect it of Twitter’s trending pages and hashtags, examples of this include #bringbackourgirls #bellpottinger. This activism also translates into consumer activism against brands or organisations where consumers feel that brands have failed in their product, services, or campaigns, and turn to Twitter to call out inaccuracies and demand justice, such as #deleteUber and #AskSeaWorld. The emerging theme from the literature is that consumer activism influences brand perceptions by producing user-generated content about brands, which poses a reputational risk to brands. This study explores how consumer activism on Twitter influences users’ brand perceptions by answering the following three questions: How do negative user-generated tweets about brands influence interpassive Twitter users’ brand perceptions? How do Twitter users perceive user-generated, brand-related content shared by branded hashtags? Why do interactive Twitter users produce user-generated, brand-related content? To this end, 10 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with two samples: interactive Twitter users who produce content about brands; and interpassive Twitter users who read produced content but do not generate any brand-related content themselves. The findings from the research illustrate how Twitter users’ perceptions are, in fact, not influenced by consumer activism, but rather how brands confront consumer activism. As an implication, authenticity and brand purpose are vital to how brands are managed online. , M.A. (Strategic Communication)
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- Authors: Ferreira, Michelle Luciana Inez
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social media , Twitter , Online social networks
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/294163 , uj:31999
- Description: Abstract: Since the rapid emergence of digital technology, social media in particular has empowered people to be more outspoken. As such, Twitter is the easiest and quickest way for people to connect worldwide through micro-messages, since there are no boundaries between users. Thus, conversations between consumers and brands or organisations have never been easier. Over the years, Twitter has been the platform that users turn to for activism and to bring awareness to social issues. This is due to the viral effect it of Twitter’s trending pages and hashtags, examples of this include #bringbackourgirls #bellpottinger. This activism also translates into consumer activism against brands or organisations where consumers feel that brands have failed in their product, services, or campaigns, and turn to Twitter to call out inaccuracies and demand justice, such as #deleteUber and #AskSeaWorld. The emerging theme from the literature is that consumer activism influences brand perceptions by producing user-generated content about brands, which poses a reputational risk to brands. This study explores how consumer activism on Twitter influences users’ brand perceptions by answering the following three questions: How do negative user-generated tweets about brands influence interpassive Twitter users’ brand perceptions? How do Twitter users perceive user-generated, brand-related content shared by branded hashtags? Why do interactive Twitter users produce user-generated, brand-related content? To this end, 10 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with two samples: interactive Twitter users who produce content about brands; and interpassive Twitter users who read produced content but do not generate any brand-related content themselves. The findings from the research illustrate how Twitter users’ perceptions are, in fact, not influenced by consumer activism, but rather how brands confront consumer activism. As an implication, authenticity and brand purpose are vital to how brands are managed online. , M.A. (Strategic Communication)
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