Abstract
M.A. (Strategic Communication)
Reciprocal two-way communication is becoming increasingly important and it is regarded as one of the manifestations of stakeholder demands placed on organisations. It is through interactive communication that organisations share their views with internal stakeholder groups online and offline to gain mutual understanding with their stakeholders (Cornelissen, 2014). The aim is to establish and maintain a positive reputation among key stakeholders (Cornelissen, 2014). Organisations function in a digital era where people, particularly millennials, are quick to rush to social media to exercise their freedom of expression, thereby, creating positive or negative sentiments online. Hence, it is imperative for organisations to manage their image both online and offline. In 2018, universities underwent a turbulent period in which the Dean of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town committed suicide as well as two students from the University of Witwatersrand. It became imperative for universities to monitor sentiments, which were being expressed on Twitter, with a view to mapping ways to maintain their reputations. The aim of the study was to examine how universities engage with stakeholders about mental health using Twitter. Emergent themes included criticism, complaints, human aggression, mental health strategies and one-way communication. The findings concluded that the University of Cape Town and the Witwatersrand University at present use one-way communication to engage with their stakeholders. Recommendations for future studies include a need to measure the impact of stakeholder engagement on organisational reputation, meaning that quantitative research must be conducted. The study also recommends that the organisations must put effort into actively interacting with dissatisfied stakeholders who tarnish the reputation of the company.