Shaping Reputations Online

We are living in a new media world where public conversations bring together people from all over the globe. Thanks to the Internet, individuals from every continent are able to create a buzz that can introduce new heroes or ruin an organization’s reputation in minutes.

Gallardo, Luis. Communication World Bulletin (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Online

Social-Psychological Influences on Opinion Expression in Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Communication    

This study used an experiment embedded within a Web-based survey to examine the influence of contextual (i.e., face-to-face vs. online chat room discussion) and social-psychological factors on individuals' willingness to express opinions. In this experiment, respondents were asked whether they would be willing to express an opinion if they were placed in a face-to-face discussion group in one condition and in an online chat room discussion group in the other condition. Results indicate that print news use, fear of isolation, communication apprehension, future opinion congruency, and communication setting significantly predict willingness to speak out. In addition, not only did fear of isolation have a negative main effect on opinion expression, but this effect was significantly attenuated by computer-mediated discussion. Findings suggest that computer-mediated communication may avoid some of the dysfunctional social-psychological influences found in face-to-face interactions and create a forum conducive for public deliberation.

Ho, Shirley S. and Douglas M. McLeod. Communication Research (2008). Articles>Communication>Online

Talking Without Speaking: the Pleasures and Perils of Instant Messaging

Let’s face it, the honeymoon between you and your inbox is over. Finished. As spam and e-mail-borne viruses comprise a staggering 70 percent of all e-mail traffic worldwide, it is clear that we are all at our wit’s end. As our frustration with unsolicited e-mail has skyrocketed, our attention span for reading legitimate e-mails has plummeted. So what’s a conscientious e-communicator to do? As anyone in this business can tell you, silence is not an option. While there currently is no silver bullet to solve the growing e-mail problem, one technology that provides an alternative is instant messaging.

Hall, Chris. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Communication>Online>Instant Messaging

The Virtual Business Analyst

As a Business Analyst in today's working environment, it's important to understand the dynamics, challenges and best practices of the classic office and how they compare with those of the virtual office.

Tavis, Yvonne Hontanosas. BA Collective (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Telecommuting>Online

This Is NOT Your Father's Online Newsroom

When companies first put their corporate and marketing information on the web in the mid to late '90s, it was mostly static content that was painful for journalists to use (horrible navigation, tough to download text and little or no images available). It's lucky for the corporate world that it took time for journalists to warm up to the web. Since we all know how gifted the PR community is in math, science and computers, it was no surprise that the company’s online publicity destiny was left in the hands of its IT staff—which was about as familiar with PR as PR is with the latest software patches that somehow magically appear on our desktops. You need a more effective news and information web site, but what will it include and how will you show the ROI to secure the necessary investment?

Clarke, David. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Online

Too Connected: Utopias and Dystopias of Communication

The more you blog, the more people you attract through Google. The more search-engine-optimized your posts are, the more people find you. The more tweets you send, the more people follow you. The more social networks you join, the more people add themselves to your page. The better posts you write, the more people subscribe to your RSS feed. The more content you generate – in whatever form and media – the more trackbacks and links people generate about you. The more you produce, the more emails and questions you get. You become like a content cloud – attracting Google searches.

Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Communication>Ubiquitous Computing>Online

Understanding Weblogs: A Communicative Perspective  

This research investigates what form of communication is made possible through the weblog and what its uses are for the future. Taking Habermas' theory, it will be investigated whether blogs offer a platform for what he calls the 'ideal speech situation'. Conditions for the ideal speech situation are that everyone has equal access to the communication, that there are no power differences between the participants and that the participants act truthfully towards each other.

Wijnia, Elmine. wijnia.com (2003). Articles>Communication>Online>Blogging

Using HCI Skills to Create Online Message Help  

This panel segment focuses on applying human-computer interaction (HCI) skills to the creation of online message help information for the IBM RSl6000 product. Online message help allows users to easily understand and diagnosis errors that they receive on the job, without them ever having to pick up a message manual. The HCI skills used in creating the online help were learned in the Introduction to HCI Usability class thut Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered as the first class of four offered in 1996 in their newly created HCI Certificate Program.

STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Communication>Online

Using Social Media and Blogs to Your Advantage

Consumers no longer have to rely only on mass media for information. More often than not, they are turning to colleagues, friends and other people they trust for advice on what products and services to buy, generally trying to avoid sales people altogether. Understandably, this is what makes social media so effective, and one of the reasons why it can have such a positive impact on your bottom line.

Buchanan, Ryan. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Online

Your Seven-Step Online Reputation Crisis Plan

When you first discover an attack on your online reputation, it can be an unnerving event. If you’ve previously been oblivious to the online discussions about your brand, it can feel like a kick to the ribs to see someone wage an attack on your good name. When it happens, it’s important not to hit the panic button. If great companies such as Target and JetBlue can come under fire, then it can happen to anyone.

Beal, Andy. Communication World Bulletin (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Online

The Zen of Craigslist  

During a recent move, the author not only acquired and sold many items via Craigslist (www.craigslist.com), but gained insights about herself as well as running her business.

Frick, Elizabeth G. 'Bette'. Intercom (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Online

LinkedIn: A User's Perspective: Using New Channels for Effective Business Networking    

Blogs, mailing lists and networking sites are much in the news, but how effective are they for business users? David Thew is Joint MD of an executive search and recruitment consultancy with an active need to identify and contact people on a targeted basis. In this article he profiles LinkedIn, the business networking membership site that has become a key channel for him and his staff. David looks at key features and benefits and also discusses areas where he feels there is room for improvement.

Thew, David. Business Information Review (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Online>Social Networking

The Pendulum Returns: Unifying the Online Presence of Decentralized Organizations

A number of smart businesses are realizing that the organizational characteristics that lead to their successes — such as agility, decentralized decision making, and fast growth — have made their Web sites unworkable through poor development processes and inconsistent user experiences. This frustrates any attempt by visitors to find meaningful information.

Merholtz, Peter. Adaptive Path (2002). Articles>Collaboration>Organizational Communication>Online

Warning: Dependence on Facebook, Twitter Could Be Hazardous to Your Business

You've probably heard how much the micro-blogging service Twitter can help your business, or that being on social networking site Facebook can boost your company's profile. But what you might not have considered is the potential danger in over-relying on these startups that could go out of business, get bought out, or close your account if you aren't familiar with their Terms of Service.

Glaser, Mark. PBS (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Online>Social Networking

The Perils of Our Digital Communications

When 90% of what you do for work is based online, there are bound to be some glitches, and not just the technical ones. How do you handle the inevitable misunderstandings that come with today’s rapid-fire digital conversations and communications in the workplace? I’ve put together a few ideas for how we can all minimize misunderstandings or at least diffuse the fallout.

Sherman, Aliza. Web Worker Daily (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Collaboration>Online

Wikipedia and the New Curriculum

Students and teachers alike must understand how systems of knowledge creation and archivization are changing. Encyclopedias are no longer static collections of facts and figures; they are living entities. Just check the entry on Global Warming.

Parry, David. Science Progress (2008). Articles>Education>Scientific Communication>Online

Do Business Communication Technology Tools Meet Learner Needs?    

While institutions of higher education are enthusiastically embracing technology-mediated learning (TML), little research has been conducted to identify factors that influence student use of TML tools or determine whether use of them increases student learning. This study of business communication students at two universities found that (1) students tend to be sensing, visual, active, and sequential learners; (2) perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of TML tools are positively associated with perceived learning success; (3) learning styles do influence the students' usage behavior of certain TML tools; and (4) students' sensing/intuitive learning style is related to their perceived learning success.

DuFrene, Debbie D., Carol M. Lehman, Franz W. Kellermanns and Rodney A. Pearson. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Articles>Education>Business Communication>Online