title: A comparative case study: Examining the organizational use of social networking sites

authors: Bowley, Rachel Claire

subjects: social media

abstract: The purpose of this research is to examine the way two New Zealand-based case study organizations, a tertiary institution and a primary industry organization, use the social networking site Bebo for communication.  Both organizations recruited young people aged 16-19, to work in the primary industry and to attend the tertiary institution.   This interpretive, qualitative comparative case study identifies why each organization decided to use Bebo, what it intended to achieve, whether Bebo helped each organization to achieve its goals and objectives, and the challenges and opportunities for developing authentic and interactive dialogue faced by each organization with its intended public.  Interviews were conducted with organizational members and spokespeople involved in each campaign.  A critical discourse analysis is applied to all transcripts and the Bebo profiles.  Other relevant organizational documents, including press releases and information brochures, provide contextual information for the analysis.

The findings indicate that both organizations have been misled by a taken-for-granted assumption about young people's use of the social networking site Bebo, with the research raising questions about whether the campaign reached the target audience or not.  Other findings highlight that the tertiary institution reframed the social media-influenced understanding of 'engagement', from a two-way collaborative interaction between an organization and its publics, to a one-way, direct marketing effort by the organization.  Questions are raised about the tertiary institutions use of Bebo as a marketing tool and harvesting users' personal information through a quiz.  Findings indicate that both organizations were concerned about threats to their reputation, choosing to monitor both the comments left on the spokespeople's profiles by Bebo users, and the spokespeople's behaviour on Bebo.  Evaluating success is identified as a challenge for both organizations, as well as issues associated with the production and distribution of the campaigns on Bebo.  

The findings identify opportunities for future research, to help organizations navigate the uncertainty associated with using social media applications and technologies for public relations and organizational communication.  The research also highlights opportunities for other organizations to improve on the case study organizations' current use of the social networking site Bebo, to ensure future use of the application embodies dialogue, interaction and collaboration between the organizations and their target publics.

text: A comparative case study: Examining the organizational use of social networking sites The purpose of this research is to examine the way two New Zealand-based case study organizations, a tertiary institution and a primary industry organization, use the social networking site Bebo for communication.  Both organizations recruited young people aged 16-19, to work in the primary industry and to attend the tertiary institution.   This interpretive, qualitative comparative case study identifies why each organization decided to use Bebo, what it intended to achieve, whether Bebo helped each organization to achieve its goals and objectives, and the challenges and opportunities for developing authentic and interactive dialogue faced by each organization with its intended public.  Interviews were conducted with organizational members and spokespeople involved in each campaign.  A critical discourse analysis is applied to all transcripts and the Bebo profiles.  Other relevant organizational documents, including press releases and information brochures, provide contextual information for the analysis.

The findings indicate that both organizations have been misled by a taken-for-granted assumption about young people's use of the social networking site Bebo, with the research raising questions about whether the campaign reached the target audience or not.  Other findings highlight that the tertiary institution reframed the social media-influenced understanding of 'engagement', from a two-way collaborative interaction between an organization and its publics, to a one-way, direct marketing effort by the organization.  Questions are raised about the tertiary institutions use of Bebo as a marketing tool and harvesting users' personal information through a quiz.  Findings indicate that both organizations were concerned about threats to their reputation, choosing to monitor both the comments left on the spokespeople's profiles by Bebo users, and the spokespeople's behaviour on Bebo.  Evaluating success is identified as a challenge for both organizations, as well as issues associated with the production and distribution of the campaigns on Bebo.  

The findings identify opportunities for future research, to help organizations navigate the uncertainty associated with using social media applications and technologies for public relations and organizational communication.  The research also highlights opportunities for other organizations to improve on the case study organizations' current use of the social networking site Bebo, to ensure future use of the application embodies dialogue, interaction and collaboration between the organizations and their target publics.

year: 2009

title: Corporate social responsibility in the New Zealand hotel industry: An explorative study

authors: Mackenzie, Murray James

subjects: CSR

abstract: This explorative study examines the extent to which New Zealand 4 and 5 star hotel managers have adopted CSR practices and their commitment through CSR participation. Additionally, this study investigated the influence that New Zealand Government CSR sponsored incentives (“Qualmark” and “Enviro Awards”) have on the adoption of social and environmental practices into the hotel industry and the effect this has on hotel employees' CSR participation. Importantly, previous studies have indicated that employee involvement in CSR has been shown to result a more committed and loyal workforce. This study has indicated that through a greater CSR participation, hotel managers can influence attraction and retention of employees, therefore lowering employee turnover. 
A pragmatic interruptive methodological approach was adopted in designing the research method for this study.  By employing a mixed method research approach the findings of this study reveal that Chain hotel is more likely to incorporate a CSR approach in daily operations. However, evidence from this study has indicated that a hotel's involvement in social and environmental activities have no significant affect upon employee decision to seek employment with that hotel. This study also provides evidence that the initial cost of CSR implementation affected the type and range of CSR involvement. Although employee involvement in CSR activities was viewed as important, there was a lack of related rewards and incentives for CSR participation in line with organisational and employee goals and perception offered in this study. Evidence from this study also implies that an employee's social and environmentally responsibility, although beneficial, was not looked upon as essential in employee selection criteria. However, some hotels had incorporated social and environmental questions when selecting employees, indicating a gradual change in adopting a more knowledgeable and socially involved employee.   
These findings will contribute to evaluating the impacts of a hotel manager's CSR decisions influencing employee turnover and CSR participation.

text: Corporate social responsibility in the New Zealand hotel industry: An explorative study This explorative study examines the extent to which New Zealand 4 and 5 star hotel managers have adopted CSR practices and their commitment through CSR participation. Additionally, this study investigated the influence that New Zealand Government CSR sponsored incentives (“Qualmark” and “Enviro Awards”) have on the adoption of social and environmental practices into the hotel industry and the effect this has on hotel employees' CSR participation. Importantly, previous studies have indicated that employee involvement in CSR has been shown to result a more committed and loyal workforce. This study has indicated that through a greater CSR participation, hotel managers can influence attraction and retention of employees, therefore lowering employee turnover. 
A pragmatic interruptive methodological approach was adopted in designing the research method for this study.  By employing a mixed method research approach the findings of this study reveal that Chain hotel is more likely to incorporate a CSR approach in daily operations. However, evidence from this study has indicated that a hotel's involvement in social and environmental activities have no significant affect upon employee decision to seek employment with that hotel. This study also provides evidence that the initial cost of CSR implementation affected the type and range of CSR involvement. Although employee involvement in CSR activities was viewed as important, there was a lack of related rewards and incentives for CSR participation in line with organisational and employee goals and perception offered in this study. Evidence from this study also implies that an employee's social and environmentally responsibility, although beneficial, was not looked upon as essential in employee selection criteria. However, some hotels had incorporated social and environmental questions when selecting employees, indicating a gradual change in adopting a more knowledgeable and socially involved employee.   
These findings will contribute to evaluating the impacts of a hotel manager's CSR decisions influencing employee turnover and CSR participation.

year: 2015

title: Alice Grey Nicholls, daughter of William, and her husband, Charles John Dearle

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Alice Grey Nicholls was the ‘half-caste’ daughter of a Pakeha Maori, William Nicholls. She would marry a Pakeha and have several children, losing her only son but bringing up a family of daughters, who all received a Pakeha education. Having a moko emphasized her Maori heritage, and she was on good terms with many Maori.
Charles John Dearle, a Londoner, after some involvement in gold mining spent most of his life working for the government. At the request of Maori landowners, from 1883 until 1895 he allocated goldfields revenue amongst them, a challenging task. He was also involved in land purchases both on behalf of the government and for personal gain. 
They farmed her land at Mangaiti, near Te Aroha, Alice continuing to farm it profitably after his early death, assisted for a time by her daughters. She purchased more land, and to enable her to sell some portions of it she had it declared European land, an illustration of her astuteness in business; her family obtained a good financial position from her farming and land dealings. When she died, aged 81, her Pakeha friends fondly remembered her.

text: Alice Grey Nicholls, daughter of William, and her husband, Charles John Dearle Alice Grey Nicholls was the ‘half-caste’ daughter of a Pakeha Maori, William Nicholls. She would marry a Pakeha and have several children, losing her only son but bringing up a family of daughters, who all received a Pakeha education. Having a moko emphasized her Maori heritage, and she was on good terms with many Maori.
Charles John Dearle, a Londoner, after some involvement in gold mining spent most of his life working for the government. At the request of Maori landowners, from 1883 until 1895 he allocated goldfields revenue amongst them, a challenging task. He was also involved in land purchases both on behalf of the government and for personal gain. 
They farmed her land at Mangaiti, near Te Aroha, Alice continuing to farm it profitably after his early death, assisted for a time by her daughters. She purchased more land, and to enable her to sell some portions of it she had it declared European land, an illustration of her astuteness in business; her family obtained a good financial position from her farming and land dealings. When she died, aged 81, her Pakeha friends fondly remembered her.

year: 2016