A committee system for radio‐TV administration

Often, a series of studies may shed light where a single study from the series will be of minor value. For the past several years, students in the graduate Department of Journalism at the University of California at Los Angeles have investigated facets of the mass communications picture in the Southern California region. In this article, Walter Wilcox, Department Chairman, and Jack Lyle, Assistant Professor, provide a framework and a synopsis of several studies using a variety of methodologies but all concerned with the subject of television news broadcasting.     

On‐line relational maintenance strategies and perceptions of partners within exclusively internet‐based and primarily internet‐based relationships

While relational maintenance has been found to be an important aspect of interpersonal relationships within the face‐to‐face world, the nature of relational maintenance among partners within computer‐mediated relationships is a relatively unexplored area. This study examined the use of maintenance strategies and perceptions of relational partners among (N = 178) undergraduate students within exclusively Internet‐based and primarily Internet‐based relationships. The findings indicated that positivity and openness were the most frequently used maintenance strategies. People who used positivity and on‐line activities had higher perceptions of attitude similarity than people using avoidance strategies, and people who used positivity and openness perceived their partner's quality of communication to be higher than those who used other strategies. People maintaining primarily Internet‐based relationships had higher relational communication and background similarity scores than people maintaining exclusively Internet‐based relationships. Finally, people maintaining exclusively Internet‐based relationships had different perceptions of on‐line friends and acquaintances based upon their frequency of on‐line interaction.     

A framework for building brand equity online for pure‐play B2C retailers and services

Abstract

Brand equity is an important asset that a B2C company can leverage to compete and prosper in its unique and intensely competitive environment. This paper provides a framework for building brand equity model. Based on this framework, some strategies are suggested to build brand equity online. Implications of the framework for research and practice are also discussed.     

‘Alive’ on the internet: A user‐centred evaluation of BIS‐online

Recent UK government initiatives have encouraged academic staff to consider using IT to enhance students' experience of higher education in terms of its quality, flexibility and effectiveness. In 1999 second year undergraduate students studying Information Management at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh were invited to use a set of tailored web resources in support of the module Business Information Sources. This article presents the results of an evaluation conducted to discover the student view of the web site materials and the alternative learning methods employed for the module. Student opinions were sought on the accessibility, retrievability and usefulness of the information presented, and the ‘enjoyment’ of the learning experience. A comparison of the 1998/9 student examination performance was made with that of previous cohorts to determine whether adding another dimension to the experience of taking the module might impact the quality of the students' learning. The findings presented in the article will inform the further development of such initiatives, which in tum should improve the electronic delivery of learning materials in UK higher education.     

The bases of successful market entry: The liability of size and of newness in E‐commerce

Abstract

Even though e‐commerce almost disappeared from public discussion, it still assumes a vital role in the strategic management of most enterprises. New entry in e‐commerce, whether as a new business segment of an established company or as a new enterprise, is likely to deal with the liabilities of size and newness. The aim of this paper it to discuss if those factors have an impact on the implementation and success of B2C e‐commerce. We chose the online book market as our reference market and drew a random sample of retailers and publishers with an online shop. The quality of the web presence, indirect success (number of links to a particular site) and direct success (turnover of the web shop) were compared in subsamples constructed by the use of median splits according to age and size. Younger companies and larger companies were found to have a web presence of higher quality and were more successful than older or smaller companies. We conclude that the liabilities of newness do not seem to have an adverse performance impact in e‐commerce. However, when a market entry is considered, new players must ensure that they can commit enough resources to build a high quality web presence.     

A descriptive investigation of the possible communication‐based reasons for effective and ineffective group decision making

The present study sought to compare the nature and content of interaction within a number of “effective” and “ineffective” decision‐making groups in an effort to identify consistent differences which might account for the differences in the quality of their group decisions. The goal of the investigation was to generate data which will help us better understand the communication‐based reasons for “effective” and “ineffective” group decision making. Using basically a qualitative approach, six “effective” groups and five “ineffective” groups were compared. The study found that the discussions of those two sets of groups can be distinguished on the basis of at least four communication‐related characteristics: (1) The manner in which the groups examined opinions and assumptions advanced by group members; (2) The manner in which the groups evaluated alternative choices; (3) The nature of the premises which served as the basis for the groups’ decisions; and (4) The nature of influence exerted by the most influential members of the groups. These four differences are discussed in terms of specific empirically‐testable propositions regarding the relationship between group interaction and quality of group decision making.     

Can the internet reduce corruption? A cross-country study based on dynamic panel data models

This study attempts to estimate the effects of internet adoption on reducing corruption by using a panel consisting of 70 countries covering the period from 1998 to 2005. The results of Granger causality tests reveal that, while causality running from internet adoption to corruption reduction can be established, the causality between internet adoption and corruption is bi-directional. To deal with the problem of endogeneity, the dynamic panel data (DPD) models are employed. The estimation results show that the effects of internet adoption on corruption reduction are statistically significant but not too substantial. Our findings suggest that the internet has shown a capacity for reducing corruption, but its potential has yet to be fully realized.     

Factors influencing internet use—A policy model for electronic government information provision

Collaborative efforts have fostered the development, maintenance, and expansion of the Internet. Historically, public, non-profit, and private sector institutions have made significant contributions. By reviewing the literature that discusses the contributions, roles, and responsibilities of public, non-profit, and private sector institutions, four categories of factors that influence access to and use of the Internet are identified and discussed at length. These factors include: the technical characteristics of information technologies; user preferences for information resources; the institutional arrangements that define, govern, and constrain provider/user relationships; and psychological factors affecting information processing.     

Prerequisite conditions for self‐disclosing: A gender issue

Using a scheme previously developed by the authors to define conceptually self‐disclosure, this study focuses on one dimension found in that investigation— prerequisite for disclosure. The research examines gender differences in perceived importance placed on four conditions: setting, receiver, sender, and relationship characteristics judged to be needed before disclosing private information about oneself to others. The study also looks at the influence of topic on males’ and females’ use of conditions. Results suggest that women find sender and receiver characteristics more important as prerequisite conditions for self‐disclosure than do men. No significant effect of topic on the use of conditions was found for men or women.     

Gender portrayal in Hong Kong and Korean children's TV commercials: A cross‐cultural comparison

This study examined gender portrayal in a sample of 345 television commercials broadcast during children's programmes in Hong Kong and Korea using content analysis. Literature suggests that Hong Kong culture differs from Korean culture on the dimension of Masculinity/Femininity proposed by Hofstede. The differences between the two countries provide a valid test of theory, and suggest hypotheses about the gender portrayal in children's advertising. The results of the study showed, contrary to expectations from Hofstede's framework, that the gender portrayal of central characters and the level of gender stereotyping in Hong Kong commercials was similar to those of Korean commercials. Possible explanations include the emerging homogeneous youth market using a standardized advertising strategy, and the rising concern for women's rights in Korea.     

A rules‐based study of television's role in the construction of social reality

A qualitative analysis of one couple's conversational uses of mediated content is presented. Observations spanned a two‐year period. Data were categorized according to usage type and then examined from Lull's (1981) rules persective.     

A structural analysis of market competition in the U.S. TV syndication industry, 1981–1990

The author explores how the structure of the national television programming market has changed during the past decade and finds that the market has become highly concentrated and is increasingly being dominated by foreign owners. The author argues that the trends provide support for relaxation of prohibitions on television networks’ participation in syndication     

The Cynefin framework: A tool for analyzing qualitative data in information science?

Interpreting qualitative research data and presenting it in ways that enable potential beneficiaries of the research to use it readily and appropriately is increasingly important in the context of the research impact agenda. One way of doing uses the Cynefin framework. Cynefin, which is rooted in knowledge management and complexity science, has been used in a range of contexts to support decision-making and strategy development in dynamic and challenging situations. However, it has not been widely used as a data analysis technique or in the information science discipline. An exploratory evaluation uses it to interpret the rich, nuanced qualitative data from a three-year research project that engaged people worldwide to explore issues and practical strategies for managing electronic records, a significant information management challenge. The evaluation demonstrates that the Cynefin framework provides a strategic lens through which to view electronic records management (ERM). Cynefin prompts new questions to be asked, leading to new insights and a deeper understanding of the ERM challenge. Most significantly, it provides a new construct for re-perceiving the challenge in a holistic way and offers a strategic approach to taking action for change. This evaluation suggests that it is an appropriate and effective framework for use in qualitative research on challenging information management problems, with the potential to support the transfer of research into practice.     

A theory of self‐perception in preferences for public figures

This content analysis reveals that men and women network news correspondents differed in how they covered 4 presidential elections (1992–2004). There were fewer women than men reporters involved in election coverage, but on average, women reported more stories than men and were tonally tougher watchdogs than men. In terms of framing candidates, male reporters were strongly associated with a masculine approach that emphasized the competitiveness of campaigns. By contrast, women correspondents employed both more feminine and gender-neutral frames than their male colleagues. These findings were interpreted against the backdrop of information derived from in-depth interviews with 5 women reporters who appeared in the sampled content.     

Evaluating carrascolendas: A television series for Mexican‐American children

Readers with young children may have noticed the occasional Spanish language vignettes appearing from time to time on Sesame Street, the popular public television program for pre‐schoolers. The following article describes the development and audience impact of a program designed to reach a Spanish‐American audience in a Texas city. The study is presented primarily as a guide for other programmers desiring to evaluate audience effects of such content. This article is a summary of a longer report done under an Office of Education subcontract to the Center for Communication Research at the University of Texas. Dr. Williams is Director of the Center and professor in the school of communications, while Diana Natalicio is now an assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Texas at El Paso after having completed her doctorate in linguistics at the Austin campus in 1970.     

Household‐level demand for cable television: A probit analysis.

The authors explore demand for cable services in individual households and find that the quality of over‐the‐air reception, interest in nonprogramming entertainment services, and service quality directly affect that demand. The study also explores demographic and behavioral differences in demand for basic and pay services and outlines their implications for cable systems operators.     

Customer centred community application design: Introduction of the means‐end chain framework for product design of community applications

Abstract

This paper discusses the application of the means‐end chain (MEC) framework for investigating customers cognitive”; structure regarding community applications. It is argued that the understanding of customers cognition is crucial for the development of sustainable communities. MEC analysis is seen as a mean to support the community design tasks, especially concept development. The MEC analysis within concept development helps to improve the success rate of a newly designed community by the early integration of customer needs and benefits. Based on theoretical considerations about the MEC framework and its limitations a case study regarding an information community is illustrated. Data was collected conducting individual laddering interviews online at a major information portal in Germany. Dividing answers into attributes, consequences, and values and using content analysis hierarchical value maps (HVM) for both, messaging applications and information ‐portals, were constructed. To support concept development of a new information community, as a distribution platform for content, the findings of both HVMs were considered. Examples illustrate, that the MEC analysis helps to create a community concept that is focused on the targeted customers. It is supporting the creative process of finding community functions and features that are fitting or can be linked to the existing cognitive structures.     

A discrepancy‐arousal explanation of mutual influence in expressive behavior for adult and infant‐adult interaction 1

The expressive behaviors of adult and infant‐adult dyads are marked both by patterns of reciprocity and compensation. An alternative to the equilibrium and arousal‐labeling explanations of these findings is offered in the discrepancy‐arousal model. This model is similar to its predecessors in that physiological, cognitive, and affective components are central. However, the arousal component is given a more prominent role in predicting reciprocal or compensatory responses than in the arousal‐labeling theory. This modification permits discrepancy‐arousal to account for the reaction time of moment‐to‐moment influence, for the cycling of expressive involvement, for infant‐adult patterns of reciprocity and compensation, and for the etiology of adult patterns of mutual influence. Evidence supporting the discrepancy‐arousal position is reviewed. Predictive hypotheses are proposed and contrastive experimental tests are outlined.     

Free‐association responses and the investigation of meaning: A technique for instrument development

What is described in this paper is the development of a technique for the measurement of meaning. This technique avoids some of the undesirable features of traditional measures. It is easy to employ and does not require large samples. It is highly relevant to the concept being measured and appropriate to the population under examination.