0000000000162053
AUTHOR
Boyang Zhang
Volkswagen Emission Crisis : Managing Stakeholder Relations on the Web
Organizations establish their own profiles at social media sites to publish pertinent information to customers and other stakeholders. During a long and severe crisis, multiple issues may emerge in media interaction. Positive responses and prompt interaction from the official account of e.g. a car manufacturer creates clarity and reduces anxiety among stakeholders. This research targets the Volkswagen 2015 emission scandal that became public on Sept. 18, 2015. We report its main phases over time based on public web information. To better understand the online interaction and reactions of the company, we scrutinized what information was published on VW’s official web sites, Facebook, and Twi…
Decomposing issue patterns in crisis communication: the case of the lost airliner
This research explores the relation between a crisis and public discussion on related issues. In organisational crisis communication, a singleissue strategy is often proposed. Such a strategy, however, may not be adequate in more complex crises where the crisis lifecycle is likely to encompass shorter lifecycles of issues that generate media attention. Decomposing the online crisis debate into a pattern of issues supports understanding of public perceptions, and hence of crisis response and communication. This is investigated through an analysis of Facebook posts prompted by the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in 2014. The analysis shows that during the life of the crisis a variety o…
Samsung and Volkswagen Crisis Communication in Facebook and Twitter : A Comparative Study
Since September 2015 at least two major crises have emerged where major industrial companies producing consumer products have been involved. In September 2015 diesel cars manufactured by Volkswagen turned out to be equipped with cheating software that caused NO2 and other emission values to be reduced to acceptable levels while tested from the real, unacceptable values in normal use. In August 2016 reports began to appear that the battery of a new smart phone produced by Samsung, Galaxy Note7, could begin to burn, or even explode, while the device was on. In Nov. 2016 also 34 washing machine models were reported to have caused damages due to disintegration. In all cases, the companies have …
Understanding Fast Diffusion of Information in the Social Media Environment. A Comparison of Two Cases.
The purpose of this paper is to gain understanding of what factors cause rapid issue spread in social media, to help predict issue growth. The frequency graphics of two issues, Arctic Sunrise and U.S. capitol shooting, were compared to investigate rapidity of spread on Twitter. Next, a qualitative model was applied to explain the differences found. Furthermore, a first attempt was made to investigate issue transfer between social media and news media. The findings showed that news items and tweets were interrelated, with hardly any time-lag in between, although the tweets continued longer and included more emotion. The approach seems promising but needs further testing. When in practice mon…
How and Why Some Issues Spread Fast In Social Media
This paper brings together current insights from various disciplines into the spreading of social media post. By a structured literature review of peer-reviewed literature 39 recent articles on diffusion in social media were located. The search spanned 10 years, although all the papers were published after 2009, indicating that the examination and observation of spread patterns in social media is still in an early stage. The analys is focused on spread patterns and factors that may explain how rapidly issues spread in the online environment. Based on the findings, from an organizational perspective a model is constructed and directions for future research are suggested. The model focuses on…
Online Stakeholder Interaction of Some Airlines in the Light of Situational Crisis Communication Theory
Part 2: Digital Marketing and Customer Relationship Management; International audience; The purpose of this paper is to explore the participation of main actors in Facebook. The engagement shows different degrees of participation that directly affect the brand image and reputation. This research applies Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) to interaction in the social media. It provides possibilities for decision makers to monitor diverse messages online, understand stakeholder concerns and reply to them adequately, which is especially important in crisis situations. Seven airline organizations were selected for a comparative analysis concerning their online discussions. The verif…
Social media monitoring: aims, methods, and challenges for international companies
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the aims, monitoring methods and challenges of social media monitoring from the perspective of international companies. Trends in the literature are also investigated. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a systematic literature review, 30 key articles from 2008 to 2012 were further analysed. Findings – International companies need real-time monitoring software, expertise and dynamic visualization to facilitate early detection and prognoses supporting strategy making. This is a costly affair, prompting questions about return on investment. A recent trend in the research literature concerns the development of models describing how issues s…
The Issue Arena of a Corporate Social Responsibility Crisis : The Volkswagen Case in Twitter
This paper explores the online debate in a corporate social responsibility crisis, where multiple actors communicate through social media, each representing different interests and views pertaining to the crisis. The study utilizes Twitter data relating to the recent case of the falsified Volkswagen diesel emissions that became public in 2015. To better understand the online interaction, use is made of issue arena theory and insights on CSR crises. The focus is on capturing the issue as it evolved over time, the actors and sentiments expressed, and the responses of the organization. The findings show that after the case became public, the emissions issue received massive attention in Twitte…
Understanding evolving organisational issues in social media
The aim of this dissertation is to better understand the spread of issues in social media, a relatively new phenomenon that is not fully understood in academia. The phenomenon has also captured the interest of organisations, as it may cause or coincide with organisational crises. Following issue spread is not easy, as issues emerge in dynamic interaction amongst many actors who are engaged in voluminous debate within varying media environments. This research was based on insights from different disciplines – in particular, communication sciences and information systems. It utilised quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Literature reviews provided a solid basis, whereas various cases …
International joint venturing : understanding entry to Chinese market area through cultural dimension analysis and network theory
The main aim of this thesis is to analyze how Joint Venture Company survives in China with special policy and environment. With China implemented reform and opening to outside world, China has developed at a supernormal speed in absorbing foreign investment and has made great achievements attracting the world attention. Many foreign companies want to expand business into Chinese market. As one form of market entry, Joint Venture companies have more advantages for further development. The analyses of the paper are mainly based on an interview for a Finnish Technology company in Kajaani City. From the understanding of the Cultural dimension and the internationalization of the Network theory, …