The Adoption of Social Media and Two-Way Communication by the Top Thirty New Zealand Organisations: An Examination of Their Websites
Due to the proliferation of social media, organisations are encouraged to adopt social media features and participate in the social media environment. This research study examines the websites and selected social media pages of New Zealand Management’s top thirty organisations for the adoption of social media and two-way communication. These websites and selected social media pages are platforms the organisation can utilise to manage organisational identity and put in place channels and procedures for two-way communication to occur. A qualitative content analysis is used to conduct research on the thirty organisational websites and selected social media pages. The findings revealed not many organisations adopted relatively new social media and only few organisations had direct links to Facebook, Twitter or Youtube on the main organisational website. Also, organisations tended to use their websites as a source of information whereas in social media organisations are more concerned with the conservation and generation of return visits of their target public. Furthermore, organisations made an effort to use two-way communication in social media rather than organisational websites. Despite their efforts for two-way communication, social media pages are underutilised in facilitating dialogic communication with stakeholders. However, organisations that have adopted social media and use two-way communication show their efforts to adapt to an ever interactive and dynamic environment in which their organisation exists, grows and survives.
Social media, Websites, Two-way communication, Content analysis, New Zealand organisations, Public relations
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