Information Communication Channels Research Articles

The Interactive Effect of Punishment and Communication on Trust and Reciprocity: An Experimental Examination in a Gift-Exchange Setting

A “gift-exchange” contract is a contract in which employers’ trust (by offering a generous wage) and employees’ reciprocity (by reacting to the wage with high effort) is a commonly studied contract in the accounting and economics literatures. In this study, we use a controlled lab experiment to examine how two important organizational features impact the effectiveness of the gift-exchange contract: A managerial control which punishes employees for shirking on effort, and a free-form communication between employers and employees. Building on motivational-crowding theory, we hypothesize that a punishment control makes employers feel trust is no longer necessary, as a result, reduces employers’ wage offers. Consequently, we predict that punishment does not foster employees’ reciprocity as employers no longer signal trust. However, when an informal communication channel is present between employers and employees, we predict that communication restores trust and reciprocity when punishment is in place. Our experimental results support our predictions that punishment controls reduce both trust and reciprocity. We also find that communication helps improving trust-reciprocity when punishment is present. Furthermore, the two-way communication (in which both parties communicate with each other) is superior to the one-way communication in increasing employers’ trust and employees’ reciprocity. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Corporate Social Responsibility in the restaurant and fast food industry: a study of communication on healthy eating through social networks

The communication of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of a sample of eight restaurant and fast food companies is analyzed. An exploratory and descriptive method, based on the content analysis technique, is used to analyze the formal and informal CSR communication channels used to promote healthy eating on their respective websites and Twitter profiles. This study is complemented by a survey (n = 383) applied to a sample of young Spaniards to investigate their interest in healthy eating information, their assessment of CSR actions carried out in this area as well as the communication channels used for this purpose. The results confirm that the CSR policies of the companies include actions aimed at guaranteeing and promoting healthy eating. It is concluded about the convenience of using their own social networks and influencers to encourage healthy eating habits more effectively in their publics.

Certain aspects of digital development in AIC

The social and economic development of the territories includes the existence of stable interregional food and commodity linkages, the formation of a food economy, an increase in food resources conducive to the development of the AIC and the entire economic system. Digitalization and the implementation of information technologies ensure high-quality information content of all subdivisions of the AIC, enable optimization of the flow of resources and goods within the complex, leading to facilitate the task of transforming the agro-industrial complex of Russia, further “effective and sustainable agro-industrial production that corresponds to the world level ensuring the country’s food security, the saturation of the market with food” [4]. An effective mechanism for the regional innovative economy management is, in our view, the complex establishment of a high-quality information base, the development of information technology networks to transcend traditional technologies. The success in the transition to the modern stage of the digital economy in the AIC prejudges the growing importance of the of the country, its regions and individual industries in the formation of a single information field. The federal policy policy is directed at creation of new information technologies and communication channels throughout Russia and all over the world. The regional policy in the field of information should be based on the interests of the regional users and the general federal interests of a group of industries located in the region. The sectoral policy in the field of information should take into account the interests of one industry, as well as enterprises and organizations within the structure of this industry.

Innovations in the dimension of communication in health sector and the perspective of Society 5.0

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the perceptions of ICT in times of the development of Society 5.0 in the awareness of beneficiaries of the healthcare system, and outlining the prospects of applying these solutions in the health sector. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The questionnaire was used to survey people using primary healthcare services. Findings: The respondents identified the importance of various forms of using ICT by primary healthcare entities, specifying their preferred information communication channel. The greatest number of indications, nearly 92% of the respondents, chose a direct contact with the doctor as important or very important. Originality/value: The health sector in Poland, as well as in other countries of the EU, has been the subject of constant changes though they are not clearly visible for the general public. Technological progress and the related innovations in the field of communication are an opportunity to improve the information flow between the doctor and patient. Moreover, they facilitate gaining knowledge and thus constitute an important dimension in the process of learning in the perspective of Society 5.0 development. New ICT channels may be an important method for the health sector to find ways of reducing the costs of patient service.

Foresight for development of innovation ecosystems in Russian education: information basis of evaluation

This article attempts to forecast the pattern of development and bottlenecks during rearrangement of the Russian system of higher education in short- and medium-terms. The authors apply system analysis to study the existing realities of various aspects characterizing successfulness and opportunities to achieve academic leadership by leading Russian universities. This work maps out the existing visually perceived state of innovation ecosystems in some leading Russian universities. The studies cover such aspects of development of modern universities as budgeting and properties of its constituents, ability of universities to efficiently perform research and to use the obtained results, transition to mastering and development of various EdTech methods, policy of educational entities in the field of further education and further vocational education. This work describes the approach offering the use of university rating for foresight evaluation of development of Russian universities. The authors believe that in the nearest future the students will be more independent regarding selection of the required knowledge at universities, aiming at acquiring individually-oriented knowledge; the complex system of interaction between universities and ambient world demonstrates not only the importance of high-quality educational process but also of professionally arranged information communication channels.

Issues of Utilizing Social Networking as an Informal Organizational Communication Channel: Evidence from China

Social networking has been increasingly used by both individual and organization in the workplace. This paper addresses gaps in the current literature and tries to demonstrate the negative impacts and consequences of social networking. Qualitative study is applied in this study, including the conduction of user survey, interviews and case studies, which are conducted in the context of China. The article reports on work in progress on the research. The early findings highlight that despite the benefits generated by social networking, issues are also obvious, including such as data security, privacy protection, work-life imbalance, increased work pressure and stress, boundary and role ambiguity. Such findings contribute to organizational policy making and generating modern management practice in the context of information society.

How are issue reports discussed in Gitter chat rooms?

Informal communication channels like mailing lists, IRC and instant messaging play a vital role in open source software development by facilitating communication within geographically diverse project teams e.g., to discuss issue reports to facilitate the bug-fixing process. More recently, chat systems like Slack and Gitter have gained a lot of popularity and developers are rapidly adopting them. Gitter is a chat system that is specifically designed to address the needs of GitHub users. Gitter hosts project-based asynchronous chats which foster frequent project discussions among participants. Developer discussions contain a wealth of information such as the rationale behind decisions made during the evolution of a project. In this study, we explore 24 open source project chat rooms that are hosted on Gitter, containing a total of 3,133,106 messages and 14,096 issue references. We manually analyze the contents of chat room discussions around 457 issue reports. The results of our study show the prevalence of issue discussions on Gitter, and that the discussed issue reports have a longer resolution time than the issue reports that are never brought on Gitter.

Can Informal Information Transfer Reduce the Cost of Equity? Based on the “Sina Weibo” of Entrepreneurs

In the era of mobile internet, social media has become the main platform for people to transfer information. Microblog, an unofficial and informal communication channel with low cost and great convenience, provides entrepreneurs a chance to move from the backstage to the front-stage of firms.Unlike traditional information transfer mechanisms such as TV and newspapers, Microblog is an informal information transfer mechanism. It is an important supplement to the formal information transmission mechanism of firms, which can effectively alleviate the information asymmetry between investors and firms. By using Microblog, an entrepreneur has more initiative in disseminating information, such as what information to release, when to publish and how to express it, etc. At the same time, Microblog can not only spread the information to the fans and readers without attenuation and distortion, but also receive comments and feedback from them. Another advantage of Microblog is that the entrepreneur can express or share his or her outlook, viewpoint and even the mood in Microblog, which shortens the distance between the entrepreneur and information receivers. The kind of person the entrepreneur @ shows their social capital. Investors and creditors are sensitive to the information of Microblog, by which they understand the entrepreneur and his or her financial decisions. So, we expect that when other things being equal, the cost of equity of firms with Microblog-entrepreneurs will be lower than the cost of equity of firms without Microblog-entrepreneurs.In addition to the dummy of Microblog, we use the number of Microblog posts, comments, forwards and likes to measure the information content of Microblog. We find that the Microblog of entrepreneurs plays a significantly positive role on reducing equity cost. This informal information transfer effect is stronger when firms are located in the regions with lower marketization and in the case of weak external information environment. Further tests show that the more personal information on Microblog, the more Microblogs including @, or the more positive sentiment in the content of Microblog, the more equity cost is reduced.We contribute to the literature in several ways academically. First, coping with the development of We Media, we classify the information transmission mechanism into formal and informal. Second, we investigate the behavior of entrepreneurs on firms’ equity cost and fill the gap in the literature. Third, we offer a new idea and method to the front-stage behavior of entrepreneurs. In practice, Microblog of entrepreneurs is not just a simple individual behavior; it bears an important organizational purpose, and every word and action of entrepreneurs may affect firms. The results of this paper provide implications for the information transmission choice of entrepreneurs in the new We Media era.

Optimal messaging of the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18-64 years and Adults aged 65 years and older.

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18-64 years and Adults aged 65 years and older ("Guidelines") integrate recommendations for physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behaviours. Given the novelty of these integrated Guidelines, it was important to consider messaging strategies that would be most effective in reaching Canadian adults. The purpose of this study was to examine optimal messaging of the Guidelines as it pertains to communication channels and messages. Representative samples of Guideline end-users (N = 1017) and stakeholders (N = 877) each completed a cross-sectional survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated along with tests of statistical significance. Inductive content analysis was used to code stakeholders' comments (i.e., suggestions, concerns) on a draft version of the Guidelines. Most end-users had recently referred to online medical resources; family, friends, and co-workers; and physicians as communication channels for information regarding the movement behaviours. End-users and stakeholders felt that generic messages would foster self-efficacy to meet the Guidelines. Stakeholders highlighted a variety of considerations to ensure the Guidelines are inclusive towards diverse groups within the Canadian population. Findings will inform Guideline messaging. Novelty Most end-users referred to online medical resources; family, friends, and co-workers; and physicians as communication channels. End-users and stakeholders indicated that generic messages would foster self-efficacy to meet the Guidelines. Stakeholders expressed concerns about the inclusivity of the Guidelines for diverse socioeconomic groups.

Information about organ donation: the perspective of people with limited health literacy

Abstract Background In 2020, a new law on organ donation will come into force in the Netherlands. This law requires people to actively register their choice whether or not to be an organ donor after death. In this opt-out system, people who do not register themselves are automatically considered to be a donor. To inform the general public, the Dutch ministry of Health launched a communication campaign to inform the general audience. However, people with limited health literacy - 1 in three Dutch adults - have difficulties understanding health related information. Therefore, a study was performed to determine the appropriate information content and communication channels to better address the knowledge needs of this specific target group. Methods The study was done through (a) desk research and (b) 6 individual interviews and 4 focus groups with people with limited health literacy (total 30 people). The respondents were recruited through organisations that focus on specific populations with limited health literacy (limited reading and writing skills, minor intellectual disabilities, migrants). Results Most respondents had not heard about the new law on organ donation. Those who were aware of the law did not know what the law entails and what was required of them. The content of the information currently used were generally considered too difficult and abstract and did not give the respondents enough input on which to base a decision whether or not to be an organ donor. People with limited health literacy can mention specific topics on which they want information. Furthermore, they want practical help in registering their choice through the website. As information channels they prefer simple films and narratives of other people. Conclusions People with limited health literacy need more specific information on organ donation and what the new law entails. They have a preference for films and narratives. Furthermore, they need practical help in registering their choice. Key messages Current information on the new Dutch law on organ donation is too difficult and does not address the knowledge needs of people with limited health literacy. Films and narratives are preferred information channels of people with limited health literacy.

Concepts of «information society» and «electronic state»: issues of legal support

The article is devoted to the research of conceptual problems of legal support of functioning and development of information society and electronic state in the context of today’s realities. In the article the author proceeds from the fact that the information society is not just a society in which the activities of most people are related to the creation, analysis, storage and dissemination of information, using of information networks, information communication channels, etc., and such a society, in which the existence and activity of almost every individual are inseparable from the complex of information technology devices and related segments of the information space, free access to which is possible regardless of specific temporal-and-spatial dimensions, that is, from anywhere and at any time at the request of the individual. According to the author, the most urgent problems of legal regulation of the modern information society are the following: 1. The problem of the optimality of the relation between law and other social regulators in regulating relations functioning in the information society, in particular, finding a balance between legal and moral regulation of relations in the extraterritorial (global) information space. 2. The problem of establishing more relevant relationships between national and international (supranational) law in the process of regulating modern information relations. 3. The problem of correct alignment of priorities in the regulation of social relations in the information society. 4. The problem of transformation of the institution of legal responsibility for offenses and crimes committed through the use of information and telecommunication systems, in particular, the Internet. As a result of the research the author draws the following conclusions: 1. The complexity of ensuring effective legal regulation of relations in the information society is primarily due to the fact that within it individual freedom is gradually becoming an end in itself, which takes on various forms of expression, including those that are harmful to society and contrary to the norms and principles of the traditional morality. Freedom as an end in itself is already practically fully embodied in the virtual component of the information society, which, having a multifaceted relationship with the real social environment, contributes to the fact that within the latter the moral regulation of human relations is increasingly lost, which, among other things, is a necessary prerequisite for respect for the law and its prescriptions, embodied in the legislation, and therefore, for their proper implementation in an appropriate form. The devaluation of the values of traditional morality in the virtual information space has already led to a considerable number of moral-and-law problems at the theoretical and applied levels, as well as to the practical impossibility of solving them only through legal norms. 2. The functioning of the concept of «electronic state» should not completely supersede the traditional in society variants of the relationship between public authorities and individuals and legal entities, the benefits of which have not lost their relevance today. In particular, citizens and legal entities should be left with the right to choose the form of interaction with the authorities (oral, written or electronic), and individual exceptions to it can be established only in relation to specific relationships, the objective specificity of which stipulates the need for their normative fixing. Keywords: information society, electronic state, law, morality, Internet, legal liability, legislation.

University-software industry collaboration: an empirical study based on knowledge management

ABSTRACT The current environment that characterises the software industry is extremely dynamic and somewhat complex demanding high-performance solutions, rapid development, and cost-efficiency. Given this scenario, industry is forced to search for new partners, with the university-industry collaboration representing a fundamental resource in promoting innovation and technological development. This study aims to obtain and analyse the perceptions and experiences of representatives of this industry and the university, in order to identify a set of factors that could enhance and/or be the source of a sustainable collaboration, based on knowledge management. In nutshell, the results show that motivations are associated with the immediate opportunities or needs of each of those directly involved in the collaboration take priority, without building a sustainable collaboration. This collaboration is generally conducted through informal communication channels, which makes it difficult to capture and disseminate knowledge to other members of each of the related organisations.

Sports Injury In China School Environment: A Policy Study

PURPOSE: The frequent incidents of sports injuries in Chinese schools have seriously jeopardized the physical and mental health of students. The economic and legal disputes are so frequent that many schools reduced or limited their students' physical activities (PA). Therefore, this study aimed to collect and research the Chinese school sports injury policy from 1949 to 2019, and provide reference for the formulation and improvement of relevant policies in the future. METHODS: We searched historical documents, searched government websites, Baidu, Google, other search engines, and CNKI, VIP, other scientific research databases, to collect and sort out the policy documents related to sports injuries in China. The searched data were collated and analyzed in chronological order and the department category of the issued documents. RESULTS: Together, there are 11 policy documents about the school sports injuries were issued in China, only one of them Interim Measures for Risk Prevention and Control of School Sports issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2015 is a policy document specifically aimed at school sports injuries in China. Other more related documents are Interim Provisions on Health Work in Schools (Draft)(1976,1980), Regulations on Student Health Work(1990), Regulations on the Handling of Student Injury Accidents Law(2002), and Tort Liability Law(2009), etc., At the same time, some provincial people's congresses in China have also issued policies related to campus sports injuries, such as Jiangsu Province (2006), Shanghai (2011), Guizhou Province (2014), Jiangxi Province (2015) and Hunan Province (2018), etc., which have successively issued some policies, some items in these policies are related to school sports injuries. Because there is not a report system for sports injuries of students, and no information communication channels between schools and hospitals and clinics, there is a lack of statistical data related to sports injuries in schools in China. CONCLUSIONS: A great improvement is urgently needed for China’s school sports injury policy, and the lack of reporting system and statistical data on school sports injury made the policy developed untargeted and ineffective. Urgent actions are needed to address these barriers so that school sport-related injury can be better prevented.

Political Communication in the Determination of Regional Expenditure Budget (APBD) of Ambon City in 2019

Kota Ambon merupakan salah satu daerah yang mengalami keterlambatan dalam melakukan penyusunan anggaran dan penetapannya dari tahun 2010-2014. Keterlambatan yang terjadi disebabkan oleh pola komunikasi lembaga terkait yang tidak terjalin dengan baik. Pola komunitasi yang tidak terjalin ini menimbulkan perdebatan dua lembaga yang berakibat fatal pada penetapan anggaran di bulan Januari sampai Maret, padahal batas waktu penetapan anggaran paling lambatnya adalah pada bulan Desember setiap tahun. Keterlambatan penetapan menjadi fokus penelitian dengan menganalisis pola komunikasi politik pada lembaga eksekutif dan legislatif dalam menjalankan kewenangan perencanaan anggaran sesuai dengan ketentuan yang berlaku.
 Pola komunikasi politik yang terjadi pada perencanaan anggaran menentukan berjalannya proses perencanaan anggaran dengan baik, tepat dan akuntabel. Komunikasi politik pada pembahasan APBD Kota Ambon merupakan proses yang terjadi pada perencanaan dan penetapan anggaran. Perencanaan anggaran yang terjadi pada lembaga eksekutif dan legislatif terbentuk oleh pola komunikasi formal tentang mekanisme perencanaan anggaran, serta pola komunikasi informal untuk melakukan bargaining, negosiasi, dan lobi dalam mengakomudir kepentingan di antara kedua lembaga.
 Metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus digunakan untuk menganalisis pola komunikasi politik pada lembaga legislatif dan eksekutif. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah dengan cara observasi, wawancara, dokumentasi serta penggunaan bahan-bahan yang terkait. Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa pola komunikasi ekternal antara lembaga eksekutif dan legislatif dalam proses penetapan APBD Kota Ambon memanfaatkan saluran komunikasi formal dan informal. Selanjutnya pencocokan program kerja dilakukan melalui tahapan reses yang diakomodir pada dokumen KUA-PPAS serta dituangkan pada pandangan fraksi masing-masing di DPRD.

Flood Impacts in Oshana Region, Namibia: A Case Study of Cuvelai River Basin

Floods are among the global natural disasters that are known to have major negative societal effects. The extent of floods can determine the degree of impact to be made. Floods can cause extensive economic losses, consequently affecting livelihoods, businesses, infrastructures and basic services. This study investigated the impact of floods in communities within the Oshana Region in the northern areas of Namibia. Primary and secondary data were collected in efforts to understand the impact of floods, and the causes of vulnerability to such events. Loss of field crops, destruction of houses, destruction of roads and other infrastructure, and loss of human lives were the major flood impacts that have been identified. The study findings revealed that vulnerability to floods is mainly due to lack of resources, poverty, poor infrastructure, limited budget, inactive disaster risk management structures in the region, rapid population change, non-existing Early Warning System (EWS), lack of awareness of the flood impacts, low income, and the fact that many houses are headed by females. In the absence of coping strategies, communities mainly depend on external relief, particularly for temporary shelter and provision of basic needs. It was concluded that the ability of communities and individuals to cope with flood impacts is related to their culture, history, knowledge system, power dynamics and governance. A further conclusion was that, the vulnerability of communities in the Oshana Region resulted in reduced household resilience to flood disasters.
 
 The study recommended a further investigation into other flood prone regions in Namibia. Other notable recommendations included:
 
 • the availing of information on climate variability and best coping strategies in flood prone communities,
 
 • flood hazards awareness,
 
 • developing and implementing mitigation measures for flood disasters,
 
 • development of a policy on the construction of houses in efforts to avoid flood risks,
 
 • and the development of information communication channels for EWS.

Project Management Communication Planning: An Improved Optimization Model With Additional Recipients and Individualized Weights

Project management is used to coordinate effort during tasks, such as new product design, software engineering, and supply chain improvement. An essential component of project management is the communication plan that directs team members in their use of communication channels for information sharing during the project. Yet, few decision-making tools exist that can help project managers understand the tradeoffs of different communication plans. Herein we connect theory and practice to advance a computational model that provides objective-based assessments of communication plans and helps managers weigh tradeoffs of cost, time, and quality in the use of communication channels across the project. We draw on adaptive structuration theory to understand the impetus to utilize technology in group settings and media richness to explain the capabilities of channels that offer rich synchronous platforms (for e.g., phone, face-to-face, and web conference) and asynchronous lean approaches (for e.g., email, message board, and archive). We describe the tool based on a multiple-criteria decision making model. This model contributes a theoretically based decision support tool for project communication plans.

MODELS OF CORPORATE CULTURE AND ITS OPTIONS: WORLD AND UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE FOR INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES

The article is devoted to the models of corporate culture and its options at industrial enterprises. Models of corporate culture are studied, and world and Ukrainian experience is considered. Based on the study, it was found that there are: E. Shane's model, which is based on three levels: cultural indicators, worldview, levels of symbols and signs; The model of F. Harris and R. Moran that is formed of ten elements and helps industrial enterprises to pay more attention to their workers, to promote the strengthening of industrial relations, the correct development of corporate strategy among the models of world-class corporate culture. It is found that the model of R. Ruttinger contains such basic elements as the market and society, and its values are the culture of the organization, the idea of values, norms, rules of conduct, specific behavior. G. Hoftsed's model of culture is based on practices, the main elements of which are: values, rituals, heroes, symbols. BF Usmanov's model is based on perfect, namely: outstanding figures and role models, leading ideas and values in society, internal standards and rules, informal communication channels. The Performance Engineering Group, Inc. model combines elements of corporate culture with elements of corporate strategy. It was found that the models of Ukrainian scientists differ from foreign ones. MI Ovcharenko's model contains the process of formation and development of corporate culture, consumer profile procedures, allows to fully implement the customer-oriented function of corporate culture. SI Hrybinska's model is based on the factors of external and internal influence on corporate culture, reflects the levels of its manifestation, provides personal needs of employees and motivates staff, helps to satisfy employees with work, helps to achieve creative self-realization and self-development.

Stories from the Field: Mapping Innovation in Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised significant concerns for individual and population mental health. Physical health consequences of the virus, public health prevention measures and economic slowdown negatively impact mental health and pose challenges for the continuation of mental health services. To learn how healthcare workers responded to these difficulties, the Mental Health Innovation Network in collaboration with the World Health Organization Department of Mental Health and Substance Use launched a global call for stories from healthcare workers. Published submissions highlighted innovations and adaptations in mental health support, representing a range of geographical regions, resource settings and target populations. This article summarises key lessons learnt and recommendations from the project, including (1) promote access to basic needs, (2) prioritise care for vulnerable groups and people with severe mental health conditions, (3) support staff mental health, especially frontline health workers, (4) engage hard-to-reach groups through informal communication channels and collaboration with caregivers and (5) support central decision-making mechanisms and cross-sectoral coordination. Using case study examples from the submissions, this field report aims to inform and inspire mental health and psychosocial support providers striving to continue services during the pandemic.

Ebola-Related Health Information Wanted and Obtained by Nurses and Public Health Department Employees: Effects of Formal and Informal Communication Channels.

The aim of this study was to (1) understand types and amounts of Ebola-related information that health organization employees wanted and obtained through formal, informal, internal, and external organizational communication channels; (2) determine potential discrepancies between information wanted and obtained; and (3) investigate how organizational structure might affect information wanted and obtained through these communication channels. Primary data were collected from 526 health workers in 9 hospitals and 13 public health departments in Texas from June to November 2015. Survey data were collected for 7 types of Ebola-related information health organization employees wanted and obtained through various types of organizational communication channels. Descriptive statistical analyses, mixed design analysis of variance, regression analyses, and multilevel analyses were used to analyze the data. Hospital employees (mostly nurses in our sample) received more self-care information than they wanted from every communication channel. However, they received less about all other types of information than they wanted from every communication channel separately and combined. Public health department employees wanted more information than they received from every communication channel separately and combined for all 7 types of information. Discrepancies existed between the types of Ebola-related information wanted and obtained by employees of hospitals and public health departments.

Management information sources and communication strategies for commercially oriented smallholder beef cattle producers in Limpopo province, South Africa

A survey was conducted to identify management information sources and communication channels used by commercially oriented smallholder beef cattle producers ( n = 62) in Limpopo province, South Africa. A total of 62 commercially oriented smallholder farmers under the Limpopo Industrial Development Corporation-Nguni cattle project were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data on farmers’ demographic and farm characteristics, sources of information and communication channels used. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to evaluate factors that influenced farmers’ choices of information sources and communications channels used. Findings show that government extension (53% of the respondents) and other farmers (30%) were the major sources of management information for the farmers. Based on the logistic regression results, the decision to choose government extension as the main source of information was mainly influenced by respondents’ gender ( p = 0.001) and access to training ( p = 0.023). Communication was mainly through farm-to-farm visits (56%) and the use of mobile phones (30%). Based on the current findings, the infusion of modern information communication technologies such as mobile phone-based innovations with the existing government extension service could further strengthen the capacity of farmers to share information among themselves as well as providing feedback to extension agents. Furthermore, it is essential to take cognizance of farmers’ socio-economic factors when identifying and characterizing their management information sources and communication strategies.