Social Glue Research Articles

Empathy at the heart of customer experience: A holistic framework for understanding and enhancing consumer empathy through the lens of customer experience

AbstractServing as a social glue in interactions, consumer empathy takes center stage in shaping a pleasant customer experience. Our holistic framework of an empathic customer experience, rooted in the perception–action model of empathy and established customer experience conceptualizations, unveils the close interrelationship between consumer empathy and customer experiences. Grounded in a systematic literature review and a conceptual synthesis, our study contributes to customer experience research by conceptualizing consumer empathy as a cognitive and affective customer experience response, potentially accompanied by supplementary customer experience responses, which we refer to as an empathic customer experience. This study advances empathy literature by offering a systematic overview of an empathic customer experience, covering stimuli at touchpoints that induce an empathic customer experience during consumer interactions, potential contextual factors, and evaluative outcomes of an empathic customer experience. From our results, we derive an agenda with several research directions for the joint investigation of consumer empathy and customer experience to contribute to both research fields. In addition, our framework provides insights for managers, including recommendations for designing stimuli to evoke an empathic customer experience.

The Social Glue: The Effects of CEO Media Coverage on CEO-CFO Social Interaction in Earning Calls

The Social Glue: The Effects of CEO Media Coverage on CEO-CFO Social Interaction in Earning Calls

Investigating the role of metaverse influencers’ attributes for the next generation of services

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to identify the most important attributes of metaverse influencers and examine their impact on customer engagement and social glue.Design/methodology/approachThree studies (one qualitative and two quantitative) were conducted to understand the phenomenon better. The qualitative study (Study 1) was conducted to identify the antecedents of the theoretical model, which was tested in Study 2 using the covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) technique. Study 3 then divided the respondents based on the metaverse influencer attribute preferences.FindingsResults of Study 1 revealed the six most influential attributes of metaverse influencers: physical attractiveness, social attractiveness, perceived credibility, metaverse-influencer fit, intimacy and attitude homophily. Further, Study 2 validated that attractiveness and perceived credibility enhance engagement. Also, the results revealed that intimacy, perceived credibility and homophily enhance social glue. Moreover, parasocial relationships mediate the association between intimacy, attitude homophily, perceived credibility and (engagement and social glue). The conditional indirect effect of physical attractiveness, social attractiveness and metaverse–influencer fit on (engagement and social glue) via parasocial relationships at different high and low levels of self-discrepancy was significant. Finally, Study 3 used latent class analysis to reveal different clusters of metaverse users.Originality/valueThis research enriches our understanding of metaverse influencers, contributing to the influencer marketing literature. It offers actionable insights for marketers by elucidating key influencer attributes, aiding in enhancing engagement and social glue.

Integritas Kepemimpinan Pastoral di Era Postmodern Menurut 2 Timotius 2:14-25

The development of technology and information in the global era will have a major influence on human life. Modernist culture has become the choice of the wider community over conventional cultures. Sometimes society loses the social glue that has been the root of culture, which is replaced with the emergence of social media. Apart from that, the development of this technology also has a bad influence on moral ethics, norms and rules in society. However, this development also provides positive insight into the emergence of new leaders, especially leaders in the spiritual world or pastoral leaders who must maintain their integrity. The methodology in this writing uses an exposition approach by paying attention to the verses of God's word contained in 2 Tim 2:14-25, to get practical application from the figure of a pastoral leader with integrity who keeps his life in accordance with the truth of God's word and by asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that he can protect accountability which has a good influence in the postmodern world.

Relationships between Organizational Culture, Organizational Commitment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizations that are going to prosper and grow, particularly in the area of human resource management, must be able to recognize new opportunities in order to be ready for the future. The researcher is eager to look at the interactions between three important factors: organizational culture, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior, based on a survey of relevant literature. Organizational culture is the social glue that keeps workers united and fosters a feeling of community within the company. Previous research has shown that indicators of organizational success are significantly impacted by organizational commitment. An organization’s efficacy can also be significantly increased by practicing organizational citizenship. Current study indicates that employees’ organizational commitment is positively impacted by organizational culture. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that organizational culture has a discernible impact on organizational citizenship behavior. Based on the results of the aforementioned investigations, the researcher concludes that organizational commitment has a considerable impact on organizational citizenship behavior. The study’s results, according to the researcher, should eventually provide light on significant variables affecting organizational development. The final result of this study is that the researcher presents a model of the relationship between three important human resource factors: organizational culture, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior, as a guideline for organizational administration and human resource management development in the future.

The Amazonian Architecture and Challenges Faced in Socio-Spatial Transformation Processes—Shuar and Achuar, Ecuador

This article explores the ties between vernacular architecture, culture and identity in a context of sociocultural change in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The text addresses the loss of a collective cultural identity from a historical, socio-spatial and descriptive perspective. Beliefs and traditions act as a “social glue“ uniting societies around common values, goals and norms, whose disappearance could cause this society to veer off course or to even become fragmented. Fieldwork carried out further supports these data, showcasing cultural changes which are worsened by globalization and contribute to the erosion of common beliefs. Although challenging, this also provides the opportunity to reassess values in search of new forms of local identity and significance. The article highlights the fragmentation between tradition and the beliefs concerning settlements which had been introduced by colonization through an understanding of construction processes and their spatial logic. The transformation of socio-spatial dynamics highlights the challenges faced by the Amazon, as well as attempts to strike a balance between tradition and progresses, without neglecting environmental culture or integrity due to the pressures of globalization. Therefore, understanding the different relationship systems found within a given ecosystem can provide clues on how to aid their preservation.

The impact of mimicry behavior on guilt

Guilt, on the one hand, can be unpleasant and exhausting. On the other hand, it can also motivate individuals to, for example, make amends and repair broken social relationships. To understand this dual nature of guilt, this research turns to the concept of mimicry. Mimicry is defined as the unconscious imitation of behaviors and is widely recognized as a 'social glue' that plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining social relationships. A key question is whether mimicry could serve as an appliance for the sake of guilt release. A series of six studies (N = 414) reveals the opposite pattern: participants who were mimicked (compared to non-mimicked) felt more guilty. This outcome suggests that while mimicry generally fosters social connections, its interplay with emotions like guilt can be complex.

Social associations and alcohol consumption in an Australian community sample: An egocentric social network analysis.

This study examined how social associations from a person's social network may be associated with their own alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption behavior was examined among the social networks of 784 survey respondents (54% female, Mage = 35.3 years), using egocentric social network analysis. Participants (egos) were recruited via a panel aggregator and completed an online survey about the frequency of their alcohol consumption and that of the 20 most influential people in their lives (alters). The survey also explored who these alters were (family, friends, work colleagues) and the interrelationships among these alters. Egos who consumed alcohol, or consumed alcohol more frequently, were surrounded by more alters who also drank alcohol and felt closer (had stronger ties) to these alters. These relationships remained statistically significant when controlling for demographic and other variables. The social networks of those who consumed alcohol more frequently were more densely intertwined. Alcohol may serve to initiate social connections and be a "social glue" that reinforces relationships. These strong social associations present a potential barrier to individuals who wish to reduce their alcohol consumption because they have few close social connections who do not drink alcohol (or who do so infrequently), and their highly interconnected social networks make it difficult to socialize only with those who do not drink frequently. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“Communal News Work” as Sustainable Business Model: Recent Print-Centric News Start-Ups in Regional Queensland

The Covid-19 emergency in Australia precipitated the closure of dozens of print newspapers across Australia but, conversely, the heightened state of anxiety of the early Covid-19 period amplified the need for local information and communality. This was the impetus for a wave of print-centric newspaper start-ups. We previously examined 22 Covid-19 era start-ups in Queensland (see Barnes et al., 2022, p. 21–34) and found that their editors/publishers universally “reassert(ed) and claim(ed) more vigorously the normative values associated with community journalism as ‘social glue.’” These proprietors deployed an “affective rationale” as the foundation of their journalism and their “lean start-up” business models. We called this a “community cohesion model.” Returning to these start-ups 18 months after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted in Queensland, we find that about 60% of these newspapers have continued operating, still drawing on deep wells of community support. They are transitioning to more conventional “newsonomics,” seeking—like the news organisations they replaced—to expand their advertising and raise other revenue, keep costs low, and expand their digital channels while remaining focussed on their core print offering. Drawing on in-depth interviews and editorial statements by editors/owners of these start-ups, as well as a close examination of advertising in the surviving newspapers, this study argues that adopting affective “hybrid” business models can be a basis for news organisations’ longer-term viability.

Evaluations of dyadic synchrony: observers' traits influence estimation and enjoyment of synchrony in mirror-game movements.

While evidence abounds that motor synchrony is a powerful form of 'social glue' for those involved, we have yet to understand how observers perceive motor synchrony: can observers estimate the degree of synchrony accurately? Is synchrony aesthetically pleasing? In two preregistered experiments (n = 161 each), we assess how accurately observers can estimate the degree of synchrony in dyads playing the mirror game, and how much observers enjoy watching these movements. We further assess whether accuracy and enjoyment are influenced by individual differences in self-reported embodied expertise (ability to reproduce movements, body awareness, body competence), psychosocial resources (extraversion, self-esteem), or social competencies (empathy, autistic traits), while objectivelycontrolling for the degree of measured synchrony and complexity. The data revealed that observers' estimated synchrony with poor accuracy, showing a tendency to underestimate the level of synchrony. Accuracy for low synchrony improved with increasing body competence, while accuracy for high synchrony improved with increasing autistic traits. Observers' enjoyment of dyadic movements correlated positively with the degree of measured synchrony, the predictability of the movements, and the observer's empathy. Furthermore, very low enjoyment was associated with increased body perception. Our findings indicate that accuracy in perceiving synchrony is closely linked to embodiment, while aesthetic evaluations of action hinge on individual differences.

Communicative products of social networks and the Internet as a social glue in times of social crises and disasters

The article presents the quantitative and qualitative impact of social networks and the Internet products on social bonding during crises and disasters. The study is based on the data of psychological experiments, the results of sociological research and various models of news broadcasting and presents consideration about the nature of this impact. In particular, it is shown that informal communication, being a "social glue", has been replenished with new powerful communication channels due to the development of Internet technologies. Despite such an important characteristic as unverified information and other features of counter-knowledge, these channels are massively used by people, thus, according to the author, their communicative and informational products can be studied regarding the possibilities and conditions their expansion and heuristic ability, so they can be analyzed as a factor of social bonding. It has been proven that informal communication in its massive forms are activated in situations of social crises and disasters, because the users are traumatized, often lose control, plunge into a state of social deprivation and need constant communication with like-minded people in similar circumstances. In this way, the community is bonding by social glue by overcoming common problems, and relevant information products and their rapid sharing by the Internet contribute to this. The very information content of for the informal communication through social networks and the Internet allows people to explain reality better and "modify" or alter its representation to a more comfortable one. It has been proven that such factors as "cognitive simplicity" of the information content, its myth-producing component and the high status of an addressee of a message contribute to this. The article also outlines considerations on how people could be taught to navigate the information and choose those products of social networks and the Internet that not only glue community together, but also unite it on the basis of real knowledge. People should be taught to approach information messages critically, to understand the nature and properties of media messages, their communicative and destructive influences. Media literacy and critical thinking could be very helpful in these situations as they facilitate informational culture, teach media literacy, increase personal self-confidence, help people shape their own view of reality and consciously choose partners for constructive communication.

Higher Education Institutions and Multistakeholders’ Engagement: A Longitudinal Study of an Anchor Institution's Legitimacy and Dynamism

Higher education institutions (HEIs) often serve as the social glue of a community. They are place-bound institutions with strong regional ties that typically play a crucial role in shaping the socioeconomic development of local ecosystems. Although their role as anchor institutions—large institutions that impact community life and economies over generations—is clear, there are few studies on how these universities actually evolve. How do their structures change over time? And what, if any, are their strategies for maintaining their status as an anchor institution? This research presents a longitudinal case study spanning a seven-year period in the life of the University of Turin (UniTo), a large generalist university in Northern Italy. During this period, UniTo successfully transitioned from an ivory tower into an entrepreneurial university and a civically engaged institution embedded in its local region. Our analysis identifies the main challenges in evolving from one model to the other, along with the strategies used by UniTo to both face these challenges and maintain its status as an anchor institution. Our findings show that, in the HEI sector, an institution's organizational structures need to be dynamic. Structured, top-down relationships, such as those between the institution and the municipality, need to work in tandem with spontaneous, bottom-up one-to-one relationships. Overall, what emerges from this research is a new concept of legitimacy, called <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">anchored legitimacy</i> , that is built on both spontaneity and structuralism and persists over decades and centuries.

TRADITIONS OF WELCOMING BIRTH IN THE ENDE COMMUNITY, EAST NUSA TENGGARA: THE DIALECTICS OF ISLAM AND LOCAL CULTURE

The tradition of welcoming a baby has an important role in the Ende people of East Nusa Tenggara. This study aims to understand how religious and traditional aspects are dialectic in welcoming the birth of a baby. This research method uses an ethnographic approach, involving participatory observation, in-depth interviews with traditional and religious leaders, as well as literature studies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the traditional practices and Islamic values ??involved. The results of the study show that the tradition of welcoming babies in the Ende people is a blend of Islamic teachings and local cultural values. Religious aspects such as special prayers are integrated with local practices.. Despite social and religious changes, this tradition continues to function as a social glue and cultural identity for the Ende people.

Smile mimicry smoothens human-virtual human interactions

During social interactions, people often unintentionally mimic each other's behaviors, which can occur at the motor level (e.g. smiles or head movements), and the autonomic level (e.g. pupil size). Mimicry has often been linked with increases in liking and trust and tends to smoothen the bond between interaction partners. However, people with social anxiety are generally less expressive and they may also have altered mimicry behavior. The current study aims to explore the relationship between mimicry, person-perception, and social anxiety levels by having participants interact with virtual humans. Compared to real interaction partners or photographed or filmed actors, virtual humans can be controlled and behaviors very precisely manipulated. Participants observed ten virtual humans telling a neutral story on a computer monitor. At predetermined time points, the virtual humans showed four types of expressions: smiles, head movements, pupil dilation, and blushing. After each story, we measured to what extent participants liked and trusted the virtual humans via the avatar evaluation questionnaire, the desire for future interaction scale, and an investment game. In addition, we assessed participants’ social anxiety levels. The results show that participants, regardless of anxiety levels, mimicked the virtual humans’ smiles and that smile mimicry is associated with an increased liking and trust toward the virtual humans. These results build on previous research showing that the mimicry of smiles acts as a social glue and also benefits virtual social interactions.

Construction of Religious Tolerance: Revitalizing The Prayer of Da'wah on Social Media

Social conflicts resulting from differences in religious beliefs and beliefs need to be managed to resolve differences and build lasting consensus. Therefore, the issue of harmony between religious and cultural communities and existing beliefs, both locally and nationally, is a big problem that cannot be ignored and needs serious attention from all parties. Therefore, if religious conflict occurs frequently, it can destroy human values and the foundation of human life. The method used in this research is qualitative with a literature study approach. The results of this research are that people have the freedom to consume whatever form of media they like, but the media itself must function as a filter in deciding what news to cover so that it can function as a social glue for issues such as religious tolerance. The existence of the media as a means of disseminating information demands responsibility to society. Misuse of social events in the media will have a negative impact on society. The existence of the media as a means of disseminating information demands responsibility to society. Misrepresenting social events in the media can potentially have devastating consequences for society.

The Social Capital Ability to Communal Cattle Survive in Rural of Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Globalization has led to a capital transformation that alters culture, values, and human attitudes, making people more individualistic. Social capital acts as a social glue by fostering trust, social norms, cooperation, and a sense of community. This paper will discuss how social capital can be a driving factor for the survival of communal cattle. We conducted this research in Kulwaru Village, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This study used a qualitative approach with data collection through observation, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), in-depth interviews with key informants, and study of program-related documents. The data obtained were then analyzed using an interactive model. The results of the study show that the existence of social capital in the communal cattle in Kulwaru Village has a vital role in shaping social values in society, such as trust, norms, social relations, and cooperation which provides strong bonds in communities both in bonding, bridging, and linking. This factor has made the communal cattle survive for the last twelve years. The findings of this research will contribute to understanding and harnessing the social capital of rural communities; it is possible to support the continuation of this traditional practice and contribute to the economic and cultural well-being of the communities involved.

Breaching, Bridging, and Bonding: Interweaving Pathways of Social‐Symbolic Work in a Flanked Healthcare Movement

AbstractThis article explores how heterogeneous and distributed forms of social‐symbolic work combine over time to yield synergistic relationships that precipitate institutional change. We study a collective effort by patient activists to change the technological and regulatory standards of Type 1 diabetes care. We offer contributions to radical flank theory by conceptualizing radical and moderate flanks as dynamic and overlapping pathways of action rather than fixed actor positions, and we show how a medial ‘bonding’ pathway can provide important social glue to connect the radical and moderate flanks. While in our case the material and discursive ‘hacking’ work in the breaching pathway disrupted institutions, triggered technology innovation, and created momentum for change, material and relational ‘bridging’ embedded these efforts into existing institutional structures and longer‐term innovation trajectories. Values and amplification work in the bonding pathway served to keep the two other pathways aligned over time. By addressing how a complex social problem – patient‐centric innovation – may be affected through heterogeneous social‐symbolic work that leads to institutional accommodation, our study holds considerable policy and societal relevance.

Sozialer Zusammenhalt im internationalen Vergleich: ein Überblick über zentrale Maße und Befunde

AbstractAlthough social integration has always been a central sociological issue, there has never been a consensus how to approach the topic empirically. In the new millennium, social cohesion has emerged as a lead concept for measuring how integrated societies are—not the least, because many observers see the social fabric of modern-day societies in deep crisis. Consequently, scholars and think tanks have intensified their efforts to chart how strong the social glue of contemporary societies is, as well as which conditions strengthen or weaken it. The main goal of our article is to provide an overview of measures of social cohesion that have been specifically designed for cross-national comparisons. To this end, we compare selected measures with respect to what they measure, how, and for what purpose. We then highlight key empirical insights gained by these measures, touching upon the issues of levels, regimes, as well as determinants and outcomes of social cohesion. The review concludes that one of the measures, the Bertelsmann Social Cohesion Radar, stands out in terms of conceptual clarity, methodological sophistication, and richness of empirical findings.

What works and why in interventions to strengthen social cohesion: A systematic review

AbstractCOVID‐19 has highlighted worldwide the importance of a strong social and political fabric. Those countries that fared best were ones where there was community connection, belonging, a volunteering ethos, and a belief in the legitimacy of official institutions, all deemed critical aspects of social cohesion. It has become clear that understanding and strengthening social cohesion in times of stability is critical to successfully navigate crisis. Despite its importance, evidence from many countries indicates that this important “social glue” is fragile and at risk, requiring consistent investments to maintain and strengthen it. Governments and communities around the world are looking to evidence‐based strategies to strengthen social cohesion. To facilitate this goal, a systematic review is conducted of four major databases identifying 52 studies with high‐quality evidence of what works and why. We also included the results of three systematic reviews that had investigated the impact of social capital and/or social cohesion on health‐related variables specifically to broaden our search and enrich our findings (n = 21; total = 73). Using themes identified across governments, it is possible to classify the strengths and limitations of existing research. It becomes clear that the most common effective strategies were (1) awareness raising and coutering existing stereotypes and (2) offering opportunities for positive contact and a more co‐operative assessment of intergroup relations. Missing are leadership processes that can (re)define group‐based values, norms, and behaviors. Specific intervention strategies are outlined as well as directions for future research.

Migration and Socio-Cultural Adaptation of Bugis Ethnic Migrants in Palu City

The aims of this study were 1) to find out about the migration process of the Bugis ethnic group to Palu City, to explain the driving factors in the area of ​​origin of South Sulawesi, the pull factors in the destination area of ​​Palu City as well as the inhibiting factors and barriers to migrating to Palu City. 2) Knowing about social interactions and socio-cultural adaptations of the Bugis ethnic in Palu City. The method used is a qualitative approach involving 8 informants. The results showed that: Migration of the Bugis Ethnic to Palu City was motivated by economic factors due to limited job opportunities and increasingly competitive life along with population growth in the area of ​​origin of South Sulawesi. The factor of "siri" cultural values, past conflicts and political upheavals also contributed to the migration of the Bugis Ethnic to Palu City. The swift flow of migration of the Bugis Ethnic to Palu City has an impact on social relations, both associative and dissociative which automatically forces Bugis migrants to be more adaptive to the surrounding social environment, therefore, the cultural values ​​possessed by the Bugis Ethnic are internalized in his life is expected to become a social glue in social interaction in the overseas area of ​​Palu City.