Social Managers Research Articles

Business interest associations in the USA and Europe: evaluation of digital marketing techniques applied on their websites and social networks

Purpose This study aims to develop a proprietary indicator to measure the digital presence of the institutions: the digital presence index. Design/methodology/approach This research delves into how nonprofit institutions, specifically business interest associations (BIAs), have developed their internet presence by applying essential digital marketing techniques. To this end, and using big data mining tools, this study analyzes the tracking by internet users of 102 BIAs, with their respective websites in 36 countries in Europe and the USA. In addition, the presence and activity of the institutions included in this study on social networks are considered. Findings This research serves as a basis for discussing the current gap between social reality and the digitalization of institutions. In this sense, conclusions are drawn on the importance of managerial profiles in decision-making on digitization and the necessary knowledge that, together with Web and social network managers, they must have to articulate the means and techniques that promote the internet presence of the organizations they manage. Originality/value Conclusions are drawn according to the geographical scope of the BIAs, and an argument is made about the difficulties of connection and loss of prominence of this type of institutions among their different target audiences, especially among the youngest and most digitized.

Corporate social responsibility perceptions and manager creativity: testing the mediating role of organisational identification

Corporate social responsibility perceptions and manager creativity: testing the mediating role of organisational identification

Factors influencing social media marketing having the impact on brand awareness and brand image

The purpose of the study is to identify the factors influencing social media marketing that have an impact on brand awareness and brand image. In this study, data is collected from 366 respondents using primary data collection method. The result found that YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are the most reliable social media platforms for users. Furthermore, influencers also contribute more to making the brand successful. Most of the users trust on influencers recommended brands and products for their own decision making. This study will be helpful for the social media managers, companies for brand promotion, and their decisions regarding influential marketing.

Social services in Italy tested by the Pandemic: New challenges and scenarios

In the 2-year period 2020–2021, the serious economic and social costs of the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the already numerous structural issues of the national social system and raised new ones. In response to a significant increase in material needs but also a wide and diverse range of non-material needs (amplified by difficult situations such as a lack of self-sufficiency, loneliness, distance learning and problematic family settings), there is now an urgent need for innovation in social interventions by combining a bottom-up approach with direction from central authorities. This paper offers an interpretation of the pandemic’s impact on social services in Tuscany (Italy) by analysing the experiences of social workers and managers (22 in-depth interviews and two focus groups). The need created by the pandemic phase to reorganize the times and methods of social work has highlighted two distinct but closely interrelated perspectives: individually, the issue of redefining professional identities and self-representation; and collectively, the challenge of reorganizing social intervention with new methods and priorities, considering new healthcare measures for the containment of Covid-19. These two processes join the pre-existing ones of externalization and precarization. Against this backdrop, the essay examines two main research questions: first, how and in which ways communication time, relationship time and their ‘rhythms’ have changed during social intervention; and second, what impact containment measures and management of the epidemiological emergency had on professional practices.

Hello, Are You Listening?!

Past research has suggested that organizational listening motives and strategies align with those for interpersonal listening. In this study, researchers examined how stakeholders (n = 299) rated an organizational account’s response – or evidence of listening – to social media posts. It was expected that responses demonstrating higher levels of active-empathic listening would be rated as more appropriate and effective. Results provide partial support for this prediction and indicate that situational contingencies can mediate the amount of active-empathic listening a response should provide. The appropriateness of organizational social media accounts using emojis, GIFs, and memes was also investigated, with about equal thirds of respondents saying they were acceptable, neutral, or unacceptable. Instances when it would be considered appropriate were to align with the style of the stakeholder’s message, in response to a positive review, to convey a stronger indication of the message, and when messaging involved friendly or happy content. Implications for organizational social media managers and future directions for research are discussed.

‘The Social Managers Are Back in Town’: the Challenges of Housing Management in a Residualised Public Housing Sector

The residualisation of social housing sectors requires housing managers to intensify social management activities aimed at promoting tenants’ wellbeing and social cohesion. This paper discusses the implementation of such activities in the Italian public housing sector. It juxtaposes the vision conceptualised at the policy level with the daily activities of housing managers in practice on the ground and highlights the gaps between policy goals and realities of tenants’ involvement. While social management activities are expected to contribute to breaking the vicious circle of financial, technical, and social decline that has long affected public housing estates, the short timeframe of the planned interventions raises the question of the potential for structural change.

Sote-johtajien välinen yhteistyö – Sosiaalisten representaatioiden näkökulma

Collaboration between health and social care managers – A social representations approach This small-scale study explores collaboration between managers drawing on the theory of social representations. The data were produced using visual methods: middle managers (n=25) working in the field of health and social care and education reflected on collaboration in group discussions. The data were analyzed by content analysis. The study shows that emphasizing one’s status and superiority was perceived negatively in the context of collaboration. Deconstructing hierarchies and the myth of individual strong manager seems central when promoting collaboration between managers.

COMPLEXITY IN PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS: CASE STUDIES FROM A STROKE TRANSITIONS TRIAL

Abstract The Michigan Stroke Transitions Trial (MISTT) tested whether in-home social work case management (SWCM) or SWCM combined with access to a website providing stoke-related information improved outcomes relative to usual care for patients discharged home post-stroke and their caregivers. The aims of this secondary analysis are 1) to describe the actual support social work case managers (SWCM) provided to MISTT participants and 2) use select case studies to illustrate the relationship between SWCM and quantitative patient and caregiver outcomes. Data for the study were derived from SWCM case notes on 157 patients and their caregivers who received the MISTT intervention. Case notes were coded in two steps with a subset of cases coded by two researchers and reviewed for interrater reliability in each step. The first round of coding was guided by primary SWCM intervention goals. The second round of coding identified SWCM sub-themes within each primary goal. Key themes indicate SWCMs aided with understanding the post-hospitalization period, helped patients navigate a range of systems and services, identified needs and supported patient goals, provided psychosocial support, and centered support on stroke recovery and prevention. Case studies illustrate ways in which SWCM were key supports during the transition period, but that support does not cleanly align with quantitative findings from patient-reported outcomes. This study aligns with a growing body of work documenting the complexity of transitions of care and has implications for how we support patients and caregivers as they move from inpatient to outpatient care and measure outcomes.

Balancing in the pandemic: how social workers respond to new risks when supporting clients who experience domestic violence

ABSTRACT Since the winter of 2020, COVID-19 has significantly changed the lives of many people. The aim of the present study is to explore how social workers specialised in the field of domestic violence (DV) balance the expectation and need to protect themselves from infection with the expectation and need to protect their clients and how this balancing affects their discretion. The method was qualitative interviews with social workers, team leaders, and managers in two Swedish municipalities. The results offer insights in how professionals experience and respond to changing conditions of social work and the potential consequences for victimised women. Three street-level responses to pandemic restrictions are presented: professionals who complied with new restrictions, professionals who negotiated some far-reaching restrictions, and professionals who resisted restrictions. Consequences for the social services, women experiencing DV, and civil society are discussed. The authors suggest that the results provide learning opportunities for managers and social workers to better understand the complex everyday life that surrounds their mission.

Emotional Exhaustion and Job Satisfaction: An Investigation of the Mediating Role of Job Involvement using Structural Equation Modeling

It is important for management to make its employees fully satisfied at work by reducing emotional exhaustion and increasing their involvement. Today the majority of companies strive to improve their employees’ performance by providing them with all the facilities they need to maintain their physical and psychological well-being and thereby enhance their effectiveness. Therefore, the current study aims to examine whether job involvement mediates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction among financial sector employees. An analysis of 200 responses from financial sector employees was conducted using a survey. To gather information, a set of tools including emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, job involvement and biographical information from bank employees were used. A structural equation model was used to analyze the relationships. The results showed a positive correlation between emotional exhaustion and job involvement between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction and between job involvement and job satisfaction. Thus, it is observed that job involvement mediates and has a significant impact on job satisfaction. The current findings have their own significance for social scientists and managers since they provide a framework for designing work arrangements in a way to prevent emotional exhaustion while increasing employees’ level of job involvement and job satisfaction. The study concludes with a discussion of limitations and suggestions for future research.

The Use of Online Social Media Platforms by Tanzania Journalists to Produce and Disseminate Development News

Advancement in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are revolutionizing Development Journalism (DJ) into an effective strategy for building competitive economies globally. However, many countries in Africa including Tanzania are slow in tapping potentials of ICT for development journalism. Digital penetration in the form of the Internet and social media are changing the way in which journalists are mobilizing and engaging communities in journalism practises, a key strategy for a competitive digitalised economy. This paper was guided by Development Communication Theory and Diffusion of Innovation Theory to explore the use of online social media by journalists in Tanzania to practice development journalism. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, this paper analyses risks and benefits of online social media platforms in contributing to national development goals. A total of 15 social media journalists and managers from Mwananchi Digital, Ayo TV and Azam TV gave their insights in this paper. Use of online social media platforms for development news is still in its infancy stage, key findings show that out of 270 (100%) studied news items, only 66 (24%) manifested development news practice. Non-development news accounted for 204 (76%) of news items analysed. There were only four (4) (27%) journalists who use social media as a source of information, and platform for disseminating development news in Ayo TV compared to 3 (20%) in Mwananchi Digital and 5 (33%) in Azam TV. Results call upon some intensive national efforts to empower journalists in the use of ICT and mobilize audience in the changing communication patterns.

Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) On the Curriculum Upgradation and Career Aspiration of Students

IT encompasses a wide range of functionalities, including communication, processing, reservations, and multimedia. Information and communication technology (ICT) or information technology and communication (ITC) refers to the primary role that communication networks perform. Modern educational systems make extensive use of ICT (information and communication technology). Because of its adaptability and the potential to foster connections among students, ICT plays a significant role in advancing academic understanding. Student interest and attitude toward their future profession or occupation is linked to their aim for a specific vocation. For students, career desire is a combination of the ability to identify and create objectives for the future, as well as to be inspired in the present toward those goals. Indigenous students are looking at a variety of options for their futures in the digital era. In the ICT industry, new technologies are continually being launched. Social Network Manager, IT Architect, Knowledge Management and Web Specialist are just few of the new ICT roles created by new technology. There are still existing job titles like "Systems Analyst," "Project Manager," and "Programmer."

An empirical investigation of the impact of social media tool usage on employees work performance among Ghana Commercial Bank Workers

Goal: The motivation of this paper is to forge and foster an insightful and comprehensive understanding of social media potential and its possible impact on Ghana Commercial Bank employees’ performance. Design / Methodology / Approach: Five cities were strategically sampled using convenient sampling technique to represent the various diversifications in corporate compositions. Data was collected from 249 workers of the Ghana Commercial Bank. The study utilized the structural equation modeling technique to construct and evaluate the proposed research model. Results: Social media usage had a significant positive relationship with employee engagement and knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer had no significant relationship with work performance and employee engagement had a significant positive relationship with work performance. Experience with social media had a significant moderating effect on relationship between knowledge transfer and work performance. Research limitations/implications: The study covered employees from one bank and this has implications on generalization. The study used cross sectional data and employed quantitative analysis. Mixed methods would have added some insights and longitudinal data could further unravel causal relationships among overtime. Practical implications: Social media platform managers and policy makers within the banking sector should proactively harness social media platform and utilize to benefit corporate bodies. Banking authorities and allied stakeholders should train workers to ensure positive inclination to social media usage. Originality/Value: Contributes to theory by validating and establishing the theoretical model. The findings provide insights with respect to development and subsequent deployment of practical guidelines for successful integration of social media in enterprise activities.

Human and Technological Infrastructures of Fact-checking

Increasing demands for fact-checking have led to a growing interest in developing systems and tools to automate the fact-checking process. However, such systems are limited in practice because their system design often does not take into account how fact-checking is done in the real world and ignores the insights and needs of various stakeholder groups core to the fact-checking process. This paper unpacks the fact-checking process by revealing the infrastructures---both human and technological---that support and shape fact-checking work. We interviewed 26 participants belonging to 16 fact-checking teams and organizations with representation from 4 continents. Through these interviews, we describe the human infrastructure of fact-checking by identifying and presenting, in-depth, the roles of six primary stakeholder groups, 1) Editors, 2) External fact-checkers, 3) In-house fact-checkers, 4) Investigators and researchers, 5) Social media managers, and 6) Advocators. Our findings highlight that the fact-checking process is a collaborative effort among various stakeholder groups and associated technological and informational infrastructures. By rendering visibility to the infrastructures, we reveal how fact-checking has evolved to include both short-term claims centric and long-term advocacy centric fact-checking. Our work also identifies key social and technical needs and challenges faced by each stakeholder group. Based on our findings, we suggest that improving the quality of fact-checking requires systematic changes in the civic, informational, and technological contexts.

Developing a work well-being questionnaire for social- and health-care managers.

There is a need for up-to-date research on health-care and social managers' work well-being. The purpose was to develop a questionnaire for measuring health-care and social managers' subjective work well-being and to determine whether their background factors are connected to their work well-being. The authors developed a questionnaire based on their previous health-care and social managers' work well-being framework. It covers 5 separate categories: 1) individual factors, 2) social factors, 3) professional support from one's own manager, 4) organizational factors, and 5) work-related factors. Using statistical methods, the authors examined the questionnaire's internal validity, its fit with the framework, and the connections between several background factors and work well-being. The survey data (N = 281) were collected from South Osthrobothnia and Central Osthrobothnia in Finland. The questionnaire's internal validity was good, and it fit rather well with the authors' previous framework. Managers' work well-being was highest for the category of "professional support from one's own manager" and lowest for "organizational factors." The authors found connections between different categories of work well-being and a) years of managerial experience, b) level of management, and c) occupational group. The questionnaire gives a holistic view of managers' work well-being and is suit- able for measuring work well-being in the social- and health-care context. An examination showed that there is a need to improve the individual situations of the social- and health-care managers. The questionnaire can be used to assess managers' work well-being and to build a knowledge base for developing organizational policies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(6):665-78.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Embraces Accessibility

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 4 Americans have a disability.1 As the population ages, there is an increased need for technology and accessibility (equal access), including Web accessibility. Accessibility is often defined in terms of 2 distinct measures: compliance with standards and usability for people with disabilities. The most common accessibility guidelines are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0/2.1 and the Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. They are written to support the accessibility of HTML content. According to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, “Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.”² Business owners, medical writers, technical editors, social media managers, Web designers, and information technology administrators play a critical role in ensuring a better Web experience for all of us. In this article, we share practical ideas for you to show your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with changes you can make to your website and content today. Accessibility solutions, such as using image alternative text, camel case in hashtags, white space around headings, margins, indentations, and columns, and strategically using fonts and color contrasting, are a few of many effective ways to provide accessible content to a larger audience. We also share other ways to address accessibility with creative strategies, such as podcasting. For medical communicators, strategies in communication, such as descriptive language and the use of storytelling techniques, are vital to ensuring your audience has a clear understanding of the message.

Challenges for implementation of inter-sectoral efforts to improve outbreak response using consolidated framework for implementation research; Iran’s COVID-19 experience

BackgroundThe recurrence of emerging infectious diseases reminds us that rapid response to related outbreaks require coordinated inter-sectoral/ organizational and trans-disciplinary approaches. This study examined the challenges for implementation of inter-sectoral efforts to improve COVID-19 pandemic response in Iran using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR).MethodsWe conducted a qualitative content analysis of in-depth interviews between March 2020 and February 2021 in Tehran, Iran. Participants included health professionals and experts involved in the prevention, treatment and control of COVID-19 pandemic from different levels of the health system (macro: Ministry of Health and Iranian National Institute of Health Research; meso: universities of medical sciences and health services; and micro: hospitals), selected using purposive sampling. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using a deductive approach (CFIR constructs).ResultsIn total, 12 interviews with the participants were conducted; and eight themes emerged as the most important challenges for implementation of inter-sectoral efforts to improve outbreak response in COVID-19. These challenges include lack of proper intervention sources, complexity, poor networking with external organizations, cultural issues, inadequate availability of resources, inadequate access to knowledge and information about inter-sectoral collaboration implementation, and planning issues for it.ConclusionsImplementing inter-sectoral efforts to improve outbreak response require addressing several implementation challenges. There should be effective leadership and command system, prioritizing the problem, having proper intra-sector collaboration, adequate supervisory, strong social capital, managers and officials’ positive beliefs and organizational culture towards inter-sectoral collaboration, sufficient knowledge and information about the implementation, and providing proper programs to implement inter-sectoral collaboration. These findings recall the need to develop and in particular, implement a specific infra-structure through a well-designed program at the government level to strengthen this approach.

The Construction of Shared Wisdom Teaching Practice through IoT Based on the Perspective of Industry-Education Integration

In this paper, to solve the difficulties of overseeing battling reasonings in cordial projects, we use a training-based insight perspective. Based on previous research, managing the tension between friendly government assistance and business is clearly a vital task for social money managers. Accomplishment. Though the social government helps reasoning and its associated characteristics and practices structure the underpinnings of social endeavours, social finance managers similarly need to ensure that their associations are financially sensible, making it essential to attract business reasoning. To this end, we cultivate an instructive program structure taking into account social practice intelligence to assist understudies in getting reasonable data and capacities, organize social business with venturing targets, and consolidate battling reasonings in inventive and legitimate ways.

Welfare contracting with Chinese socialist characteristics: Experience of the Bohai Bay Economic Rim, Northern China

AbstractThis study is set out against the broader socio‐political economy context, in which China searches for better social governance to improve service delivery catering to the soaring demand on social care in the Bohai Bay Economic Rim (BBER). BBER is one of China's industrial bases and currently an emerging economic powerhouse in Northern China, rivalling the Pearl River Delta in the south and Yangtze River Delta in the east. On the bases of policy reviews and in‐depth interviews with government officials, social welfare experts, and managers and social workers of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs), this research contributes to an improved understanding of social governance reforms in China through the welfare contracting, development trends and implementation challenges and changing state–NGO relationships. Empirical data have shown that the success of governance reforms in the BBER area depends heavily on personal relationships rather than organisational reforms. Local officials have successfully maintained strong discretion and intervention through a top‐down and authoritarian approach in welfare contracting, whilst they allocated resources to a circle of acquaintances in the manner of market exchange but without the substance of competition.

“I’m Not Doing It for the Company”: Examining Employee Volunteering Through Employees’ Eyes

This article contributes to research on employee volunteering (EV) by focusing on the experiences of individuals to address the current overemphasis upon collective organizational outcomes. Drawing on qualitative research with employees and corporate social responsibility managers across seven companies, it demonstrates why employees’ experiences are central to understanding the complex mechanisms that link EV with organizational outcomes. The article reveals how both positive and negative organizational outcomes are influenced by the complex relationship between personal motivations and employees’ volunteering experiences—within their organization and within their community—combined with their broader reflexive interpretation of their employing organization and its values.