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Copyright of Journal of Research in Specific Education Fields - J.R.S.E.F is the property of Association of Arab Educators and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study aims to examine how social anxiety moderates the effect of media selection during initial online interactions for making new friends. The study recruited 147 individuals with high levels and another 147 individuals with low levels of social anxiety who measured their intention to use various types of media to meet new friends online. The results demonstrated that individuals with high (low) social anxiety tended to choose visually (non-visually) anonymous media for initial interactions. Interestingly, once engaged in visually anonymous media, individuals with high social anxiety experienced reduced discomfort, following the expected pattern of media richness theory (MRT) by gradually adopting richer media for improved communication. The findings hold valuable implications for MRT and offer practical insights for media designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic sports (esports) have become one of the fastest-growing forms of new media. As a result, esports livestreaming media is a necessary medium for connecting viewers and esports livestreams. Drawing on the media richness theory, the purpose of the current study was to explore how livestreaming media attributes and viewers' individual characteristics (esports involvement) influence the viewer's experience (satisfaction and flow experience) and media loyalty. The results of a latent moderated structural equations (LMS) modeling analysis using a total of 568 viewers revealed that informativeness and convenience significantly influenced viewer satisfaction and flow experience, which in turn influenced media loyalty. Interestingly, interactivity was found to be a more important attribute for viewer satisfaction and flow experience among highly involved viewers while informativeness was an important attribute for less involved viewers. Furthermore, viewer satisfaction is pivotal in establishing media loyalty for less involved viewers, while flow experience is key for highly involved viewers. The findings of this research have theoretical implications for the literature on esports media and media consumption experiences and offer managers effective strategies for developing esports media loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing on media richness theory and a framework of interpersonal communication goals, this study investigates how and why the IT industry's top managers use communication media to achieve their interaction goals in e-leadership. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach is applied to understand top managers' communication media use and interaction goals. The empirical data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 33 top managers from large IT companies and analysed using theory-guided thematic and ideal-type analyses. Findings: Top managers were categorized into three types, based on their communication goals through face-to-face communication. Relationship-oriented top managers pursued relational and communal goals, whereas task-oriented ones wished to achieve instrumental and communal goals. Task- and relationship-oriented top managers pursued relational, instrumental, and communal goals. This study indicates that communal, instrumental, relational, and self-presentational goals influence managers' communication media selection. Originality/value: This study brings new knowledge to the management communication research field. It expands the framework of interpersonal communication goals by identifying communal goals as a new category, in addition to existing instrumental, relational and self-presentational goals. This study suggests that media richness theory could be advanced by recognizing that a broader set of communication goals – including communal, instrumental, relational, and self-presentational – influences managers' communication media selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of online interruption pace and information richness on managerial task performance. A computer game simulating external interruptions online was used to expose participants to either a slow or rapid pace of interruptions and provide them with either lean or rich information during the task. Task performance was measured based on the points scored in the game. Results indicate that the pace of interruptions significantly affected task performance, with participants experiencing a slow pace of interruptions performing better than those experiencing a rapid one. Information richness did not significantly affect task performance. However, the interaction between the two variables significantly affected task performance, with optimal performance occurring with fewer interruptions and richer information. The growing prevalence of remote work and its potential for more frequent and varied interruptions calls for investigating a more complex model of interruption effects, helping managers better understand interruptions in work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Public Relations Research Middle East / Magallat Bhut Al-Laqat Al-Amh - Al-Srq Al-Aust is the property of Egyptian Public Relation Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The widespread use of voice assistants (VAs) creates a pressing need to understand what drives consumers to use different VAs. Existing studies have commonly focused on the net effects of antecedents that explain why consumers adopt or continue using VAs, ignoring the complexity of consumer behavior and the combinatorial effects of multiple antecedents. Our study proposes that consumer intention to continue using VAs does not depend on a single characteristic of products or consumers but on specific configurations of such characteristics. By integrating human–technology interaction and media richness theories, we suggest that consumers with distinct psychometric profiles and learning styles may evaluate humanlike and technological attributes of VAs differently. Our study shows that the complex interconnectedness between different VA attributes and consumer characteristics can provide a holistic understanding of why some consumers continue or stop using VAs. The results advance the media richness literature by offering novel insights into multimodality in consumer–technology interactions by examining consumer evaluations of single and multimodal VAs (e.g., smart speakers vs. touchscreen smart speakers). Our study provides templates for managers to effectively design VAs aligned with their segmentation and targeting strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools on journalism in Vietnam by employing a quantitative-methods approach influenced by Social Presence Theory, Media Richness Theory, and Uses and Gratifications Theory. A quantitative survey was conducted with 335 journalists and other stakeholders in newsrooms. The results indicated that social presence significantly affects the adoption and efficacy of CMC tools in this unique cultural context. The study extended the Media Richness Theory by adding a cross-cultural dimension, and the Uses and Gratifications Theory sheds light on the motivations behind tool adoption. This research contributed to theory by adapting established frameworks to a new cultural environment and offers practical guidelines for media organizations in Vietnam undergoing digital transformation. Future research should explore interdisciplinary frameworks incorporating cultural, technological, and psychological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses media richness theory to examine social media usage in science journalism from the Global South. By analysing content from the Twitter feeds of three South African-based science journalism outfits, the central question is: How do South African science journalism outfits use the affordances of Twitter to engage local audiences with global science issues in contextually relevant ways? The study finds that multilingualism in science journalism tweets is made possible by the affordances of Twitter as a multimodal platform, which allows science journalists to make content available in Zulu, the most widely spoken language in South Africa. It further demonstrates that by using simplified graphics, science journalism tweets can simplify what would otherwise be complex scientific developments. Finally, it shows discrepancies in how these accounts respond to their audiences and harnesses Twitter's affordance of real-time engagement between the senders and receivers of messages. By using these case studies to illustrate how Twitter's technological affordances empower South African science journalists to bridge linguistic and informational gaps, engage diverse audiences, and facilitate real-time interactions, this study demonstrates the potential of social media platforms to democratise science communication and foster inclusivity, in science journalism in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increase in and diversity of disclosure channels available, our understanding of how managers incorporate channel features into their disclosure decisions remains incomplete. I provide evidence that managers choose relatively rich channels that offer multiple cues, opportunities for interaction, and linguistic diversity (i.e., the earnings call, as compared to the press release) to communicate complex information. The positive relation between disclosure channel richness and subject matter complexity persists in both a document-level analysis and a small sample test examining disclosure channel choice from all possible disclosure channels. I provide some evidence that deviating from the complexity/richness matching strategy is associated with a muted market response to firms' quarterly disclosures. The results are consistent with managers choosing disclosure channels to reduce investors' information processing costs. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: G14; M41. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to escalating environmental pressures and the growing global consensus on comprehensive green initiatives, marketers encounter the challenge of effectively communicating with diverse green consumer segments. The purpose of this study is to explore the preferences of different IMC tools among different types of green consumers and then attempt to propose effective communication tools for different types of green consumers to boost sustainable consumption. This study examined 13 widely used integrated marketing communication (IMC) tools and delved into their impact on the purchase intentions of different consumer segments toward green products. Meanwhile, departing from conventional approaches, we replaced consumer awareness with actual consumer behavior to more accurately segment green consumers. This distinction allowed us to categorize green consumers into three segments: light green (including colorless), medium green, and dark green consumers. By analyzing these IMC tools based on the dimensions of media richness theory—feedback, multiple cues, language variety, and personal focus—we found that (1) only three communication tools can effectively provide green consumers with different levels of green behavior with the green product information they need to enhance their green products purchase intention; (2) dark green consumers demonstrate a markedly stronger preference for these three types of IMC tools than the others; (3) there are significant differences in only two constructs, namely "feedback" and "language variety" among these three types of green consumers; and (4) both dark green and medium green consumers are more concerned about the level of personalization in messages than light green (including colorless) consumers. Ultimately, practical insights are provided to empower businesses and marketers in boosting consumer preference for green products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The increasing number of online courses in higher education has provided students with convenience and flexibility. However, some adverse effects also come with online learning, including negatively affecting student beliefs in themselves and their perceptions of the instructor. Both are important factors for academic success. Grounded in media richness theory, this study aims to examine the impact of medium choices by investigating instructor messages on student beliefs and perceptions in an online course. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a survey methodology using validated items to assess university student perceptions following faculty interactions (video versus customized email). Findings: The authors find that videos and personalized emails, using mass distribution Excel features, help increase student beliefs, including social belongingness and self-efficacy, and improve students' perceptions of the instructor and learning environment. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by establishing that the richness of media of faculty messages can impact student beliefs, which in turn, may help with student success and retention. The activities used in this study are low-effort for the instructor and may have lasting effects on the students. In addition, this study fills a gap in the literature by examining multiple forms of the richness of media and their impact on multiple aspects of students' beliefs and perceptions of the instructor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Online learning provides a variety of benefits to the educational experience, including accessibility and flexibility, but is often limited in terms of peer-to-peer interactions and relationship development. Using media richness theory as a guiding framework, this study extended prior research to determine the impact of using richer channels in a fast-friendship task on feelings of co-presence and social connection among undergraduate students in online courses. Participants (N = 106) were assigned to one of three conditions (text, phone or video) for the fast-friendship task, which took place over the course of nine weeks. The results revealed that there was no indirect effect of channel richness on social connection through co-presence. Additionally, the direct effects of channel richness on co-presence and co-presence on social connection were not significant. These null findings have theoretical and practical implications for understanding media richness in online learning and improving course design among contemporary college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous companies are considering implementing virtual reality (VR) technology in both online and offline stores to attract more customers, as they realized in recent years that the shopping contexts built with VR help provide consumers with feeling of presence experience. To explore various factors affecting users' shopping intention toward using VR, a research model based on the theory of reasoned action and the ABC (affective- behavioral- cognitive) model of attitude was developed. The model, which also encompassed spatial presence, media richness, flow, and VR context empathy, was tested in VR and conventional online shopping contexts. This study involved an online questionnaire used for empirical research, along with the collection and analysis of data of 240 samples by structural equation modeling approach. The findings indicated that attitude is the most important factor affecting the intention of using online shopping while empathy is the most critical factor affecting offline shopping intention. In addition, flow has strong influence on both attitude and empathy. This study also uncovered that spatial presence and media richness have positive influence on users' flow experience. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Research / Sosyal Bilimler Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of ODU Journal of Social Sciences Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A picture is worth a thousand words. User-generated photos (UGPs) are increasingly accompanying online reviews of hotels. This article draws on media richness theory to estimate the effects of UGPs on hotel reviews' helpfulness. Based on a sample of 1,159,590 valid reviews with 464,316 photos, we utilized an integrated analytical model incorporating both econometric analyses and image-processing techniques. The results show that reviews accompanied by UGPs are generally rated as more helpful than those with textual content only. Furthermore, photos showing guestroom objects were rated as more helpful than those showing food & beverages. Finally, the positive effects of UGPs on review helpfulness were especially prominent for hotels with lower prices and negative reviews. This study adds new insights to the online review literature and advances the methodological approach in analyzing unstructured user-generated content. This study provides important implications for hotel managers and online booking platforms regarding UGP management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolving tourism industry and increasing number of travelers are not only raising environmental concerns about tourism sites, but also posing challenges for local communities. In this scenario, the notion and agenda for sustainable tourism are widely criticized due to their limited scope and emphasis on creating a balance between economic and adverse environmental and communal benefits. In response, the call for a necessary paradigm transformation has become intense. Consequently, a new approach—regenerative tourism—has been developed to create awareness about pro-environmental behavior to satisfy the primary needs of the community. Regenerative tourism supports the quality of life of local people. Therefore, there is a great need to promote eco-literacy through innovative and better audience experience-laden communication strategies, such as immersive journalism and metaverse-based promotional content. However, little is known about how these future technologies interplay with psychological and social mechanisms to enhance regenerative tourism intention. Drawing an analogy from pro-environmental theory and media richness theory, this research intends to identify whether virtual, augmented reality merger (i.e., immersive journalism), and metaverse-based environmental delineations may contribute to educating tourists and lead to regenerative tourism intention. This research was carried out using a cross-sectional online survey that collected data from 776 digital media users from Pakistan who plan to visit a destination or have done so previously. The results from the data, based on structural equation modeling, suggested that immersive journalism and metaverse-based regenerative tourism promotion are communication strategies that effectively enhance eco-literacy and lead to pro-environmental behavior. However, dispositional empathy has critical moderating implications; the greater the extent of the empathy concerns that individuals uphold, the stronger the eco-literacy and pro-environmental behavior. Finally, regenerative tourism intention can be predicted by these antecedents effectively. Therefore, these pioneer results confirmed that innovative technology-driven media content can augment awareness of regenerative tourism activities and transform travelers' intention to adopt regenerative practices during destination visits. This research suggests strategic guidelines for organizations and governments to implement practical, innovative, and communicative tools that support adopting regenerative practices among prospective travelers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 struck the world by storm and has taken its victims along the way. It had also put the whole world on a temporary pause as people tried to manage the virus as best as possible. It has affected people all around the globe and had a huge impact on the global economy. This research will look into how microbusinesses have used social media in order to better face the challenges and changes that came due to the COVID-19 crisis while it will discuss how businesses' perceptions were altered along the way. In particular we are reviewing relevant academic literature surrounding microbusinesses and how they have been affected by COVID-19. The research methods used within this study, and the research results will be stated with reference to primary respondents. We have used a combination of secondary and primary research to develop further understanding of microbusinesses and the impact that COVID-19 has had on organizations in relation to the use of the internet and social media platforms. Limitations of the study will also be identified, and future research areas will be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, borders were closed, cities were blocked, and individuals went into quarantine. The market size of the tourism industry in 2020 declined by more than 70% compared to the previous year, regressing to the size it was 30 years ago. This does not mean that people's needs for tourism have decreased. People started to use virtual reality technologies to get the experience of sightseeing even if they could not go directly to tourist attractions. Prior studies found that virtual reality technology is effective for online shopping and gaming contexts. However, there are insufficient studies investigating the effect of using virtual reality for tourism content. Therefore, this study attempts to verify how the media richness of virtual reality tourism content elicits various reactions from potential tourists in terms of perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, satisfaction, destination visit intention, and positive word-of-mouth intention. The purpose of this study is to verify how virtual reality tourism content increases the destination visit intention after the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on media richness theory and the information system success model, a hypothesis was developed. One hundred and eighty-two data were gathered from potential tourists who were in quarantine by performing an online scenario survey that used quasi-experiment methods. Data were analyzed with a PLS algorithm. The results indicate that media richness of tourism content using virtual reality significantly increased perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment. It could significantly increase satisfaction, destination visit intention, and positive word-of-mouth intention. The results of this study explain how information technology can be used in the tourism industry, and they provide suggestions on why tourism content using virtual reality can be useful for attracting tourists, and what experiences it can provide tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Public Relations Research Middle East / Magallat Bhut Al-Laqat Al-Amh - Al-Srq Al-Aust is the property of Egyptian Public Relation Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how big data analytics (BDA) emerging technologies crossed with social media (SM). Twitter can be used to improve decision-making before and during maritime accidents. We propose a conceptual early warning system called community alert and communications system (ComACom) to prevent future accidents. Design/methodology/approach: Based on secondary data, the authors developed a narrative case study of the MV Wakashio maritime disaster. The authors adopted a post-constructionist approach through the use of media richness and synchronicity theory, highlighting wider community voices drawn from social media (SM), particularly Twitter. The authors applied BDA techniques to a dataset of real-time tweets to evaluate the unfolding operational response to the maritime emergency. Findings: The authors reconstituted a narrative of four escalating sub-events and illustrated how critical decisions taken in an organisational and institutional vacuum led to catastrophic consequences. We highlighted the specific roles of three main stakeholders (the ship's organisation, official institutions and the wider community). Our study shows that SM enhanced with BDA, embedded within our ComACom model, can better achieve collective sense-making of emergency accidents. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited to Twitter data and one case. Our conceptual model needs to be operationalised. Practical implications: ComACom will improve decision-making to minimise human errors in maritime accidents. Social implications: Emergency response will be improved by including the voices of the wider community. Originality/value: ComACom conceptualises an early warning system using emerging BDA/AI technologies to improve safety in maritime transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has had severe consequences for the older section of the population. In this project, we studied how COVID‐19 measures have impacted a group of older persons as users of municipal health and care services in Norway. We were specifically concerned with how communication works, in terms of the communication channels used, and what this means for the older. We also analyzed the users' experiences during the period of COVID‐19 restrictions in terms of quality of life. In addition, we looked at the municipal service providers' understanding of the situation of the older. The data collection was performed mainly in July 2020 when Norway had relatively strict COVID‐19 restrictions in relation to health and care services for older residents. Our results indicate that COVID‐19 restrictions both impaired the quality of life and security and aggravated loneliness. Regarding the older and communication, it was crucial to identify channels of communication with which the older are most comfortable. The results of this study clearly show that (a) the older had a definite preference for face‐to‐face personal communication; (b) although the older were familiar with the audio phone call and used it as a substitute for home visits, it reduced their security and quality of life; and (c) video‐based media such as smartphones, tablets, and PC were not desirable alternatives to regular voice‐based phones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate an online live streaming perceived servicescape (OLSPS) scale that can help platform service providers to develop strategies for new live streaming channel promotions. Design/methodology/approach: This study conceptualized the construct of OLSPS and the four-phase procedure of the 66-item OLSPS scale development, including item generation, item purification, scale validation, measure application and testing of hypotheses. It also provided a research framework to assess audiences' cognition and behavioral intention, and an online survey on 420 live streaming users (social platforms, n = 210; native platforms, n = 210) was conducted. Findings: This study developed and validated a 35-item OLSPS scale with eight dimensions. The results of the empirical model showed that OLSPS is positively correlated with the audiences' cognition and behavioral intention. Furthermore, parasocial interaction experience showed a positive moderation on channel trust. Originality/value: This study is a pioneering effort to develop and validate an OLSPS scale. The results could be helpful for researchers in building OLSPS and for managers in assessing and promoting users' acceptance of online live streaming platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing media richness theory, a model is developed to open the black box surrounding the impact of computer-mediated communication systems on decision quality. The effects on decision quality of two important communication system factors, cue multiplicity and feedback immediacy, are examined in light of three important mediating constructs: social perceptions, message clarity, and ability to evaluate others. A laboratory experiment examining two tasks and employing face-to-face, electronic meeting, electronic conferencing, and electronic mail communication systems is used to assess the model's validity. Results provide consistent support for the research model as well as media richness theory. Richer media facilitate social perceptions (total socio-emotional communication and positive socio-emotional climate) and perceived ability to evaluate others' deception and expertise. Leaner media (electronic mail and electronic conferencing) facilitate communication clarity when participants have less task-relevant knowledge. The impacts of these mediating constructs on decision quality were found to depend on the levels of participant expertise and deception. In general, it was found that richer media can have significantly positive impacts on decision quality when participants' task-relevant knowledge is high. Moreover, effects of participant deception can be mitigated by employing richer media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study seeks to understand how American journalists integrate social media in news production by conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews. Thirteen journalists and editors from thirteen newsrooms of variety size, and multiple platforms (newspaper, radio, television, magazine to online-only news organizations) were interviewed. Based on the media richness theory, the study shed light on how journalists delve into the virtual world, build connections between virtuality and reality through finding sources, interacting with audiences, constructing communities in the virtuality and integrating virtuality with reality into the news production process. With its rich multimedia features that allow immediate interaction between journalists and audiences, social media has become a rich medium that connects virtuality to reality in social news and, in particular, immersive journalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media richness theory was developed in the mid‐1980s in the field of business management and became very popular along with the diffusion of electronic communication media. Despite the popularity, inconsistent results from empirical studies have been the issues with this theory. In addition, the recent advanced communication technology has been raising more challenges towards the original concepts. Thus, we have reviewed the literature in the past decade to illustrate diverse applications and validity of the theory with more recent communication channels. Based on the findings we have also discussed a future of media richness theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zarqa Journal for Research & Studies in Humanities is the property of Zarqa Journal for Research & Studies in Humanities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Trust is central to our social lives in both epistemic and practical ways. Often, it is rational only given evidence for trustworthiness, and with that evidence is made available by communication. New technologies are changing our practices of communication, enabling increasing rich and diverse ways of 'being there', but at a distance. This paper asks: how does telepresent communication support evidence-constrained trust? In answering it, I reply to the leading pessimists about the possibility of the digital mediation of trust, Philip Pettit and Hubert Dreyfus. I also rebut Media Richness Theory, which proposes a linear relationship between the volume of mediated information and the quality of communication. Positively, I develop a speech-act theory of digitally mediated communication, drawing on Austen's identification of the illocutionary act. The choice of a particular technology of communication constitutes part of what is communicated, including a setting of the social 'frame', and thus the possibilities for trust to be sustained or eroded. How something is said is part of what it is that is said. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the influence of inter-stakeholders' communication on universities which mutually collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders in frame of university - industry collaboration (UIC) and coordinate their internal structure in this direction. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, literature review and theoretical approach were applied to find out the interrelationships of four basic theories (i.e. Communicative Actions Theory, Media Richness Theory, Actor-Networks Theory, and Stakeholder Theory) that are located amongst inter-stakeholders communication and UIC. Findings: There is a strong nexus between stakeholder theory and other mentioned three theories. Stakeholder theory has a magnet role in combining UIC and inter-stakeholders' communication. Communicative actions theory, media richness theory and actor-networks theory have supportive and transformative effects on stakeholder theory to uphold the relationships at multivariate levels, actors and institutions. Research limitations/implications: The research was limited to the communication dimension of stakeholders and UIC. There are many other dimensions; such as, reciprocal trust, commitment, continuity and understanding. Investigators are encouraged to improve a reliable and valid scale and test these factors in an empirical way. Practical implications: The paper includes implications for the development of the position of managers in communicative activities in which universities build interactions with their stakeholders and create an open system that is a strategic point. Originality/value: The original contribution of this study is to attach considerable attention to university interfaces (e.g. UIC Centre, Technocity / Technopark, Technology Transfer Office, Incubation Centre) and the managers working in these institutions have very crucial functions to establish cooperation amongst university and industry, and contain multidimensional and multidisciplinary aspects of collaboration and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Statement of problem: The main objective of this paper is use existing data in order to identify and predict the status of Iranian journalism in the next few years? Will today’s newspapers and journalism disappear? What is the status of electronic journalism and what is the status of printed newspapers against its growing growth? Therefore, a Delphi method was used to identify the features and components of journalism as well as their possible challenges in Iran over the next 02 years. To reach such objective, a long-term in-depth interview was used so to let interviewees to reach an agreement among themselves. This study was conducted in 0202 and it explains the 02-year perspective of the Iranian newspapers, i.e., 0202. Journalism in Iran has faced many challenges since its inception, and has gone through ups and downs causing Iranian bizarre journalism to become even more complicated. Therefore, some experts predict that written journalism will be disappeared in the next few years. This is while some believe that Iranian journalism will only undergo some changes but does not disappear. The above points make the study more relevant. In this research, an overview of the future of journalism in Iran will be provided with the views of experts in this field to assess the future of the world of print and electronic newspapers and their interaction, as well as to predict and propose appropriate solutions for equipping and modifying the infrastructure and related superstructures that would possible help sustain the Iranian tradition of journalism. Theoretical Framework: Considering that the research has been exploratory, the theoretical domain of this study is only based on research literature and no definite theory is proposed here. Nonetheless, since each scientific research must be consistent with some theoretical framework, two areas are explained in this section at first; the concepts of futurism is dealt with, and theories of information society is considered as the closest and most relevant existing communication theories although futurism is considered as the basis of research. The richness of media is defined by Daft and Langel (0891) as "the ability to change intelligence over a period of time." Media richness theory says communication media will be able to enable users to communicate and change. The degree of this ability is known as the "richness of the media." The media richness criticizes all communication media based on their ability to create a complicated message. Media that can overcome different frames of reference and turn on conflicting issues become richer, while communication media that require more time to understand the message are less expensive The main criterion for choosing a communication medium for a specific message regards the question of whether the ambiguity or possible mistakes in the message can be reduced. This is because if a message is not clear enough, it may be difficult for the audience to decode it. The more ambiguous the message is, the more signs and data the audience needs to interpret the message. For example, a simple message intended to arrange the time and place of a meeting can be done in a short email, but a more detailed message about job performance and the expectations of a person can communicate better than email if it happens through face to face communication and interaction among people. Research method: Delphi's futuristic approach is used in this research. Delphi is a method for collecting expert opinions and it is one of the most relevant techniques for integrating insights, experiences, evaluations, and practices of individuals. Since this research is an exploratory research, and the goal of the researchers is to identify, explain and define the unknown phenomena of journalism in Iran, therefore, instead of the hypothesis, the research questions are answered, i.e., a method that helps to predict the future. It should be noted that we used the term "newspaper or journalism" in this research to refer to a print or electronic newspaper or journalism. Statistical population: The statistical community here is made of Journalists, professionals and managers working in the field of press and journalism in Iran, provided they have more than 02 years of journalism experience. They include professors and specialists in the field of social communication and journalism who work in news offices. Sampling: Delphi method expert sampling is used which is a purposeful and snowball sampling. In such a method, a number of (n = 0) of specialists from 09 experts were selected. This research was conducted in two series of interviews and two rounds in a panel form. However, the process was slow and hard because of the interviewers’ business. The experts and professors who helped us as our snow ball samples are as follows: Hasan Namkodost Tehrani, Hamid Ziaei Parvar, Hossein Ghandi, Ali Akbar Ghazizadeh, Mehrdad Kheidir, Hossein Entezami, Reza Moghaddasi, Alireza Farahmand, Fahad Fardnia, Mohammad Ghoochani, Mostafa Ghavandloo Qajar, Mohammad Mehdi Forghani, Mahmood Sadri, Majid Rezaiean, Bahareh Nasiri, Bahareh Bashi, Hamid Reza Hosseini Dana, Majid Yousefi Method of data collection: The main technique of Delphi for collection of data is interview. We prepared some questions that were taken from experts' opinions and construct a questionnaire. Experts were asked to express their agreement or disagreement with the terms. Shared terms were extracted as predictions and less subscribed items were reassessed with changes. After that, the controversial comments were valued with the Likert scale to measure the amount of agreement or disagreement and to obtain the final terms. Findings: some of the results indicate that paper and print newspapers will remain in the future and will not disappear, and print press challenges will remain and will not be eliminated. Nevertheless, most experts believe that these challenges are much less common in electronic newspapers. On the other hand, the impact of global issues on the media will be more than today and more than indigenous culture. The research findings also show that print newspapers use different content based on the rich media theory of the future, and the role of the audience in all sections of the newspaper will increase significantly, to the extent that many social media are formed and will grow. In addition, the role of economics and economic issues in the future of Iranian newspapers will increase. It should also be noted that the share of electronic journalism in the future will increase as technology grows and print newspapers are forced to have electronic versions. At the same time, they rely heavily on their strengths. In this way, they must come to the investigative reports and fascinating writings in terms of media richness and the analysis and interpretation become more important than news quotes. Therefore, they are affected by images, graphics, and content changes created by the web. Of course, they also use loose trust in the audience on the Web and they make the audience less misguided by visiting them through orthography and trusteeship. This suggests that the interaction of these two types of journalism will be high, and in spite of their difference in terms of form and content, they will not eliminate one another at least in our 02-year- perspective assessment. Therefore, we found out that considering the two types of electronic and print journalism as separate medium was a right research choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper, building on the media richness theory (MRT), is to propose that while communicating product information via streaming video should enhance outcome measures, such an enhancement will be evident mainly for users with equivocal, latent goals (i.e. recreational browsing) rather than for those with less equivocal, concrete goals (i.e. the search of a specific product).Design/methodology/approach The experiment involved 337 potential online consumers in Canada, and had full factorial design with four conditions (two methods to communicate product information: textual vs streaming video, and two goals: product searching vs recreational browsing). Analysis of covariance was used to test the hypotheses.Findings The results lent support to the hypotheses. The perceived information quality, trusting competence, and arousal for participants with recreational browsing goals were significantly affected when product information where communicated using streaming video. For participants with concrete goals (product searchers), the traditional textual method was as effective as the streaming video method.Practical implications The findings entice practitioners to use rich media such as the streaming video method to communicate online information predominantly for users with experiential browsing goals, and to use lean media for users with less equivocal, concrete goals.Originality/value The results contribute to the sparse literature that underscores the key role of user goal in shaping the effectiveness of online information. The results provide empirical support to the prediction of MRT that the use of rich media to communicate information is advantageous for users with latent, equivocal goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an in-class activity that helps students improve their skills in media selection and use to reinforce effective communication. The activity builds on media richness and channel expansion theories through an examination of the media selection and use of NBA athlete LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert during James’s career moves. We utilize three minicase studies highlighting James’s and Gilbert’s videos and open letters. We provide guidelines for preparing and implementing the activity and present students’ reactions through their in-class participation and quantitative survey responses. Student evaluations, collected from both a required undergraduate course and a graduate elective course, indicate that students found this activity engaging and effective in achieving the learning objectives. In addition to business communication courses, this in-class activity may be used in other courses including organizational behavior, introduction to business and management, leadership, human resources management, introduction to public relations, and crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship marketing (RM) theories often emphasize on the role of trust and commitment in affecting seller performance outcomes. We test a recently developed model in a field experiment that demonstrates that RM investments (RMI) generate feelings of gratitude depending on the different types of gratitude leveraging acts and affects purchase intentions. The results confirm the presence of previously untested relationship between trust and purchase intention. The existing model is extended by including the moderating effects of the nature of the medium of communication for the seller–customer interaction (i.e. face-to-face vs. telephonic communication), and the varying intangibility of the purchase context (i.e. product vs. service) on the above relationship. Third, evidence of the moderating influence of certain individual-level cultural value orientations (i.e. good vs. evil, changeable vs. unchangeable and doing vs. being) is found. It is also endeavoured to extend and validate the model to a new culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the impact of interpersonal trust and leadership style on workplace isolation. It examines the moderating role of self-efficacy on the relationship of interpersonal trust, leadership style and workplace isolation. The study used media richness theory to explain the usefulness of communication media in virtual workplace. Purposive sampling technique is used to select respondents and collect data from five pharmaceutical companies operating in Pakistan. Total two hundred and twenty seven useable questionnaires were coded for final analysis after ignoring incomplete questionnaires. The repose rate is 87 % and hierarchical moderated regression is used to analyze the moderating impact of self-efficacy on hypothesize relations. Result shows that interpersonal trust and transformational leadership style have significant impact to reduce isolation perceptions of sales personnel. Results also provide evidence that interpersonal trust and leadership styles have stronger negative impact on workplace isolation when self-efficacy of salespersons is high. The study proposes development of interpersonal trust on organizational employees and use of transformational leadership in order to reduce work isolation behavior among employees particularly in the virtual work environment. The managerial implications and future directions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research problem: Deciding whether to accept or reject contract clauses in software purchasing contracts is a complex communication-related task, which is likely faced daily by a multitude of software purchasing professionals in a variety of organizations. Research question: What are the effects of viewing contract clauses as video clips, compared to viewing clauses as text only, in terms of cognitive effort, communication ambiguity, and correctness in the acceptance or rejection of clauses in software purchasing contracts? Literature review: The literature on the Media Richness and Media Naturalness theories suggest that viewing contract clauses as video clips should reduce cognitive effort and communication ambiguity. However, while Media Richness theory suggests that correctness in the acceptance or rejection of clauses in software purchasing contracts should increase with the use of video clips, Media Naturalness theory suggests a neutral overall effect. Methodology: An experiment was conducted in which student participants were asked to either accept or reject 20 clauses from a software contract, placing themselves in the position of buyers. Of the 20 clauses, 6 were intentionally deceitful and potentially harmful to the buyer. Approximately half of the participants reviewed the contract clauses as web-based text, and the remaining as web-based video clips. Results and conclusions: Viewing contract clauses as video clips was associated with significantly less cognitive effort and less communication ambiguity than viewing the clauses as text only. Counterintuitively, increases in perceived cognitive effort and communication ambiguity were associated with more successful identification and rejection of deceitful contract clauses. The combination of these competing effects led to an overall neutral effect of the medium on the correctness in the acceptance or rejection of clauses. These findings are consistent with expectations based on Media Naturalness theory, particularly its compensatory adaptation proposition, and inconsistent with expectations based on Media Richness theory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – This paper examines the three-dimensional (3D)virtual world users’ perceptions of authenticity and trustworthiness in the virtual prototypes and users’ potential purchase behavior in the real-world settings. The 3D virtual worlds provide a new platform that exhibits virtual prototypes as a promotion channel for new products of real-world and online service, where users can communicate “face to face” via their representative avatars. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted an experiment in Second Life and collected data in a post-study questionnaire to test our proposed conceptual model. Structural equation modeling was the main methodology. Findings – The research results showed that 3D virtual world users obtained a high sense of telepresence and social presence. The sense of telepresence positively leads to users’ perceptions of online trust in the virtual prototypes and thus increases their intention to purchase real-world objects; the users’ sense of social presence positively associates to their perceptions of authenticity and online trust and, therefore, their purchase intention. Research limitations/implications – In survey research, the common method variance is a problem. A more robust way is to use objective measures. Practical implications – A new channel was proposed for businesses to enhance their online strategies that will increase their business value. Social implications – 3D virtual world is also a cutting-edge platform for remote education, public information service, etc. Originality/value – This paper initially contributes to the literature that interprets underlying factors in 3D virtual worlds associated to purchase intention in real-world objects. We demonstrated the advantages, i.e. the communication efficacy and vivid virtual design in the 3D user-generated environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public deliberation on the Internet is a promising but unproven practice. Online deliberation can engage large numbers of citizens at relatively low cost, but it is unclear whether such programs have substantial civic impact. One factor in determining their effectiveness may be the communicative features of the online setting in which they occur. Within a Media Richness Theory framework, we conducted a quasiexperiment to assess the civic outcomes of interventions executed online by nonprofit organizations prior to the 2012 U.S. presidential election. The results assess the impact of these interventions on issue knowledge and civic attitudes. Comparisons of the interventions illustrate the importance of considering media richness online, and our discussion considers the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite everyone’s best efforts, restaurant service falls short at times. In those situations, guests perceive a service failure, and many complain. This study of 513 guests in three U.S. markets examines the guest characteristics that seem to drive the channel used for those complaints. Using a framework of media richness theory, the study found that guests who are more educated, more likely to complain, more frustrated, and in need of greater information about the service failure will typically take their complaint directly to management, either face-to-face or via written communication. On the other hand, those who are less educated or less frustrated will instead complain to line staff or use corporate guest-comment cards. Some of these findings appear not to support media richness theory, as face-to-face complaints are the richest channel (whether to line staff or management). However, it appears that for this sample of restaurant guests, the idea of taking it to the top (both in person or in writing) is important, particularly for frustrated, educated guests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the impact of learning effects on the study of life-like multimedia materials (LMMs) which are produced by the LMM tool. Teachers can readily utilize the tool to make the LMMs for their instructions in traditional classrooms. When students study the LMMs out of class, they can realistically recall teacher's teaching situations and/or the instructional procedures in traditional classrooms. The materials powerfully possess high media richness because of their crucial features such as displaying teacher's face, hearing teacher's sound, and presenting teaching materials in the largest region of the screen. A quasi-experiment was also involved to examine the impact of learning effects while using the LMM tool in class and studying the LMMs out of class. In this study, an exploratory method was conducted with 87 students. They were divided into the experimental and the control groups. The results reflect that the experimental group achieved a significant increase in the perceptional effectiveness of the multimedia-based cognitive process with the LMMs in comparison to the control group. Finally, the paper offers discussions for the impact on learning effects when students studied the LMMs out of class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students may learn about prospective teachers and obtain information about them by communicating with peers and/or conferring with online teacher rating systems such as RateMyProfessors.com. Drawing on media richness theory, artificial scenarios (Study 1) and recall prompts (Study 2) compared the effects of these information sources on how students select courses and form teacher impressions. The results showed that the valence of the information students received affected their course selection decisions and impressions about the prospective teacher. However, the two sources did not differ in their effects. Study 3 found that using multiple sources of information affected students above and beyond any single source alone. The results highlight and draw implications regarding the effect of these information sources in the higher education environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent–teacher communication continues to evolve due to smartphones and other new communication technologies. In all, 1,349 parents completed the Parental Academic Support Scale to assess the frequency and importance of communication across modes. Confirmatory analysis revealed a good model fit. Media richness theory was applied to parents' qualitative and quantitative responses to understand the communication modes parents now select to communicate with teachers at the P-12 level. The data revealed an increase in parents' preference for frequent e-mail communication as well as for emerging modes of parent–teacher communication such as text messaging and social media. Implications for media richness theory and changes to parent–teacher communication are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Today, the information and communication technology (ICT) is vital for a successful and on-going operation and as support in the decisionmaking process of an organization. ICT used to serve merely as a data processing support and later as a management information system but it is nowadays becoming understood as a strategic information system, which is no longer separated from an organization's business strategy. The new functionality requires that an organization does not treat ICT in its business plan separately. Such a role requires a change of business processes, different organizational approaches and a skilled workforce. Knowledge in an organization has been a competitive advantage and not an asset for quite some time now, therefore ICT must also be observed and applied in the light of creating the organizational knowledge. However, there is a risk of the role of ICT being overestimated, both in current operations as well as in the introduction of changes in an organization. The article studies the impact of ICT on the operations of an organization in the context of creating organizational knowledge and introducing changes. Moreover, it points out the traps which the management is exposed to whilst introducing such changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important determinants of managerial effectiveness in achieving organisational objectives is the success in influencing subordinates, lateral peers and supervisors through influence tactics. However, little attention has been paid to the use of a communication medium in the context of influence tactics. Our objective is to study the frequency of these dyadic influence tactics on diverse communication media. The study involves a questionnaire-based survey conducted on Spanish post-graduate students who had been working in medium-sized or large companies during the last 2 years or more. The results suggest that the richness of the medium explains most similarities and differences in the frequency of influence tactics for different communication media. Furthermore, in the study of hard influence tactics in communication media with similar richness, it is necessary to introduce social aspects and the level of surveillance in order to explain it fully. This study helps managers to understand the relationships between influence tactics and the use of communication media in order to improve their communication effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a combined test of the media naturalness and channel expansion theories with a study of communication media perceptions and use outcomes in the context of a college information systems course delivery. Data was collected from undergraduate students at the middle and end of a long semester. Approximately half of the students took the course face-to-face, and the other half online. As predicted, based on media naturalness theory, grades were significantly higher in the face-to-face condition than the online condition at the middle of the semester. Consistent with predictions based on channel expansion theory, the difference between grades obtained at the middle of the semester disappeared at the end of the semester. This study shows that online course delivery may lead to both negative, and positive effects in the same semester, leading to a final outcome that is generally positive. It provides a more nuanced view of online course delivery effects, and clarifies previous empirical findings that appear paradoxical at first glance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]