Social media as a means of communication with external stakeholders

• Main Author: Abrahams, Rifqah
• Other Authors: Pike, Marian E
• Language: en
• Published: Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2016
• Subjects: Social media; Online social networks; Business communication; Communication > Technological innovations
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2314

Thesis (MTech (Public Relations Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. === This research focuses on whether social media is an effective means of communication to external stakeholders and investigates communication between Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to its student-stakeholder group on four levels of interaction; namely institution, faculty, department and subjects. It provides answers to the questions, "How does CPUT communicate to students?" "What is the CPUT student-stakeholder's preferred method of communication?" and "What content does the CPUT student-stakeholder want to hear about?" to answer the bigger question, "Is social media an effective means of communication to CPUT students?" Using a conceptual framework based on Edward Freeman's work on stakeholder communication and Grunig's communication theory, the research considers the role that social media could play in the communication mix; whether CPUT should communicate to students using a medium on which they are already active; as well as what is/are an appropriate method/s of communication to reach student-stakeholders. Findings include the students' perception of social media as well as the state of communication from CPUT to the students and the platform/s the student-stakeholder would prefer. Further research is recommended to consider the use of a mobile platform for communication to students.