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Organizational Information-Seeking in the Digital Era: A Model of New Media Use, Uncertainty Reduction, Identification and Culture

Ju, Ran
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1363779224

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Communication Studies (Communication).
This dissertation examines the role of new media in individuals’ organizational socialization process across cultures. First, this study has explored individuals’ use of new media in their organizational socialization process in two countries, China and the United States, to gain a general understanding of the usage patterns. Second, this study proposes that identification should be thought of as a more communicative-related outcome of the socialization process and tests the relationship between information- seeking behaviors through social media, as a socialization effort, and individuals’ identification levels. Third, this study proposes that in the relationship between information-seeking behaviors, uncertainty level serves as a mediator, and tests the mediating model of information-seeking, uncertainty level and identification levels. In particular, this dissertation highlights the role of social contexts in individuals’ daily interactions. It compares the different new media use patterns and levels of different identifications (local and global) across two cultures to emphasize the influence of social context. This dissertation reveals the use of new media in the work setting, informs the relationship among information-seeking through new media, identification and uncertainty across two cultures. Chapter One presents a conceptual foundation of the problem of this dissertation. Using pragmatism as the meta-theory, this chapter argues that new media provide opportunities for scholars to update current knowledge and suggests that culture, as a social context, should be taken into consideration into inquires. Chapter Two provides a systematic review of both empirical and theoretical literature. The literature covers topics of uncertainty reduction theory, socialization, and social information processing theory, suggesting that organizational members in divergent cultures may rely on very different modes of uncertainty reducing communication strategies. From a pragmatic point of view, the practical implications of these divergent behaviors must be accounted for; therefore organizational identification is proposed as an outcome measure to explore the repercussions of the different meanings and behaviors surfacing across cultures. Research questions and hypothesis are presented in this chapter, resulting in a conceptual model presenting the predicted relationships among the above-mentioned topics. Chapter Three offers an in-depth description of the research methods used to collect and analyze data. The sampling method, participants, procedures, and methods of assessing organizational members’ new media usage, levels of uncertainty and organizational identification are described. Chapter Four explains the statistical procedures used to analyze the data and reveals the results of research questions and hypotheses suggested in Chapter Two. At last, the result of the conceptual model is presented. The final chapter (Chapter Five) outlines the findings of this study and discusses them within the context of prior theories and research. Theoretical and practical implications are offered. The limitations of the study and areas of future research are also outlined.
Mirit Shoham (Advisor)
Scott Titsworth (Committee Member)
Brittany Peterson (Committee Member)
Gordon Brooks (Committee Member)
218 p.
Communication
New media; Culture; China; Identification; Socialization; the U.S.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ju, R. (2013). Organizational Information-Seeking in the Digital Era: A Model of New Media Use, Uncertainty Reduction, Identification and Culture [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1363779224

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ju, Ran. Organizational Information-Seeking in the Digital Era: A Model of New Media Use, Uncertainty Reduction, Identification and Culture. 2013. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1363779224.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ju, Ran. "Organizational Information-Seeking in the Digital Era: A Model of New Media Use, Uncertainty Reduction, Identification and Culture." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1363779224

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1363779224
914
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.