Relationship cultivation and public engagement via social media during the covid-19 pandemic in China

Qiongyao  Huang; Jie  Jin; Benjamin J.  Lynn; Linjuan Rita  Men

doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102064

Relationship cultivation and public engagement via social media during the covid-19 pandemic in China

Qiongyao Huang, Jie Jin, Benjamin J. Lynn, Linjuan Rita Men^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study explores the relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media functions Chinese companies used to maintain relationships with their publics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public engagement was assessed using a multi-dimensional construct consisting of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral measures. A quantitative content analysis of 756 Weibo posts from China’s Fortune 500 companies and 553 top user comments formed a data set that was analyzed using three types of regression analysis. Results showed that both relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media use effectively increased engagement between Chinese companies and their publics, although on different levels. Although generally underutilized by companies, the access tactic in the relationship cultivation strategies significantly predicted all three dimensions of public engagement. Emotional posts, a functional use of social media by companies, positively predicted an emotional response by publics.

Original language	English
Article number	102064
Journal	Public Relations Review
Volume	47
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102064
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

Scopus Subject Areas

Communication
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Marketing

User-Defined Keywords

COVID-19
China
Companies
Disaster communication
Engagement
Pandemic
Public relations
Relationship cultivation strategies
Social media

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102064

Cite this

@article{19e6735ce43a49f7b4ba7c3cbb58faab,

title = "Relationship cultivation and public engagement via social media during the covid-19 pandemic in China",

abstract = "This study explores the relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media functions Chinese companies used to maintain relationships with their publics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public engagement was assessed using a multi-dimensional construct consisting of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral measures. A quantitative content analysis of 756 Weibo posts from China{\textquoteright}s Fortune 500 companies and 553 top user comments formed a data set that was analyzed using three types of regression analysis. Results showed that both relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media use effectively increased engagement between Chinese companies and their publics, although on different levels. Although generally underutilized by companies, the access tactic in the relationship cultivation strategies significantly predicted all three dimensions of public engagement. Emotional posts, a functional use of social media by companies, positively predicted an emotional response by publics.",

keywords = "COVID-19, China, Companies, Disaster communication, Engagement, Pandemic, Public relations, Relationship cultivation strategies, Social media",

author = "Qiongyao Huang and Jie Jin and Lynn, {Benjamin J.} and Men, {Linjuan Rita}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by 2018 humanities and social science foundation of the higher education institutions of Jiangxi Province, China (No. XW18106). We thank Dr. Huoyun Zhu for his constructive methodological suggestions. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102064",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

journal = "Public Relations Review",

issn = "0363-8111",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Relationship cultivation and public engagement via social media during the covid-19 pandemic in China

AU - Huang, Qiongyao

AU - Jin, Jie

AU - Lynn, Benjamin J.

AU - Men, Linjuan Rita

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by 2018 humanities and social science foundation of the higher education institutions of Jiangxi Province, China (No. XW18106). We thank Dr. Huoyun Zhu for his constructive methodological suggestions. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - This study explores the relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media functions Chinese companies used to maintain relationships with their publics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public engagement was assessed using a multi-dimensional construct consisting of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral measures. A quantitative content analysis of 756 Weibo posts from China’s Fortune 500 companies and 553 top user comments formed a data set that was analyzed using three types of regression analysis. Results showed that both relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media use effectively increased engagement between Chinese companies and their publics, although on different levels. Although generally underutilized by companies, the access tactic in the relationship cultivation strategies significantly predicted all three dimensions of public engagement. Emotional posts, a functional use of social media by companies, positively predicted an emotional response by publics.

AB - This study explores the relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media functions Chinese companies used to maintain relationships with their publics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public engagement was assessed using a multi-dimensional construct consisting of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral measures. A quantitative content analysis of 756 Weibo posts from China’s Fortune 500 companies and 553 top user comments formed a data set that was analyzed using three types of regression analysis. Results showed that both relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media use effectively increased engagement between Chinese companies and their publics, although on different levels. Although generally underutilized by companies, the access tactic in the relationship cultivation strategies significantly predicted all three dimensions of public engagement. Emotional posts, a functional use of social media by companies, positively predicted an emotional response by publics.

KW - COVID-19

KW - China

KW - Companies

KW - Disaster communication

KW - Engagement

KW - Pandemic

KW - Public relations

KW - Relationship cultivation strategies

KW - Social media

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U2 - 10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102064

DO - 10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102064

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0363-8111

VL - 47

JO - Public Relations Review

JF - Public Relations Review

IS - 4

M1 - 102064

ER -

Relationship cultivation and public engagement via social media during the covid-19 pandemic in China

Abstract

Scopus Subject Areas

User-Defined Keywords

UN SDGs

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