TAMU-CC Theses, Dissertations, and Other Projects
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Find theses, dissertations, and other projects completed by students of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Associated files for theses, dissertations, and other projects, such as data sets and Honors Projects of Excellence, can also be found within this community.
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Browsing TAMU-CC Theses, Dissertations, and Other Projects by Department "Communication & Media"
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Item Changing media leadership and its perceived impact on news objectivity(2020-05) Agbaje, Kehinde A.; Babbili, Anantha; Gurney, DavidThis study seeks to explore how media leadership has evolved in the United States and how leadership styles of media owners have impacted the perceived objectivity of news stories. Objectivity of news stories has been a major problem in the media industry in the U.S. and journalists are blamed often for lack of credibility of news stories. This study explores how select leaders have a major influence on journalists’ approaches to news, which ultimately influences news objectivity. This thesis employs a historical analysis approach using the four theories of the press as a framework to understand media leaders’ leadership styles. The analysis begins with the leadership styles of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, owners of traditional, 19th -Century newspapers, and concludes with an evaluation of the leadership styles of present-day tech giants, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, owners of Facebook and Twitter, respectively. Further, this study analyzes how yellow journalism has led to the present problem of fake news to attract readership in the new media and argues that media leaders have a major influence on how journalists approach news they cover.Item Communicating forgiveness: how organizational members seek forgiveness to benefit their workplace(2020-08) Ruggiero, Isabella; Sollitto, Michael; Gurney, DavidThough often challenging, conflict is an inevitable part of organizational life. At some point, organizational members will have to face their interpersonal issues, or risk suffering negative implications in their roles as individuals and professionals. The purpose of the thesis was to understand how and why organizational members seek forgiveness in their workplace, as well as examine the organizational conditions and outcomes that encourage forgiveness. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews via Zoom and Webex with a convenience snowball sample of 10 full-time organizational members. A thematic analysis revealed themes of Maintaining Positive Relationships, Maintaining Personal and Professional Image, Direct ForgivenessSeeking Strategies, Indirect Forgiveness- Seeking Strategies, Leadership Participation, Open Communication Climate, Forgiveness as a Learning Experience, Positive Organizational Climate, and Strengthened Positive Relationships. The theoretical implications of this study suggest that forgiveness-seeking can employ POS to sustain a positive feeling in the workplace. A practical implication is that organizational leaders should play an active role in cultivating forgiveness seeking behaviors and climates by establishing consistent practices for their members to deal with conflict.Item A community of convenience: an ethnographic case study of narrative relationship-building in public relations(2016-08) Hatch, Debra Young; Michelle M. Maresh-FuehrerThe purpose of this case study was to gain in-depth understanding of how a convenience store with a nationally recognized reputation of friendliness, creates relationships with its mobile and ever-changing customers and employees through the construction and implementation of their corporate narrative. Using an ethnographic approach, the researcher enacted the role of participant-observer to gather information and rich description of customer and employee experiences in the store. The results of the study reflect this company authentically shared their corporate narrative with their stakeholders - employees and customers. As such, that narrative, successfully passed on from their employees to their customers on a daily basis, serves to create a following, a community and brand loyalty with customers, while simultaneously fostering community among their customers. In addition, this study adds to knowledge in academic literature, as well as for the public relations practitioner. From an academic perspective, it offers a unique view inside an organization's public relations efforts through observation of customer and employee communication. Further, since there are few ethnographic studies in public relations, particularly from the customer perspective, this study provides a unique opportunity to understand the effectiveness of public relations strategies as they build relationships, community and brand loyalty. From a public relations standpoint, the case study provides specific strategies on how to create authentic relationships between employees and customer, while offering customers a uniquely personalized experience with a convenience store model.Item Dr. Hector P. Garcia: A study in cross cultural communication leadership(2020-05) Gomez, Rosana; Babbili, Anantha; Maresh-Fuehrer, MichelleThe purpose of this study is to investigate the communication leadership styles of Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a Mexican American leader in the United States. Dr. Garcia is best known for founding the American G.I. Forum social movement with a mission to protect and defend veterans’ and Hispanic Americans’ civil rights by providing access to education, health, and employment. Trait, skills, and emotional intelligence leadership styles are applied using a critical rhetorical approach. Dr. Garcia’s leadership style is a reference to analyze, understand, and apply the different concepts, theories, and approaches concerning effective leadership. The results of this study demonstrate that Dr. Hector P. Garcia was a transformational and servant leader who used charismatic and authentic communication to build a relationship with followers. These findings illustrate how Dr. Garcia used different tools of persuasion such as ethos, logos, pathos, and civic spaces to deliver and engage in communication with his followers. Dr. Garcia’s rhetoric resonated with followers by creating a shared cultural identity due to similitudes such as cultural background, and experiences with racism and discrimination. Dr. Garcia’s leadership may be used as a model for today’s Mexican American leaders that are trying to generate change in society.Item Facebook is the yellow pages of today': South Texas Hispanic business administrator social media utilizations, relevancies, and concerns(2015-02) Nava, Ismael Josue'The Hispanic population is currently rising to be the most populous ethnicity and is stated to become one of the most powerful economic forces in the United States. Although persons of the Hispanic ethnicity living in America may be grouped into one culture, there are many issues regarding differences of identity and specific histories from various groups within this culture. The Hispanic population in the cultural region of South Texas can have great implications for business decisions in the 21st century in regards to technological communication advancements. Different social networking sites are now in collaboration efforts with enterprises across the country to tap into this emerging demographic. These organizations have found the importance of becoming culturally relevant toward the Hispanic culture. Qualitative methods were applied to present answers from an interview questionnaire that helped describe social media use pertaining to Hispanic business administrators in the South Texas region. Hispanic business administrators in a South Texas metropolitan area utilized social networking sites to be specifically proactive. It was also found that these applications were relevant to their business goals and that administrators were concerned with how they would manage critics in online environments.Item Hittin' the switch(2021-05) Cantú IV, Maclovio Mike; O'Malley, Ryan; Katz, Louis; Aubrey, Meg; James, Richard; Peña, JoeHittin’ the Switch presents a body of work inspired by a lifetime fascination with lowriders and lowrider culture through an amalgamation of processes including printmaking, painting, and quilting to illustrate this symbol of ChicanX1 ingenuity, resistance, cultural affirmation, and the spirit's’ ability to materialize aspirations. It stitches together layers of reality that make up goal-oriented dreams. The avenue toward that destination is often filled with potholes, detours and sketchy situations, but smoother roads lie ahead. My intensive investigation into the creation, evolution, and history of the lowrider has led to the discovery and expressions of the Chicano term rasquachismo. This D.I.Y. sensibility is suffused through this project including paintings, prints and an unlikely connection made to the art of quilting. This thesis is a culmination of research from the last three years and embodies a life of living rasquache. These principles are reflected in lowrider creation and culture. They start with a vision and evolve over time by salvaging, modifying, repainting, and refinishing to become a new iteration from the original. These works are created through rasquachismo sensibility and serve both as an homage to lowrider history, the neighborhoods that formed my identity and aesthetics, and a personal memorial for those dearly departed. There have been countless individuals that have helped me along this journey. It may seem like a stretch but let us all jump into the family car like a Sunday afternoon and go for a cruise.Item Host-national friendship, social support, and cultural adaptation: Exploring experiences of international students in the U.S.(2019-05) Tran, Chau Minh Bao; Rodriguez, Stephanie; Friley, BrookeInternational students decide to study abroad to seek achievements in personal growth, intercultural development, education, and career attainment. Along with these fruitful benefits international students face a range of challenges such as language differences, cultural barriers, social disconnectedness, racial discrimination, and academic pressure. These obstacles may negatively impact their mental health, life satisfaction, and academic performances during study abroad. Social support is one of the most effective factors that helps international students overcome these struggles. However, social support, specifically peer support requires access to and the development of relationships with peers. As such, this study investigates the process that international students access and develop friendship with host students to receive social support. The study also examines the way that international students perceive provisions of assistance from their host peers. Finally, the roles of peer support in helping international students adapt to host culture are explored. This study reveals several practical implications, discusses limitations, and provides suggestions for future research.Item How and when: the development and strategic maintenance of supervisor-subordinate blended relationships in the workplace(2018-08) Canales, Pamela E.; Sollitto, Michael; Rodriguez, StephanieThis study explores the development and maintenance strategies of blended supervisor subordinate relationships in the workplace, or those friendships that develop in and outside of work. The motives that drove organizational members to develop blended relationships and the outcomes of each blended relationship were also discussed. This study used Leader-Member Exchange Theory as a framework to understand the development and maintenance of blended supervisor-subordinate relationships in the workplace. Thirty-one individuals were given an open-ended online questionnaire to explore their blended relationship experiences. Individuals consisted of adults who worked full-time and currently or previously had a blended relationship with their supervisor or subordinate. Results indicated that organizational members desire blended supervisor-subordinate relationships for professional and personal benefits and develop these relationships through factors consistent with LMX development models, with a few key distinctions unique to this study. Communicating openly and consistently, sharing time, and respecting boundaries helped organizational members maintain their blended relationship at a satisfactory level. Personal and professional development as well as dialectical tensions were reported as outcomes of participant’s blended supervisor-subordinate relationships. This study contributes to the organizational communication discipline by filling a gap in existing literature and further strengthening LMX theory. It also assists organizational practitioners by providing tools to navigate through the complexities of blended relationships. Keywords: blended relationships; development; Leader-Member Exchange Theory; maintenance; supervisor-subordinate communicationItem "I can't do this anymore. What do I need to write on my two-weeks' notice?": investigating communication in decision about work-life conflict(2017-12) Teixeira, Deborah De Cillo Ottoni; Rodriguez, Stephanie; Sollitto, MichaelThis study investigates the experience of individuals who strongly considered or decided to quit their jobs due to work-life conflict from a communication perspective, how they communicated with social network members, and how that influenced their decision. Problematic Integration (PI) theory was used to explore how participants experienced work-life challenges and how individuals used social support to help manage their problematic integration. Twenty-two individuals who strongly considered or decided to quit their jobs were interviewed about their personal and professional experiences during that time. Results indicated that work-life conflict emerged from both work and life, and impacted both domains. Work interfered in life more frequently than the reverse. Participants’ cognitive discomfort caused by work-life conflict was explained by the four types of PI. Communicating with social network members helped individuals manage feelings of PI, which influenced their decision to leave or remain in their jobs. Social network members are an important element influencing how individuals make decisions related to managing PI and work-life conflict. Additional implications and directions for future research are discussed.Item Informal science learning institutions and social media engagement(2020-05) Vermaelen, Jessica; Maresh-Fuehrer, Michelle; Sollitto, MichaelUses and gratifications theory has been widely used to examine the motivations individuals have to consume media. This study utilizes uses and gratifications theory in combination with consumers’ online brand related activities and engagement outcomes to determine how and why individuals engage with informal science learning institutions, such as zoos, aquariums, and museums, on Twitter. Its results contribute to uses and gratifications literature because it supports the notion that uses and gratifications theory can be applied to social media engagement and explores the theory as applied to informal science learning institutions. This study also examines the engagement outcomes of these motivations. The motivations associated with engagement on Twitter are information, entertainment, personal identity, social interaction, empowerment, remuneration, and brand love. These engagement motivations can influence a follower to consume, contribute, or create content. The motivations can also help improve trust, conative loyalty, affective loyalty, and purchase intention. The results of this study suggest that information, entertainment, and social interaction are the most powerful motivators for consuming content, and information and entertainment can lead to increased trust, conative loyalty, and purchase intention. Communication professionals that work at informal science learning institutions will be able to use the results of this study to create effective Twitter content.Item Loose lips sink relationships: applying communication privacy management theory in military family support organizations(2017-12) Cole, Catherine Inez; Sollitto, Michael; Maresh-Fuehrer, MichelleThe purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of how military spouses who are part of Military Family Support Organizations (MFSO) reveal and conceal Operational Security (OPSEC) between other MFSO members. MFSOs have been used as a social support system for military spouses who carry an abundant amount of stress in their daily lives. Organizational communication focuses largely on peer coworker relationships in the workforce and their impacts on peer coworkers and on the organization itself. MSFO members develop relationships among one another that are similar to peer coworkers. An online survey was distributed through private Facebook groups, a total of 157 military spouses from various military branches partook in the online survey. With the use of communication privacy management (CPM) theory, the results of this thesis revealed that MFSO members’ trust was affected by explicit privacy rules, implicit privacy rules, and boundary turbulence. MFSO members’ relational satisfaction was affected by implicit privacy rules and boundary turbulence. This quantitative thesis helps communication scholars further understand how OPSEC information affects MSFO members’ relationships. These results provide deeper understanding in the dynamic aspect of revealing and concealing of private information between MFSO members, of which little is known. Communication scholars could use the results to further understand the complexity of privacy between organizational members.Item Military and the news media: localizing the relationship(9/16/2014) Plascencia, Nicole; Babbili, AnanthaThis study takes a qualitative approach to the study of the relationship between local news media and Department of Defense public affairs personnel, which include the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. Agenda setting theory suggests that media are highly influential in telling consumers what to think about. Using this theory, the exclusion of news happening on a military base could lead its surrounding community to think there is less or no value coming out of that entity. This study looks at how the relationship between journalists and public affairs personnel influences media coverage, the role of limited newsroom resources on base coverage, and how public affairs personnel can work around journalists with tight schedules as a result of limited resources. Data collected suggests there is no remedy for quick access to news events that happen on the base. However, research shows that a good relationship between journalists and public affairs personnel could provide quicker access to news events compared to their counterparts with no relationship. Research also found a lack of effort on the public affairs side to actively engage news media with daily, weekly, or monthly newsworthy events.Item “Mom, I’m gay.” Homosexual language used in the coming out process and its effect on the family relationship(2/11/2013) Ramón, Erika K.; Virginia E. WheelessCommunication between homosexuals and heterosexuals has been examined by communication scholars since the gay revolution of the 1970’s. Communication scholars have sought to understand how homosexuals communicate with one another and heterosexuals. The current study examined the language used by homosexuals during the coming out process and the affect that language has on the family relationship after learning of a family member’s homosexuality. Participants included (38) homosexual students and faculty who attended a midsize university in the southern Midwest, as well as they were sought through other means (word of mouth from students, Facebook) and they completed an online survey. Results indicate that homosexuals converge their language to a heterosexual language when coming out to their parents. Use of heterosexual language and disclosure of homosexuality increased satisfaction within the family relationship. Also, relational communication about coming out was positively correlated with the relationship satisfaction of the family. Social penetration theory, communication privacy management theory, communication accommodation theory, and uncertainty reduction theory were utilized as a theoretical framework. Findings of this study suggest further attention should be given to homosexual language and the usage of it in communication with others. In addition, this study adds to the research on homosexuals by looking at how language impacts satisfaction with the family relationship.Item Motivation and self disclosure in social media use among Nigerian women(2017-08) Oduba, Foluke A.; Sanford, Amy Aldridge; Babbili, Anantha; Gurney, DavidSelf-disclosure on social media around the world, including in developing countries like Nigeria, has become an important way to create enduring relationships. Past research has shown that females are more open to sharing intimate information on social media than males, but this research has taken place mostly within the United States of America. This study focused on how the communication behaviors of self-disclosure play out distinctively among Nigerian women, specifically examining patterns of social media use, the amount of disclosure, and the factors that influenced the disclosure. The data was analyzed within the frameworks of Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory and Social Penetration theory. Twenty female college-aged students between the ages of 18-26 who live in Nigeria and are active social media users were participants of the study. Focus groups were conducted and participants’ Facebook posts were analyzed. Findings from the study revealed that even though the participants use social media on a daily basis for different purposes, they are most motivated to use social media to maintain their relationships. They also carefully and strategically choose what intimate information they self-disclose and limit their audience when self-disclosing on social media. The women are cautious about hiding their posts from their parents and evil spirits, but still are motivated to disclose their life experiences for the purpose of helping others. The social media use of Nigerian women and their motivation for sharing certain private information online is supported by CPM. Moreover, the women’s decisions to not disclose certain information or to fabricate other information also supported the theory’s assumption that individuals have the ownership of their private information. Subsequently, the women’s deliberate way of disclosing information in a private Facebook group validated Altman and Taylor’s (1973) onion analogy in Social Penetration theory that human beings tend to disclose core private information to people with whom they have close intimacy. While joining the theoretical conversations, the study contributed to the body of knowledge particularly on social media in different cultural settings.Item Oil and Gas Employees' Expectations for Crisis Response Messages: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study(2016-05) Lorentson, Casandra Lynn; Maresh-Fuehrer, MichelleThe purpose of this study was to create and validate a measure of employee expectations for crisis communication in the oil and gas industry. Crisis communication researchers largely focus on reputation saving strategies while explaining that organizations also need to first attend to stakeholder basic needs. These needs are considered base crisis response strategies and, according to researchers, should always be implemented before reputation saving strategies. Yet, little research has focused on whether the messages stakeholders expect their organization to communicate during a crisis are consistent with the recommendations being made regarding base crisis response strategies. In the present study, employees from the oil and gas industry participated in two phases of research. During the first phase, 14 individuals participated in a questionnaire. The results suggest employees have the following expectations: to provide information about the crisis, to consider employee needs, to provide business continuity, to provide quick information dissemination, to provide compensation information, to send messages through multiple communication channels, and to explain future crisis prevention. The second phase involved a survey of 100 participants. The results validate one of the eight expectations. The instrument's validity was also tested through the use of three other scales. Organizational climate and identity had a strong relationship to employee expectations while job satisfaction and employee expectations had a weaker relationship. Results from the current study provide usable data which benefit crisis communication researchers and organizational crisis managers.Item Overlooking misogyny: a critical examination of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s music, lifestyle and legacy(2018-05) Babalola, Adebukunola Oluwayemisi; Gurney, David; Thompson, EthanThis study examines the ways in which misogyny is projected through the media and how patriarchal norms and expectations have contributed to misogyny being overlooked in society. This is achieved by looking at the extent to which misogyny is being projected and overlooked in the media through popular music, specifically Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s music, lifestyle and legacy. Prior scholarship on feminist theory, gender studies, and cultural hegemony theories form the theoretical framework on which this study relies. The analysis finds that one of the frequently occurring themes in Kuti’s music is the objectification of women and prejudiced portrayal of men as being dominant over women. Also, Kuti’s polygamy and the role of his wives in his performances and publicity did little to enhance the positive perception of women which proves that women also play a role in social prejudices against women. Despite this, Kuti was and is widely celebrated for being a human rights activist because he kicked against the military rule and corruption prevalent in Nigeria at that time. This underscores the extent to which misogyny is being overlooked, especially in patriarchally dominated societies. Misrepresentations of women must be challenged and eradicated from all forms of media to make any headway in successfully tackling misogyny. Findings from this study will provide suitable framework for scholars and future researchers hoping to further explore on eradicating misogyny and the devastating consequences of this social injustice if left unchecked.Item Procedural fairness and attitudes toward electronic surveillance as predictors of organizational trust and workplace relationships: Friend or foe?(2022-05) Loeffler, Cari; Sollitto, Michael; Maresh-Fuehrer, MichelleThe rapid and unplanned transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic left employers scrambling to find ways to monitor employee productivity resulting in the increased use of electronic monitoring and surveillance (EMS) technologies to track and observe their employees' activity from afar. Using uncertainty management theory (UMT) as a framework, this study explored how organizational members’ procedural fairness judgements and their attitudes towards surveillance impacts organizational trust and the communication that occurs within their supervisor-subordinate and peer coworker relationships. UMT is based on the premise that people use their overall perceptions of fair treatment as a substitute for interpersonal trust when deciding how to react to requests or demands in social situations, including interactions within organizations. Participants completed an online survey assessing their attitudes toward surveillance, perceptions of procedural fairness, leader communication exchange, and cooperative communication. Results revealed that formal treatment predicted positive attitudes toward surveillance and trust in top management. Formal and informal decision making, informal treatment, and positive attitudes toward surveillance predicted trust in immediate supervisors. Informal treatment predicted professional trust, professional development, affective, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and accessibility dimensions of leader communication exchange. As EMS technology advances, organizations must rationalize and clarify the reasoning behind monitoring organizational members. Keywords: attitudes toward surveillance, cooperative communication, electronic performance monitoring, leader communication exchange, organizational trustItem Recreating gender roles: an examination of dating practices among feminist college women(2016-12) Rodriguez, Marisa; Rodriguez, StephanieFor decades, women have used traditional gender roles to navigating dating processes. However, due to the changing social roles of women and decades of shifting feminist movements, women have the opportunity to challenge and recreate traditional norms. The current study examined (a) how feminist beliefs influenced women’s dating ideologies, (b) how women managed cognitive dissonance that occurred between feminist beliefs and traditional dating gender roles, and (c) how conversations with others influenced women’s dating practices. Fifteen college-aged women who self-identified as having feminist beliefs were interviewed about their feminist beliefs and dating experiences. Results revealed that identifying with feminist beliefs influenced participants to want egalitarian roles in their dating relationships. Also, participants experienced cognitive dissonance when dating under traditional roles because of their desire to perform egalitarian roles. Participants reduced or eliminated dissonance by changing the importance of their beliefs, terminating relationships, and being more selective when it came to future romantic partners. Finally, participants’ conversations with parents had an impact on the formation of their feminist beliefs and participants gave and received advice to friends based on their feminist beliefs. Implications of how participants recreated gender roles on dates are discussed.Item Transitioning to a consensually nonmonogamous relationship: an investigation using relational turbulence theory(2020-05) Bond, Caitlin Taylor; Bond, Caitlin Taylor; Rollie-Rodriguez, Stephanie; Rollie-Rodriguez, Stephanie; Sollitto, Michael; Sollitto, MichaelNonmonogamous behaviors have interested the public and researchers for decades. For many years, attention to nonmonogamous behaviors has been paid primarily to infidelity. Within recent decades, however, the focus has begun widening to include a different kind of nonmonogamous arrangement. Consensual nonmonogamy, a relationship style that allows for nonmonogamous behaviors and avoids the many negative consequences associated with infidelity. Consensually nonmonogamous (CNM) relationships have been woefully underrepresented in research and only a handful of studies have attempted to understand the process by which CNM relationships are negotiated into existence from monogamous relationships. This paper responds to this need for understanding by using relational turbulence theory to explore the transitional period when a monogamous couple first decides to explore consensual nonmonogamy. We recruited 210 participants over 18 years of age who had been in a monogamous relationship that transitioned to a CNM relationship. Participants completed a quantitative questionnaire comprised of several survey measures, new and old, designed to assess their feelings and perceptions of their relationship before, during, and after the initial conversations regarding implementing consensual nonmonogamy. Results indicated that feelings of relational uncertainty, partner’s facilitation and interference, and their conversational valence were significant predictors of relational turbulence and conversational satisfaction. This research provides valuable information to researchers and practitioners regarding CNM relationships, as well as expanding relational turbulence theory by applying it to new relational contexts.Item Two are better than one: Understanding goal disclosure and development in marriage(2022-05) Walker, Diana; Rodriguez, Stephanie; Maresh-Fuehrer, Michelle; Ivy, DianaThis study investigates how romantic couples become aware of each other’s personal goals, and how they communicatively co-construct processes to develop collective goals in marriage. Theories of interpersonal relationship development and goal communication were used to frame the research questions. Twenty-nine in-depth interviews were conducted with spouses to gain insight into their personal experience with goal disclosure and creation of collective goals. Results indicated that couples become aware of each other’s personal goals through explicit and implicit communication, and by using future talk to test for relationship compatibility. Additionally, results showed that couples develop collective goals through goal appropriation and practical and intentional planning. Implications for relationship development and maintenance are discussed. Keywords: Goal development; goal disclosure; marital communication; relationship maintenance; joint goal planning