Moonhee Cho | University of Tennessee Knoxville (original) (raw)

Papers by Moonhee Cho

Public Relations Review, 2021

Abstract Emphasizing the potential impact of publics’ ethnic identities in crisis situations, the... more Abstract Emphasizing the potential impact of publics’ ethnic identities in crisis situations, the main purpose of the study is to explore how two ethnically different publics respond to the United Airlines’ dragging crisis. Using semantic network analysis and thematic analysis, the research examined how Twitter messages written in both English and Chinese reflect themes around ethnicity. The results showed that the Chinese publics explicitly present the ethnicity identity of the Asian group, demonstrating that language and words reflect social media users’ ethnic identity. The research provides both theoretical and practical implications for crises involving the issue of ethnicity.

Aslib Journal of Information Management, 2021

PurposeThis study investigated the interrelations of US consumers' perceptions of their owner... more PurposeThis study investigated the interrelations of US consumers' perceptions of their ownership of digital media content, their perceived importance of various digital rights and ownership rights and their preferences for owning vs accessing media content.Design/methodology/approachThis study used an online questionnaire survey and analyzed data from 437 participants recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk mechanism.FindingsParticipants' perceived importance of digital rights correlates with consumers' ownership perceptions, and people who value certain digital rights tend to have narrower ownership perceptions. Users' ownership and access preferences vary with their perceived importance of ownership rights, especially concerning music and movies. Notably, people who prefer the access model were less concerned about ownership rights to possess, use and resell content.Social implicationsThe study provides empirical evidence of consumers' ownership perceptions...

Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 2013

Despite the proliferation of social media and the widespread adoption of these diverse communicat... more Despite the proliferation of social media and the widespread adoption of these diverse communication tools, there is a lack of studies that conceptualize the characteristics of social media as perceived by users and compare the perceived characteristics or benefits of different social media types. This study examines the user perceptions of six main groups of social media-blogs, micro-blogs, social networks, wikis, forums, and content communities-on five dimensions: participation, commonality, connectedness, conversationality, and openness. User profiles are also investigated to assess the role of demographics and usage in such perceptions. The results of a national consumer panel survey show that different social media applications are perceived differently and social media usage patterns, gender, and age affect these perceptions.

Journal of Promotion Management, 2019

This study investigates the effects of consumers' media exposure and attention to corporate susta... more This study investigates the effects of consumers' media exposure and attention to corporate sustainability communication on their environmental protection behavior intentions and green purchasing behavior intentions as well as the moderating effects of consumers' perceptions of media credibility. Based on an online survey of 503 participants, the results indicate that media exposure and attention had different effects on consumers' pro-environmental behavior intentions. The study also reveals that consumers' perceived media credibility enhanced the relationship between media exposure and environmental protection behavior intentions. Additionally, the results show that the moderating effects were varied depending on media type. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are addressed. KEYWORDS Corporate sustainability communication; media exposure and attention; media credibility; environmental protection behaviors; green purchasing behaviors Corporate sustainability is defined as "development that meets the economic, social, and environmental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (United Nations, 1987, p. 54). The term of corporate sustainability has been widely used in society. Corporations have applied this idea to their operations and management in several ways. For example, Coca-Cola produces beverage bottles with recyclable and environmentally-friendly materials. Dunkin Donuts recently announced it would replace polystyrene foam cups with paper cups for serving hot drinks. Likewise, many companies try to improve the sustainability of their production and management systems (e.g., reducing manufacturing waste and conserving energy) and engage in sustainable development activities (e.g., educational programs about recycling) (Bresciani, Ferraris, Santoro, & Nilsen, 2016). The corporate embrace of sustainability in business operations has become popular, regardless of whether it is due to a company's proactive, strategic plan to position itself CONTACT Moonhee Cho

Journal of Marketing Communications, 2019

This study applies expectancy violation theory and confirmation bias to the corporate social resp... more This study applies expectancy violation theory and confirmation bias to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) context to explore how consumers respond to a corporation's CSR activities. A 2 (CSR expectancy: higher vs. lower) X 2 (CSR practice: good vs. bad) experimental study examines how both negative and positive expectancy violation/conformity influence consumers' attitudes to a corporation and their intentions to support it. The results reveal a significant interaction between CSR expectancy and CSR practice (i.e., expectancy violation/conformity effects). Specifically, negative expectancy violation (i.e., where a corporation violates consumers' higher CSR expectancy) elicited less positive corporate attitudes and supportive behavior intentions than lower expectancy conformity (i.e., where a corporation meets consumers' lower-CSR expectancy). On the other hand, positive expectancy conformity (i.e., where a corporation meets consumers' higher CSR expectancy) yielded more positive consumer responses than positive expectancy violation (i.e., where a corporation exceeds consumers' lower-CSR expectancy). This study also explores the mediating role of corporate credibility as communicator reward valence in influencing the effects of expectancy violation/conformity. The implications of the study provide strategic guidance that should help corporations implement CSR initiatives that satisfy consumer expectancy and enhance corporate credibility, thus minimizing negative expectancy violation effects.

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 2019

Purpose In the age of transparency, nonprofit organizations have attempted to raise awareness of ... more Purpose In the age of transparency, nonprofit organizations have attempted to raise awareness of unethical business practices through diverse social media platforms, putting firms under great pressure to incorporate sustainability in their operations. Focusing on the issue of animal cruelty which is a relatively under-investigated topic in the fashion industry, the purpose of this paper is to examine how different levels of animal cruelty depicted in nonprofit organizations’ ethical consumption campaigns influence viewers’ negative emotions and lead to their supportive behavior and ethical consumption intention. Design/methodology/approach In the main study, undergraduate students (n=82) from a big public University in the USA were recruited in exchange for extra credit and randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions of animal cruelty in a single-factor, three-level, between-subjects experimental design: non-threatening condition (n=26), low-threatening condition (...

Journal of Communication Management, 2019

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the comprehensive, ongoing role of communication ... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the comprehensive, ongoing role of communication in an enterprise crowdfunding context, which has been largely overlooked. Design/methodology/approach A large public higher education institution in the Southeastern USA was chosen as the case study unit to illuminate an enterprise-wide crowdfunding program using a proprietary, in-house platform, compared to commercial sites like Kickstarter that do not let organizational leaders strategically plan and manage the platform and its communication functions. Such autonomy provides a richer landscape for studying organizational members’ communication and communication management related to an enterprise crowdfunding program. Findings The case study identified communication-related challenges to the fundraising program’s success such as limited project leader and funding recipients’ commitment to communicate with their social networks about the projects. Internal communication and conflicting ...

Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2018

The notion of ownership of digital media content is complicated and fragmented, because of the in... more The notion of ownership of digital media content is complicated and fragmented, because of the interplay of intellectual property law, personal property rights, and contractual arrangements. Drawing from the existing literature on theoretical analysis of ownership, we present a framework with multiple ownership configurations of digital content. Using the online survey method, we investigated US users' perceptions of ownership of digital content, users' perceptions of the importance of various digital rights, and their preferences for different ways of obtaining media content. The results of this study show that downloadability and the continuity of rights together determine users' sense of ownership, and digital rights management (DRM) restrictions play a minor role in users' perceptions of ownership. Ownership, especially owning something physically, is still important to users with regard to books. With music, ownership is also important, but access, especially through the subscription model, is gaining in importance. Movie content shows a different pattern where users generally favor the access model over ownership. The study also found that users' perceived importance of digital rights varies with their preferences for obtaining different types of content.

Public Relations Review, 2019

This study examines the relationship between factors central to community building, including loc... more This study examines the relationship between factors central to community building, including local government-public relationships, sense of community, positive Word-of-Mouth (WOM) toward community, and community participation. A national survey of U.S. respondents (n = 447) was conducted through MTurk. The results indicate that the effects of local government-public relationships on positive WOM and community participation are mediated by individuals' sense of community. This study advances the relationship-management scholarship by demonstrating that managing government-public relationships is ineffective in communitybuilding when a sense of community is absent. In addition, the results of this study may benefit government public relations practitioners who are interested in public engagement.

International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 2019

Crowdfunding has gained popularity as a fundraising strategy for reaching an online "crowd" of co... more Crowdfunding has gained popularity as a fundraising strategy for reaching an online "crowd" of contributors, with many making small donations and promoting the project online to social networks. Universities are exploring crowdfunding as a strategy to connect with non-traditional donors beyond alumniincluding students. While higher education institutions may hope to include students given their perceived comfort with online giving and crowdfunding's focus on small gifts, scholars have not examined students' perceptions about such activities. Adopting the Existence Relatedness Growth (ERG) theory, this study uses a survey to explore factors that motivate or hinder students' supportive behavior intentions through a crowdfunding mechanism, specifically donation intention and word-of-mouth (WOM) intention. Suggestions are made for universities to develop communication that creates a philanthropy culture and engages students as potential donors.

International Journal of Consumer Studies, 2018

Given increasing interest in both socially responsible consumption behavior (SRCB) and socially r... more Given increasing interest in both socially responsible consumption behavior (SRCB) and socially responsible corporate practices in marketing, this study addressed the effects of several personal traits on SRCB (i.e., personal values, collectivism, age, and gender). Findings from an online survey revealed that consumers who valued self-transcendence (e.g., benevolence and universalism) were more likely to engage in socially responsible consumption (e.g., recycling, avoiding, or reducing usage of products that do long-term damage to the environment) than those who valued social status and prestige, social power, authority, and wealth. Furthermore, the findings show that older adults and women tended to engage in more SRCB than younger adults and men. Findings also indicate that age and gender were antecedents to the values of self-transcendence and selfenhancement.

Public Relations Review, 2018

During the #MeToo movement, social movement organizations (SMOs) played a crucial role in the onl... more During the #MeToo movement, social movement organizations (SMOs) played a crucial role in the online mobilization by utilizing various message frames and appealing hashtags during the social movement. Applying a co-creational approach and using framing as a theoretical framework, the study explored how SMOs use words and hashtags to participate in the #MeToo movement through Twitter. Based on both semantic network analysis and thematic analysis methods, findings of the study enhance literature of social movement organizations and activism as well as provide practical implications for effective social movement campaigns. 1. Introduction Thousands of social movement organizations (SMOs) have advocated for various causes including endangered species, climate change, clean water, feminism, and equality, among others. Through both formal and informal communication channels, SMOs mobilize and unite individuals to pursue or resist social change (Edwards & McCarthy, 2004; Sommerfeldt & Yang, 2017). The success of such organizations is contingent upon their ability to connect with and motivate people to act. However, due to a general lack of a centralized structure and scarcity of resources, SMOs have leveraged online platforms to reach their salient publics in a cost-effective manner (

Computers in Human Behavior, 2017

Despite the popularity of crowdfunding in academy and practice, there is a lack of cross-cultural... more Despite the popularity of crowdfunding in academy and practice, there is a lack of cross-cultural study. To fill the research gap, this research explored similarities and differences of successful crowdfunding. In addition, by applying Hofstede's cultural dimensions, this research compared crowdfunding projects of U.S. and South Korea. By employing the content analysis method, the study addresses how culture influences the success of crowdfunding and message strategies. This research contributes to the knowledge building of crowdfunding and cultural significance, as well as providing guidelines for practitioners.

Journalism, 2017

This study seeks to give a timely perspective on understanding how business news covers corporate... more This study seeks to give a timely perspective on understanding how business news covers corporate social responsibility in light of heavy criticism financial journalists have faced since the latest economic depression in the United States. Building upon previous research and using agenda setting, framing, and agenda building as a theoretical base, a content analysis was conducted to examine how business news portrays corporate social responsibility and the tone used in coverage both before and after the economic crisis. Results indicated that business journalists are now taking a more neutral approach. Additionally, corporate sources did not lead to an increased use of a positive tone in post-crisis coverage, which could mean they are less likely to have an agenda-building influence over business news since the economic downturn.

Public Relations Review, 2017

This study explored the relationship between the big five personality traitsagreeableness, intell... more This study explored the relationship between the big five personality traitsagreeableness, intellect, conscientiousness, emotion, and extroversionand the involvement, engagement, and perceived relationship investment (PRI) of participants with nonprofit organizations. The role of personality is important because it reflects fundamental qualities that may influence an individual's behavior. Results demonstrated significant correlation between each trait and involvement, passive engagement, and PRI. Four were also positively correlated to active engagement of participants.

Asian Journal of Women's Studies, 2012

Given that South Korea, traditionally considered an ethnically homogeneous country, has experienc... more Given that South Korea, traditionally considered an ethnically homogeneous country, has experienced a significant increase in ethnic minority groups due to international marriage, the purpose of this study is to examine how the media portrays this minority group. The study also explored whether the proximity characteristic in news value criteria influences media coverage in terms of volume, frame selection, and tones. Both qualitative and quantitative content analyses were employed. The study results found that the news media uses various types of media frames. Moreover, the study expanded Semetko and Valkenbug’s (2000) generic frames by adding new frames such as the integration and victim frames.

International Journal of Strategic Communication, 2016

ABSTRACT This article explores the place for empowerment in community relations programs. Descrip... more ABSTRACT This article explores the place for empowerment in community relations programs. Descriptions of 97 corporate community programs are analyzed to determine how these companies articulate community engagement and the importance given to community empowerment in their work. Empowerment is proposed as a key construct for understanding a company’s role in the community because it places the community and its members at the center of the process, and allows for the evaluation of how these programs contribute to the long-term benefit of the people who have participated in, or have been beneficiaries of, these programs.

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 2014

According to scholars, there has been a move toward a more professional or occupational focus in ... more According to scholars, there has been a move toward a more professional or occupational focus in postsecondary education, a focus that Grubb and Lazerson suggest “undermines education’s moral, civic, and intellectual purposes.”1 The purpose of this study was to evaluate the public relations curricula of U.S. universities and colleges and the requirements for entry into the profession. Results indicated that while there are differences, public relations curricula appear to be equally strong regardless of department or type of institution in which the program is located. Moreover, results indicated that the public relations curricula appear to meet the needs of the practice and that the perceived gap between offering of social media courses and the needs of practice may be temporary and illusionary.