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Size matters? - En kvalitativ studie kring hur big data förstås inom fältet PR

Sivard, Elin LU and Kajander, Linus LU (2015) SKOK01 20151
Department of Strategic Communication
Abstract
This study aims to give insight on how the phenomenon big data is understood and applied amongst consultants within the field of public relations. The analysis was conducted through hermeneutics, where consultants from communication agencies participated in qualitative interviews. By looking at digital processes from a sociological approach, incorporating Neo-institutionalism, Scandinavian institutionalism and Actor-network theory, the empirical data has been contextual-ized with regards to social forces of implementing technology in organizations. In the analysis, an understanding of public relations consultants’ need to legitimize their activities through innovation and measurability of their work is found. The results of this study... (More)
This study aims to give insight on how the phenomenon big data is understood and applied amongst consultants within the field of public relations. The analysis was conducted through hermeneutics, where consultants from communication agencies participated in qualitative interviews. By looking at digital processes from a sociological approach, incorporating Neo-institutionalism, Scandinavian institutionalism and Actor-network theory, the empirical data has been contextual-ized with regards to social forces of implementing technology in organizations. In the analysis, an understanding of public relations consultants’ need to legitimize their activities through innovation and measurability of their work is found. The results of this study indicates three main incentives for implementing big data within public relations; efficiency in data collection, big data as an answer to an increased customer demand of measurable results and big data as a tool to associ-ate the activities with innovation. The study also gives insights in big data influ-encing measurability of public relations activities by offering quantifiable results. The result also gives an in-depth understanding of how big data consolidates and alters the practice of public relations, where big data can be seen as a driver of service development and new qualification demands, among them new profes-sions. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna studie ämnar skapa förståelse för hur big data förstås och används av kon-sulter inom fältet public relations. Studien använder en hermeneutisk analys där konsulter på kommunikationsbyråer har deltagit i kvalitativa intervjuer. Genom att se till digitala processer utifrån i grunden sociologiska förhållningssätt såsom neo-institutionalism, skandinavisk institutionalism och actor-network theory, har det empiriska materialet kontextualiserats med hänsyn till sociala krafter kring im-plementering av teknologi i organisationer. I analysen återfinns ett behov av kon-sulter inom public relations att legitimera sin verksamhet genom innovationer och nya former av mätbarhet av deras arbete. Resultatet visar på tre huvudsakliga inci-tament för... (More)
Denna studie ämnar skapa förståelse för hur big data förstås och används av kon-sulter inom fältet public relations. Studien använder en hermeneutisk analys där konsulter på kommunikationsbyråer har deltagit i kvalitativa intervjuer. Genom att se till digitala processer utifrån i grunden sociologiska förhållningssätt såsom neo-institutionalism, skandinavisk institutionalism och actor-network theory, har det empiriska materialet kontextualiserats med hänsyn till sociala krafter kring im-plementering av teknologi i organisationer. I analysen återfinns ett behov av kon-sulter inom public relations att legitimera sin verksamhet genom innovationer och nya former av mätbarhet av deras arbete. Resultatet visar på tre huvudsakliga inci-tament för implementering av big data inom public relations; effektivisering av datainsamling, big data som svar på en ökad efterfrågan av mätbara resultat och big data som ett medel att förknippa verksamheten med innovation. Resultatet vi-sar också hur big data påverkar mätbarheten av public relations-insatser genom en ökad kvantifierbarhet. Studien ger slutligen fördjupade insikter i hur big data både befäster och förändrar praktiken inom public relations, där big data pådriver tjäns-teutveckling, kompetensutveckling och nya yrkesroller. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sivard, Elin LU and Kajander, Linus LU
supervisor
organization
course
SKOK01 20151
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
public relations, PR, big data, measurability, institutionalism, actor-network theory, strategic communications, data strategic PR, data driven communications, communicative professions, strategisk kommunikation, datastrategisk PR, datadriven kommunikation, kommunikativa yrkesroller
language
Swedish
id
5463867
date added to LUP
2015-06-12 08:01:07
date last changed
2015-06-12 08:01:07
@misc{5463867,
  abstract     = {{This study aims to give insight on how the phenomenon big data is understood and applied amongst consultants within the field of public relations. The analysis was conducted through hermeneutics, where consultants from communication agencies participated in qualitative interviews. By looking at digital processes from a sociological approach, incorporating Neo-institutionalism, Scandinavian institutionalism and Actor-network theory, the empirical data has been contextual-ized with regards to social forces of implementing technology in organizations. In the analysis, an understanding of public relations consultants’ need to legitimize their activities through innovation and measurability of their work is found. The results of this study indicates three main incentives for implementing big data within public relations; efficiency in data collection, big data as an answer to an increased customer demand of measurable results and big data as a tool to associ-ate the activities with innovation. The study also gives insights in big data influ-encing measurability of public relations activities by offering quantifiable results. The result also gives an in-depth understanding of how big data consolidates and alters the practice of public relations, where big data can be seen as a driver of service development and new qualification demands, among them new profes-sions.}},
  author       = {{Sivard, Elin and Kajander, Linus}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Size matters? - En kvalitativ studie kring hur big data förstås inom fältet PR}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}