Social Media Use in Startups: A Qualitative Study of Online Stakeholder Relationship Management
(2016) SKPM08 20161Department of Strategic Communication
- Abstract
- Social media plays an increasingly important role in organizational communication
and stakeholder relationship management. The last few years has seen a growing
number of studies examining how big organizations utilize social media channels
for stakeholder relationship cultivation. However, research so far has overlooked
startup companies, which are new players in the market and have the most to gain
from this new age communication tool. This thesis attempts to contribute to the
research gap in the field by examining startups’ use of social media in their daily business. In detail it looks at the different types of social media through which startups cultivate relationships with stakeholders and discovers barriers and opportunities... (More) - Social media plays an increasingly important role in organizational communication
and stakeholder relationship management. The last few years has seen a growing
number of studies examining how big organizations utilize social media channels
for stakeholder relationship cultivation. However, research so far has overlooked
startup companies, which are new players in the market and have the most to gain
from this new age communication tool. This thesis attempts to contribute to the
research gap in the field by examining startups’ use of social media in their daily business. In detail it looks at the different types of social media through which startups cultivate relationships with stakeholders and discovers barriers and opportunities that lie therein. In order to explore the subject fifteen qualitative in depth interviews with founders and employees of various European startups were conducted. Results reveal that social media is an efficient tool for startup companies to build and manage relationships with stakeholders. Startups’ affinity to new media allow them to take the full advantage of the opportunities that lie within the new digital sphere. By combining their creative and young nature with stakeholder cultivation strategies of positivity, assurances, openness, networking and sharing of tasks, they are able to build up social capital that ultimately helps startups to achieve legitimacy in society and establish their place in the market. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8893561
- author
- Cizinauskaite, Ruta LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SKPM08 20161
- year
- 2016
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- social media, stakeholder relationship management, startup, public relations, communication
- language
- English
- id
- 8893561
- date added to LUP
- 2018-01-10 09:09:57
- date last changed
- 2018-01-10 09:09:57
@misc{8893561, abstract = {{Social media plays an increasingly important role in organizational communication and stakeholder relationship management. The last few years has seen a growing number of studies examining how big organizations utilize social media channels for stakeholder relationship cultivation. However, research so far has overlooked startup companies, which are new players in the market and have the most to gain from this new age communication tool. This thesis attempts to contribute to the research gap in the field by examining startups’ use of social media in their daily business. In detail it looks at the different types of social media through which startups cultivate relationships with stakeholders and discovers barriers and opportunities that lie therein. In order to explore the subject fifteen qualitative in depth interviews with founders and employees of various European startups were conducted. Results reveal that social media is an efficient tool for startup companies to build and manage relationships with stakeholders. Startups’ affinity to new media allow them to take the full advantage of the opportunities that lie within the new digital sphere. By combining their creative and young nature with stakeholder cultivation strategies of positivity, assurances, openness, networking and sharing of tasks, they are able to build up social capital that ultimately helps startups to achieve legitimacy in society and establish their place in the market.}}, author = {{Cizinauskaite, Ruta}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Social Media Use in Startups: A Qualitative Study of Online Stakeholder Relationship Management}}, year = {{2016}}, }