Hongliang Chen, Yueying Chen, Xiaowen Xu and David Atkin
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the public relied heavily on digital media to stay tuned for the latest update. Media preference could increase risk perceptions, although the…
Abstract
Purpose
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the public relied heavily on digital media to stay tuned for the latest update. Media preference could increase risk perceptions, although the influence of diverse media exposure remains unknown. Based on protection motivation theory, this study aims to investigate how digital media exposure diversity and information verification influence vaccination intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Analyzing survey data from 837 respondents in China, this study examined the effects of digital media exposure on information verification, including their influences on the threat appraisal, coping appraisal, vaccine misinformation beliefs, subjective norms and trust in vaccines.
Findings
Results indicate that diversity of digital media exposure increased threat appraisal (perceived severity) and coping appraisal (response efficacy and self-efficacy), while information verification increased only coping appraisal (response efficacy and self-efficacy). In addition, diversity of digital media exposure decreased vaccine misinformation beliefs. Furthermore, digital media exposure and information verification were linked to vaccination intention via the mediations of response efficacy, subjective norms and trust in vaccines.
Originality/value
This study is the first of its kind to investigate media exposure diversity in the context of vaccination and health crises. Our findings extended the PMT framework by exploring proactive information-related behaviors as antecedents of mediation processes. In addition, we examined misinformation beliefs, social norms and trust as societal influences. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.
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Renata Blanc, Muhammad Azizul Islam, Dennis M. Patten and Manuel Castelo Branco
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether differences in media exposure regarding corporate corruption appear to influence companies’ anti-corruption disclosures. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether differences in media exposure regarding corporate corruption appear to influence companies’ anti-corruption disclosures. The authors also examine whether the level of press freedom in firms’ home countries affects disclosure and the impact of media exposure in different ways.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use Transparency International’s 2012 ratings of anti-corruption disclosure by the 105 largest multinational firms in the world, press freedom assessments from the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders, and media exposure measures based on a search using the Dow Jones Factiva database. The authors assess relations using regression analysis controlling for other firm-specific factors potentially impacting disclosure choices. Finally, the authors consider the potential effect of other country-level factors.
Findings
The results indicate that media exposure, using either an existence or an extensiveness measure, is positively related to differences in sample companies’ anti-corruption disclosures. The authors also find that disclosure is more (less) extensive where home country press freedom is less (more) restricted and that reduced press freedom appears to reduce the impact of media exposure on the disclosure. The authors further document that press freedom levels explain more difference in anti-corruption disclosures than other country-level factors potentially influencing the practice.
Research limitations/implications
Because the investigation is limited to very large international firms for a single year, the degree to which the findings apply to other companies and time periods cannot be assessed. Further, the authors cannot determine how the findings would hold using an alternative disclosure rating scheme. Finally, the authors do not assess whether differences in the source of media exposure impact the findings.
Social implications
The findings suggest that, to the extent that improved anti-corruption disclosure reflects greater corporate attention to corruption issues, the media may be a powerful player in addressing this social ill. Unfortunately, the results also indicate that media efforts may not be sufficient to bring about change in locations where the freedom of the press is limited. Further, the results suggest that disclosure appears to be a function of exposure to social and political exposures, and the authors therefore question whether it will actually lead to improved corruption performance.
Originality/value
The study is the first to consider the impacts of media exposure and press freedom on corporate social disclosures.
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This study aims to examine the moderating effect of media exposure and media legitimacy on the environmental audit committee (EAC) regarding environmental disclosure quality as…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the moderating effect of media exposure and media legitimacy on the environmental audit committee (EAC) regarding environmental disclosure quality as measured by voluntary and timely disclosure.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper was based on a sample of 81 French nonfinancial companies listed on the SBF 120 index and covered a six-year period; from 2014 to 2019. To test the hypotheses, a feasible generalized least squares regression was applied. Moreover, the authors checked the results using an additional analysis and the generalized method of moment model for endogeneity problems.
Findings
The results obtained show that for 482 French firm-year observations during the period 2014–2019, the media exposure does not play a moderating role between the EAC and the voluntary environmental disclosure; However, it plays a moderating role between the EAC and the timely environmental disclosure. The results also show that media legitimacy plays a moderating role between the EAC and the quality of environmental information. After testing for endogeneity problems, the findings remain unchanged.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study may be of interest to academic researchers, practitioners and regulators who are interested in determining the quality of environmental disclosure by considering the role of the EAC while giving a role to media exposure and media legitimacy in the French context. Considering the EAC as a powerful source of effective corporate governance to improve the quality of environmental disclosure for decision-making, the research provides valuable insights for policymakers and managers on the importance of this mechanism and the importance of the environmental media and its tone in making environmental reporting useful and relevant.
Originality/value
The originality of the work lies in the fact that it is one of the first works that deal with the moderating effect of media exposure on the relationship between the EAC and the quality of environmental information disclosure measured by voluntary and timely disclosure. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous empirical studies have been conducted on this relationship in the French context or in other contexts.
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Marwa Moalla, Dhouha Bouaziz and Anis Jarboui
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the workforce environment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) audit report lag while also developing a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the workforce environment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) audit report lag while also developing a comprehensive understanding of the moderating effect of media coverage on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper was based on a sample of 151 French nonfinancial companies listed on the CAC All Shares index and covered an eight-year period, from 2014 to 2021. To test the hypotheses, a feasible generalized least squares regression was applied. Moreover, the authors checked the results using an additional analysis and the generalized method of moment model for endogeneity problems.
Findings
Based on a panel data set comprising 960 observations of French firms from the period 2014 to 2021, the results obtained indicate a significant negative relationship between the workforce environment and CSR audit report lag. Additionally, it was found that media exposure moderates the relationship between the workforce environment and CSR audit report lag.
Practical implications
This study contributes to the existing research on workforce environment and CSR audit report lag, potentially providing stakeholders such as employees, employers, regulators and auditors with an environment that shortens the time for issuing CSR audit reports. The findings are also relevant for foreign institutional investors aiming to enhance their investment decisions with more comprehensive information.
Originality/value
The work is innovative as it explores the moderating impact of media exposure on the connection between workforce environment and CSR audit report lag, a topic not extensively studied before. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior empirical studies have examined this relationship within the French context or elsewhere.
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Katie Lindekugel and Naja Ferjan Ramírez
Although studies have shown that electronic media exposure can negatively affect infants’ and young children’s language development, exposure to these forms of media is increasing…
Abstract
Although studies have shown that electronic media exposure can negatively affect infants’ and young children’s language development, exposure to these forms of media is increasing in North America. To better understand the types of electronic media exposure and their potential effects, we utilized naturalistic daylong recordings collected in the homes of bilingual Spanish–English infants of Latinx descent (n = 37). The present study examines contextual aspects of electronic media exposure, and the effects of electronic media on two types of parent–infant social interactions associated with child language development: parentese (a style of infant-directed speech distinguished by its higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation) and parent–infant turn-taking. Using Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA), two daylong audio recordings were collected from each family. These recordings were manually annotated for electronic media type, directedness, language, parental support, parentese, and turn-taking. Our results showed that the infants in our study experienced exposure to many different forms of electronic media, in both English and Spanish, and that the programming was predominantly adult-directed rather than child-directed. While both parentese and turn-taking were reduced in the presence of electronic media, the strength of these effects was modulated by electronic media sources, demonstrating that various devices differentially affect parental language input. These results provide a glimpse into what types of media young bilingual Spanish–English learning infants are experiencing and can help researchers design language interventions that are inclusive and relevant for families from these populations.
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Jan F. Klein, Yuchi Zhang, Tomas Falk, Jaakko Aspara and Xueming Luo
In the age of digital media, customers have access to vast digital information sources, within and outside a company's direct control. Yet managers lack a metric to capture…
Abstract
Purpose
In the age of digital media, customers have access to vast digital information sources, within and outside a company's direct control. Yet managers lack a metric to capture customers' cross-media exposure and its ramifications for individual customer journeys. To solve this issue, this article introduces media entropy as a new metric for assessing cross-media exposure on the individual customer level and illustrates its effect on consumers' purchase decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on information and signalling theory, this study proposes the entropy of company-controlled and peer-driven media sources as a measure of cross-media exposure. A probit model analyses individual-level customer journey data across more than 25,000 digital and traditional media touchpoints.
Findings
Cross-media exposure, measured as the entropy of information sources in a customer journey, drives purchase decisions. The positive effect is particularly pronounced for (1) digital (online) versus traditional (offline) media environments, (2) customers who currently do not own the brand and (3) brands that customers perceive as weak.
Practical implications
The proposed metric of cross-media exposure can help managers understand customers' information structures in pre-purchase phases. Assessing the consequences of customers' cross-media exposure is especially relevant for service companies that seek to support customers' information search efforts. Marketing agencies, consultancies and platform providers also need actionable customer journey metrics, particularly in early stages of the journey.
Originality/value
Service managers and marketers can integrate the media entropy metric into their marketing dashboards and use it to steer their investments in different media types. Researchers can include the metric in empirical models to explore customers' omni-channel journeys.
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Yungwook Kim, Jihye Kim, Jungki Park and Youjin Choi
Tests new proposed tools for measuring media exposure in a crisis management situation. A theoretical formula based on a literature review is applied to two crises: the TWA 800…
Abstract
Tests new proposed tools for measuring media exposure in a crisis management situation. A theoretical formula based on a literature review is applied to two crises: the TWA 800 crash and the ValuJet 592 crash. The application of the proposed formula was generally successful. The outcomes showed that diverse comparisons of media exposure are possible through the new methods.
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Yungwook Kim, Jihye Kim, Jungki Park and Youjin Choi
Tests new proposed tools for measuring media exposure in a crisis management situation. A theoretical formulae based on a literature review is applied to two crises: the TWA 800…
Abstract
Tests new proposed tools for measuring media exposure in a crisis management situation. A theoretical formulae based on a literature review is applied to two crises: the TWA 800 crash and the ValuJet 592 crash. The application of the proposed formulae was generally successful. The outcomes showed that diverse comparisons of media exposure are possible through the new methods.
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Chulmo Koo, Youhee Joun, Heejeong Han and Namho Chung
This study aims to investigate the effects of a prospective traveler’s perception of media exposure on their intention to visit a destination (i.e. South Korea). Cultural exposure…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of a prospective traveler’s perception of media exposure on their intention to visit a destination (i.e. South Korea). Cultural exposure to a particular country through media affects people’s preference for that foreign country, and may ultimately be a function of the behavior for consuming that country’s cultural products – e.g. traveling to that country. Media exposure has been recognized as a major underlying reason for the desire to visit a destination.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines the impacts of potential travelers’ media exposure in three different language-use groups (i.e. English, Japanese and Chinese) and their perception of the media exposure on their intention to visit the actual site (i.e. South Korea). To enhance the understanding of the intention to visit the destination, this study proposes a research model based on use and gratification theory and the belief–desire–intention model.
Findings
Mass and social media exposure had an effect on the intention to visit a destination as a result of the gratification and desire experienced through the content.
Research limitations/implications
This study suggests the synthesis of the use and gratification theory and the belief–desire–intention model and an examination of theoretical and practical implications.
Originality/value
This study involved a sample of users of destination marketing sites. In addition, this study investigated the users’ intentions to visit a real tourism destination taking into consideration mass media (traditional media) and social media (new media) based on the use of gratification theory and the belief–desire–intention model. Practically, the findings highlight the crucial role of social media in the intention to visit the tourism destination.
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Matej Nakić, Mirna Koričan Lajtman and Goran Oblaković
Drawing on prospect theory, terror management theory, and social influence theories, this study explores the phenomenon of panic buying amid the COVID-19 pandemic, namely its…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on prospect theory, terror management theory, and social influence theories, this study explores the phenomenon of panic buying amid the COVID-19 pandemic, namely its situational antecedents such as fear of COVID-19, increased media exposure to COVID-19-related news, and context-specific paranoia. It offers insight into the situational nature of panic buying, contrary to the purely dispositional/trait conceptualization of irrational spending, usually depicted through the phenomenon of compulsive buying.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was used for data collection from 621 Croatian citizens. The questionnaire features a series of validated instruments designed to measure compulsive buying, fear of COVID-19, and context-specific paranoia. The media exposure scale (MES) was also specifically developed and empirically tested for the purpose of this research.
Findings
The results suggest that individuals who exhibited greater fear of COVID-19 while also experiencing increased exposure to COVID-19-related news were more likely to engage in panic buying. This connection has remained significant even after controlling for compulsive buying tendencies, suggesting that panic buying witnessed during the coronavirus pandemic was a situational phenomenon, not strictly dispositional. This establishes the fear of COVID-19 and increased exposure to pandemic-related news content as situational antecedents to panic buying. After controlling for compulsive buying, this paper does not demonstrate a significant connection between context-specific paranoia and panic buying. Furthermore, context-specific paranoia does not mediate the relationship between media exposure to pandemic-related content and panic buying, whereas the fear of COVID-19 significantly mediates the same relationship.
Practical implications
This study recognizes people's panic behavior amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a byproduct of a situational, reactive process – not a psychopathological one. Furthermore, it recognizes media sensationalism and the audience's impaired capacity for rational spending as major risk factors preceding the event of panic buying.
Originality/value
This study proposes a novel conceptual framework of irrational spending amid crises such as COVID-19 pandemic, introducing the differentiation between the situational nature of the phenomenon (panic buying), thereby separating it from its previous dispositional operationalizations (hoarding, compulsive buying).