Examining the Utilization of Social Media by Nongovernmental Organizations for Dialogic Communication: A Study of Chinese NGOs’ Weibo Use

• In Event: Dialogue, Communication, and Social Media

Abstract

Extending Kent and Taylor's dialogic principles from organization’s websites to social media platforms, this study tested what drives non-governmental organizations’ social media use for dialogic communication. Based on a content analysis of 205 Chinese NGOs’ Weibo profiles, this study examined the effects of organization capacities, governance features, and external pressures on Chinese nongovernmental organizations’ engagement in dialogic communication with publics on the dominant social media platform in China—Weibo. Results showed that after controlling for organization age, and organization type, organizational capacity and governance features were potentially attributable to Chinese nongovernmental organizations’ social media use for dialogic engagement.

Authors

• Xinyu Lu, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

• Sung-Un Yang, Indiana U