PurposeViewing the blog technology as an integral part of the current social‐technical environment, this research aims to investigate whether the main influences on message diffusion within a blog community originate from external mass media channels or internal interpersonal communication channels.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed the innovation‐diffusion model and the OLS estimating method to study message diffusion of two documentary films on the Wretch, the largest blog community in Taiwan.FindingsThe results indicate that the mass media is the main source of message diffusion and that the internal communication power may increase as the opinion leader promotes these messages.Research limitations/implicationsOther factors that may influence message diffusion such as topic, design characteristics, and the existing social network have not been included.Practical implicationsFor practice, the result indicates that the mass media and the blog might complement each other.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first that attempts to apply the innovation‐diffusion model to analyze message diffusion within the blog community.
Drawing on Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory, this study investigates the communicative interaction behaviors of physicians, patients, and patients' parents in pediatrics in Taiwan. Thirty outpatients and six senior physicians from three different levels of hospital participated in the study. The analysis results indicate that most of the communicative politeness strategies used in pediatrics are bald-on-record, direct, and non-redressed. In addition, physicians adopt a higher percentage of bald-on-record and negative politeness strategies than patients. In contrast, patients' parents use more positive politeness and off-record strategies. These results indicate that while physicians display lower levels of politeness and often communicate directly, patients' parents express more supportive opinions and adopt more indirect communication strategies. The results reveal a preference for efficiency in pediatric clinics, with physicians adopting a dominant role in the communication process. These results also demonstrate an inherently asymmetric power balance between physician and patient. Our findings indicate the presence of several commonly seen politeness strategies and dialogue patterns that encourage greater self-awareness and self-observation for physicians and patients, leading to more effective communication in the clinical context. Finally, also discussed are the possible influences of Chinese culture such as face work, harmony, and power.
Language represents the medium through which we encounter reality and can be viewed as a human social action (Holtgraves 2002). In this study, we apply speech act theory to analyze the data collected in a study by Trauth and Jessup (2000)
This study investigated user satisfaction when a new interorganizational information system (green supply chain management system; GSCMS) was introduced to a supplier by a leader in the Taiwan electronic industry. GSCMS providers, according to the requirements of the supplier network leader, trained the representatives of suppliers. All suppliers of two sample vendors (manufacturers of electronic products) were surveyed. Five putative influencing factors were considered: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, training, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy. We find four factors significantly affect user satisfaction. The results show that the training provided by focal vendors will influence the satisfaction of users. Next, the anxiety and uncertainty experienced by users decreases when they acquire more knowledge about the operation of the new GSCMS. Finally, user satisfaction can be increased by designing the functions and interfaces of a GSCMS in accordance with the user perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, moreover, implications and suggestions are also discussed.
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