Scholars have yet to explore narrative repetition-when a story is recalled and retold from another narrative-for its rich conceptual depth. To build a case for this area, we analyze stories from scholarly research to identify the functions of narrative repetition. We distinguish three dualities produced through repetition, which are grounded in cultural issues of sameness and difference. These dualities-control/resistance, differentiation/integration, and stability/change-bring a more sophisticated understanding of the inherent complexity of narrative as a mode of interpretation and offer a transformative view of narrative that describes how the meaning of stories shifts over time. When people repeat stories, some individuals may interpret a narrative of stability, whereas others may hear a hint of change. Furthermore, we offer narrative repetition as a new methodology for organizational research with the recommendation that scholars use the recurrence of a story as a starting point for inquiry into the cultural life of organizations.
This study examines the expectations that workers have regarding enterprise social media (ESM). Using interviews with 58 employees at an organization implementing an
Although studies have shown that increases in the frequency of social media use may be associated with increases in depressive symptoms of individuals with depression, the current study aimed to identify specific social media behaviors related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Millennials (N = 504) who actively use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat participated in an online survey assessing major depression and specific social media behaviors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify specific social media behaviors associated with the presence of MDD.
Despite the ubiquity of workplace health promotion (WHP) programs, research has yet to address how employees make sense of the various meanings surrounding free wellness time at work. Through interviews with 30 participants of a workplace wellness program, this study uncovered organizational and employee discourses surrounding health at work. In sharing their health narratives, employees drew on dual discourses, expressing multiple meanings in the program's rationale, workers' participation, and the results of workplace health initiatives. Our findings contribute to WHP literature by proposing workplace wellness programs as a site of struggle, drawing attention to the role of agency in WHP participation, extending managerialism in WHP outside the corporate setting, and connecting workplace wellness scholarship to the meaning of work and work-family policy research.
Despite widespread understanding of the benefits of physical activity, many adults in the United States do not meet recommended exercise guidelines. Burgeoning technologies, including wearable fitness trackers (e.g., Fitbit, Apple watch), bring new opportunities to influence physical activity by encouraging users to track and share physical activity data and compete against their peers. However, research has not explored the social processes that mediate the relationship between the use of wearable fitness trackers and intention to exercise. In this study, we applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) to explore the effects of two communicative features of wearable fitness devices-social sharing and social competing-on individuals' intention to exercise. Drawing upon surveys from 238 wearable fitness tracker users, we found that the relationship between the two communication features (social sharing and competing) and exercise intention was mediated by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The results suggest that the ways in which exercise data are shared significantly influence the exercise intentions, and these intentions are mediated by individuals' evaluation of exercise, belief about important others' approval of exercise, and perceived control upon exercise.
Despite the public's awareness of social media addiction, academic research in this realm remains limited. Filling this gap in the literature, the current study sought to understand predictors of social media addiction across four of the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. Regression analyses showed support for a biopsychosocial approach, demonstrating that biological (age), social (including gender, intensity of use, need for social media, and social comparison), and psychological factors (specifically stress, empathic concern, conscientiousness, and depression) accounted for over 50% of the explained variance in social media addiction. Findings demonstrate that although younger individuals are highly susceptible to social media addiction, users who manifest empathy toward others may have an enhanced psychological resiliency against addiction.
K E Y W O R D Sbiopsychosocial approach, mental health, problematic social media use, social media addiction, social media intensity
Social media continues to grow as a focus of social, organizational, and scholarly interest, yet there is little agreement as to what constitutes social media and how it can be effectively analyzed. We review various definitions of social media and note that much of the confusion regarding social media comes from conflation between social media types, platforms, and activities. To facilitate investigations of social media, we debunk common social media myths and review the relationship between social media and several prominent sociological concerns. We conclude by reflecting on directions for future research on social media.
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