The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities

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dc.contributor.advisorHuman, Gerten_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRobertson, Jeandrien_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-06-15T06:57:36Z
dc.date.available2015-06-15T06:57:36Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study aims to explore the role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication, by investigating the relationship between perceived need utilities of social media and the design utilities of the communication channel. Following the media richness theory (MRT) and channel expansion theory (CET), a model is proposed that suggests that need utilities drive social media utility. It is furthermore suggested that social media utility is positively associated with the design appropriateness of social media to create or consume HIV/AIDS content. The proposed model presents the interpersonal consumer expectations of message control, privacy, trust and endorsement as need utilities, while social media as a place to interact and a place to which to escape, are identified as social media utilities. As a high at-risk HIV- group, the research approach is outlined within the demographic segment of university students in the Western Cape, between the ages of 18 to 24 years. The constructs of social change (communication objective), social capital (product of communication) and social influence (targeted communication), are operationalised within a social media context to explore consumer motivations to interact or escape. The benefits and limitations of using social media for effective HIV/AIDS communication are also assessed, as these practically influence the perception of the role of a communication channel within a particular communication context. The research methodology firstly comprised of six qualitative focus group discussions, which assisted in the generation of the hypotheses and facilitated the formulation of the conceptual model. Secondly, data from 991 online surveys were analysed to quantitatively test the formulated hypotheses and gauge support for the proposed model. The results support the hypotheses and proposed model, by indicating that need utilities drive social media utility, which in turn drive design appropriateness. Furthermore, the results also reveal that the social media utility of being a place to interact is positively associated with the design appropriateness of social media for HIV/AIDS content creation and consumption. The perception of social media as a place to which to escape, however negatively affects the design appropriateness of social media for HIV/AIDS content creation and consumption. The study discusses the implications for health communication from an integrated marketing communications approach and puts forward recommendations for strategy development, as well as monitoring and evaluation. Lastly several recommendations are put forward for future research.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationRobertson, J. (2014). <i>The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,School of Management Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13065en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationRobertson, Jeandri. <i>"The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,School of Management Studies, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13065en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationRobertson, J. 2014. The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Robertson, Jeandri AB - This study aims to explore the role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication, by investigating the relationship between perceived need utilities of social media and the design utilities of the communication channel. Following the media richness theory (MRT) and channel expansion theory (CET), a model is proposed that suggests that need utilities drive social media utility. It is furthermore suggested that social media utility is positively associated with the design appropriateness of social media to create or consume HIV/AIDS content. The proposed model presents the interpersonal consumer expectations of message control, privacy, trust and endorsement as need utilities, while social media as a place to interact and a place to which to escape, are identified as social media utilities. As a high at-risk HIV- group, the research approach is outlined within the demographic segment of university students in the Western Cape, between the ages of 18 to 24 years. The constructs of social change (communication objective), social capital (product of communication) and social influence (targeted communication), are operationalised within a social media context to explore consumer motivations to interact or escape. The benefits and limitations of using social media for effective HIV/AIDS communication are also assessed, as these practically influence the perception of the role of a communication channel within a particular communication context. The research methodology firstly comprised of six qualitative focus group discussions, which assisted in the generation of the hypotheses and facilitated the formulation of the conceptual model. Secondly, data from 991 online surveys were analysed to quantitatively test the formulated hypotheses and gauge support for the proposed model. The results support the hypotheses and proposed model, by indicating that need utilities drive social media utility, which in turn drive design appropriateness. Furthermore, the results also reveal that the social media utility of being a place to interact is positively associated with the design appropriateness of social media for HIV/AIDS content creation and consumption. The perception of social media as a place to which to escape, however negatively affects the design appropriateness of social media for HIV/AIDS content creation and consumption. The study discusses the implications for health communication from an integrated marketing communications approach and puts forward recommendations for strategy development, as well as monitoring and evaluation. Lastly several recommendations are put forward for future research. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities TI - The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13065 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13065
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationRobertson J. The role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilities. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,School of Management Studies, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13065en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of Management Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherManagement Studiesen_ZA
dc.titleThe role of social media in HIV/AIDS communication: The relationship between perceived need and design utilitiesen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMBusScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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