Final report TransForum WP-046 : images of sustainable development of Dutch agriculture and green space

In the project “Images of sustainable development of Dutch agriculture and green space” three PhD candidates studied the topic of images in sustainable development. Frans Hermans focused on the topic of societal images and their role and influence in innovation projects. The title of his subproject was “Social learning for sustainability in dynamic agricultural innovation networks.” Joost Vervoort explored the topic of “visualisation”, that is, using and producing images for specific purposes, in the context of innovation projects and programmes, in a subproject called “Step into the system: interactive media strategies for the exchange of insights on social-ecological change.” Finally, Dirk van Apeldoorn took a complex adaptive systems approach to images. He modelled various agro-ecosystems to compare images of those systems with the behaviour of those systems. His subproject was called “Modeling resilience of agro-ecosystems.

The promotion of responsible tourism management through digital media

Tourism businesses are increasingly embracing the dynamics of new digital technologies, as they communicate their responsible initiatives through corporate websites, social media platforms and other interactive channels. Therefore, a quantitative study explores the owner-managers' attitudes on digital media. The methodology integrates measures from technological innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to understand the rationale for using online media to communicate about sustainable and responsible tourism management. The results have indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of digital media (for the promotion of sustainable behaviours and stakeholder engagement). This contribution suggests that communication of responsible tourism management is more effective when it is offered through interactive channels. It implies that there are opportunities for hospitality businesses to enhance their reputation and image as they engage in interactive communications with different stakeholders.Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association Malta Tourism Authoritypeer-reviewe

Strategic corporate communication in the digital age

Businesses are increasingly using corporate communication technologies to interact with prospective customers. Therefore, this study explores the corporate executives’ readiness to use interactive media for engagement with online users. The methodology relied on valid and reliable measures to explore the participants’ pace of technological innovation, perceived usefulness, ease of use and social influences, as these factors can have an effect on their engagement with interactive technologies. The findings supported the scales’ content validity as the structural equations modeling approach has reported a satisfactory fit for this study’s research model. The results indicated that the pace of technological innovation, perceived usefulness, ease of use of online technologies as well as social influences were significant antecedents for the marketing executives’ engagement with online users through digital media. This contribution implies that corporate communications executives ought to continuously monitor conversations in social media and review sites, and to respond to their online followers in a timely manner. In conclusion, it identifies its limitations and suggests possible research avenues to academia.peer-reviewe

Measuring the hoteliers’ interactive engagement through social media

The hospitality businesses are increasingly using the interactive technologies to promote their services and to engage with online prospects. Therefore, this study explores the hospitality executives’ stance toward the acceptance and use of social media for marketing purposes. The methodology relied on valid and reliable measures, including; the Technology Acceptance Model’s ‘perceived usefulness’ and ‘ease of use’ of technology, as well as the Theory of Planned Behavior’s ‘social influences’ and ‘behavioral intention’. Moreover, it adapted other constructs that were previously used to measure ‘interactive engagement’ and ‘pace of technological innovation’. The research model investigated whether these constructs had a significant effect on the participants’ intention to use social media for interactive engagement. The results have supported the scales’ content validity and the structural equations modeling approach has reported a satisfactory fit for this study’s research model. The findings indicated that there were highly significant, direct and indirect effects from the exogenous variables, particularly from the perceived usefulness and social influences that were predicting the hospitality owner-managers’ behavioral intentions to use social media. The individuals’ utilitarian motives to use the social media were clearly evidenced as they perceived the usefulness of the social media. They also indicated that they were influenced by their colleagues or competitors. Notwithstanding, there were significant influences from the demographic variables, including age, gender and experiences that moderated these relationships. This research model has integrated previously tried and tested measures relating to the acceptance and use of technology. In sum, this study reported that the younger, female respondents were more likely to use the social media to engage with online prospects, when compared with their older counterparts. In conclusion, this contribution identifies its limitations and suggests possible research avenues to academia.University of Malta Research Fundpeer-reviewe

The role of innovation labs in advancing the relevance of Public Service Media: the cases of BBC News Labs and RTVE Lab

As part of their social function, Public Service Media (PSM) organizations are devoted to innovation. In this context, a number of European PSM outlets have created laboratories based on the implementation of products, services and formats for multiplatform audiences. Our research focused on two case studies: a) BBC News Labs (UK) and b) RTVE Lab (Spain). We applied both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. We used content analysis techniques to examine products generated by the two laboratories between 2013 and 2017, quantifying and classifying each one according to categories related to the type and nature of the innovation. We carried out ethnographic research using participant observation over five days in each laboratory, both in London and Madrid. We also conducted open-ended interviews with five professionals at the BBC and three at RTVE, as well as with the head of EBU’s Media Strategy & Development department. Our results show that BBC News Labs implements a global innovation strategy through the design and engineering of products that facilitate journalists’ work. Projects include speechto- text software, prototypes for voice recognition and text analysis, chatbots and object-based media. On the other hand, RTVE Lab focuses on designing and producing interactive formats, multimedia narratives and social media content, with an emphasis on experimentation. The findings reveal the main barriers and incentives to innovation within each lab and show how the transfer of innovation could increase the diversity, universality and quality of their overall output

The Role of Social Media as Key of Business Development

Social media has changed the way the world communicates, creating real time interconnectivity between people, businesses, and geographies. As social media continues to grow in popularity, brands are looking for ways to increase their fan base and leverage their social presence to increase sales and brand affinity. Social media is a powerful tool for engaging your customers and fans in a conversation. Open up two-way communication between your business and your consumers to provide a way to stay connected with your fans and to introduce your brand to those who are less familiar. Interact with your fans and reply to what they have to say. By engaging in conversation, you’ll gain exposure on social channels and increase credibility by getting your customers to refer your brand or talk about their experience with your company. In dynamic market environment, distribution channels, marketing activities, diversification strategies, and food quality are increasingly important. Innovation in social networking media has revolutionized the world in 21st Century. Social networking media presents potentially opportunities for new forms of communication and commerce between marketers and consumers. As advertisers typically want to find some way to follow their target audiences, many new media opportunities are presented to advertisers. Communication through social networking media is more specified, with effective interactive strategy among its users. In recent days, internet advertising has taken new forms which have more advantages over the traditional mediums like print media, TV and radio. Marketing communication is becoming precise, personal, interesting, interactive and social. Dialogue between consumers and the brand is presented in the paper on the case of a leading brand in the category of fast moving consumer goods on market. The paper presents internet marketing activities that have contributed to building a relationship with the brand. The main thesis of present case was an effectiveness of communication and strategy done through social networking media could increase brand relationship with young people. Keywords: Internet, Social networking media, Fast Moving Consumer Goods

Co-production and Co-creation: Creative practice in Social Inclusion

Abstract. We apply techniques drawn from interactive media art in fieldwork for social inclusion. Advanced mobile media and grassroots DIY techniques are used to bring creative practice with digital media into community based outreach work. We use these techniques in a participatory context that encourages the co-production of cultural output. We triangulate across artistic practice, technology engineering, and the social sciences to leverage methods from digital media art practice in contexts that result in social innovation

Northern Sparks

An “episode of light” in Canada sparked by Expo 67 when new art forms, innovative technologies, and novel institutional and policy frameworks emerged together. Understanding how experimental art catalyzes technological innovation is often prized yet typically reduced to the magic formula of “creativity.” In Northern Sparks, Michael Century emphasizes the role of policy and institutions by showing how novel art forms and media technologies in Canada emerged during a period of political and social reinvention, starting in the 1960s with the energies unleashed by Expo 67. Debunking conventional wisdom, Century reclaims innovation from both its present-day devotees and detractors by revealing how experimental artists critically challenge as well as discover and extend the capacities of new technologies. Century offers a series of detailed cross-media case studies that illustrate the cross-fertilization of art, technology, and policy. These cases span animation, music, sound art and acoustic ecology, cybernetic cinema, interactive installation art, virtual reality, telecommunications art, software applications, and the emergent metadiscipline of human-computer interaction. They include Norman McLaren's “proto-computational” film animations; projects in which the computer itself became an agent, as in computer-aided musical composition and choreography; an ill-fated government foray into interactive networking, the videotext system Telidon; and the beginnings of virtual reality at the Banff Centre. Century shows how Canadian artists approached new media technologies as malleable creative materials, while Canada undertook a political reinvention alongside its centennial celebrations. Northern Sparks offers a uniquely nuanced account of innovation in art and technology illuminated by critical policy analysis

UNDERSTANDING THE DRIVERS AND CONSEQUENCES OF INTERACTIVE INNOVATION ADOPTION IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Providing technologies and services to enable collaboration and communication is a vital concern for information scientists and organizational leaders supporting communities of professionals in research-intensive health care environments. Innovative information practices and technologies—which may include mobile and social-media based technologies, new electronic records systems, new data management practices, and new communication procedures—are developed and introduced, often at considerable cost, with the goal of supporting and enhancing information sharing. However, at times these innovations fail to be adopted by their intended user communities, or adoption leads to unforeseen negative consequences for information sharing within the social environment. The health care sector in particular, while often characterized as generally innovative, has at times been slow to adopt new information innovations. This is a seeming paradox for innovation adoption studies, in which innovativeness is typically treated as synonymous with being among the first to adopt an innovation. This research was conducted in order to better understand the factors that influence or impede interactive innovation adoption in research-intensive health care environments. A four quadrant model, the Pollock Model of Interactive Innovation Adoption (PMIIA) was created and tested in a study of innovation adoption among physicians in training at an academic medical center in the southern United States. Factors from all four quadrants of the model were found to be related to either adoption decisions or perceptions of innovations. Additionally, both personal and professional values were found to play a role in participants\u27 adoption and use of the innovations

Communicating corporate social responsibility in the digital era

Businesses are increasingly embracing the dynamics of new digital technologies, as they communicate their policies and responsible initiatives through corporate websites, social media platforms and other interactive channels. The Web2.0 is also considered as a vehicle for the marketing communications of laudable practices, including non-financial reporting. In this light, the methodology integrates measures from technological innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to understand the rationale for using digital media to communicate about environmental, social and governance issues. A quantitative study amongst 202 ownermanagers in the retail industry indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between the perceived the ease of use and perceived usefulness of online media (for CSR disclosures) and stakeholder engagement. In addition, the findings revealed that the younger respondents were increasingly engaging in ubiquitous technologies. In conclusion, this contribution suggests that CSR communication is more effective when it is readily available online. It implies that there are opportunities for businesses to enhance their reputation and image as they engage with different stakeholders through digital media.peer-reviewe