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Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613770890608640 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Du Plessis, Talita |
| author2 | Meyer, Marius |
| author_browse | Du Plessis, Talita Meyer, Marius |
| author_facet | Meyer, Marius Du Plessis, Talita |
| author_sort | Du Plessis, Talita |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/108066 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:25.747Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/108066 Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts Du Plessis, Talita Meyer, Marius Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Emojis Business communication Telecommunication UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH SUMMARY : Globally, due to the impending impact of technology and globalisation, a rapid change is evident within the organisational workforce as organisations are more readily relying on Computer-Mediated Communication as a means of communicating. Alongside the increase in the use of Computer-Mediated Communication, a decrease in the expression of non-verbal cues has also been evident. Accordingly, employees have begun to, not only in informal (interpersonal) communication but also in formal (organisational) communication, make use of, emojis. Introduced to the global market in 2011 and deemed the communication language of the future, emoji usage has rapidly increased in recent years, with more than 5 billion emojis being used daily on Facebook and there are 3178 emojis available to date. Regardless of the rapid increase in usage, studies have indicated that emoji interpretation differences are present for various variables, including mobile platforms. Due to the upsurge of emoji usage in organisational communication and the pivotal role which effective organisational communication has, the need to identify organisational variables that could contribute to interpretation differences within organisational communication is of utmost importance. Subsequently, the objectives of the study included determining whether emoji interpretation differences occurred across platforms, age groups, genders, racial groups, industries of work as well as hierarchy levels. The research design included an exploratory research design with the target population including a random sample of employees from diverse backgrounds (age, gender, race, industry of work and hierarchy level) employed at a wide variety of organisations. The sample size included 362 respondents (n=362) and a survey research methodology was used. An electronic survey, developed on Qualtrics, was distributed to participants primarily by means of an anonymous survey link on which participants had to complete demographic information, additional information questions as well as indicate their interpretation of a set of 16 randomly assigned emojis in terms of semantics and sentiment. The study found, that not only are emoji interpretation differences evident, but emoji interpretation differences occurred for each of the variables examined. Hence, emoji interpretation differences occurred across platforms, age groups, genders, racial groups, industries of work as well as hierarchy levels. Based on the findings, seeing as interpretation differences could potentially have an adverse impact on communication, resulting in misinterpretation and ultimately, miscommunication, practical recommendations were made. The recommendations outlined effective organisational practices to be implemented in an attempt to address dissimilar emoji interpretations and the appropriate usage thereof within organisational communication. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die toenemende wêreldwye impak van tegnologie en globalisering het 'n gevolglike snelle verandering binne die organisatoriese arbeidsmag meegebring aangesien organisasies meer geredelik op Rekenaar-bemiddelde Kommunikasie staatmaak as 'n manierom te kommunikeer. Benewens die toename in die gebruik van rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasie, het 'n duidelijk afname in die vermoë om uitdrukking aan nie-verbale leidrade te gee ook na vore gekom. Werknemers het as gevolg hiervan begin om van sogenaamde Emoji's gebruik te maak, nie net in informele (interpersoonlike) kommunikasie nie, maar ook in formele (organisatoriese) kommunikasie. Die gebruik van emojis, wat in 2011 aan die wêreldmark bekendgestel is en as die kommunikasietaal van die toekoms beskou word, het die afgelope paar jaar vinnig toegeneem, met meer as 5 miljard emoji's in daaglikse gebruik op Facebook en die beskikbaarheid van 3178 daarvan tot op datum. Ongeag die vinnige toename in gebruik, het studies aangedui dat emoji-interpretasieverskille vir verskeie veranderlikes, insluitend mobiele platforms, voorkom. Vanweë die oplewing van emoji-gebruik in organisatoriese kommunikasie en die deurslaggewende rol van effektiewe organisatoriese kommunikasie, het ‘n behoefte ontstaan om organisatoriese veranderlikes wat tot interpretasieverskille in organisatoriese kommunikasie kan bydra, te identifiseer, wat van uiterste belang is. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie was vervolgens daarop gerig om te bepaal of emoji-interpretasieverskille oor platforms, ouderdomsgroepe, geslagte, rassegroepe, werksindustrieë en hiërargievlakke heen voorkom. Die navorsing het het van 'n verkennende navorsingsontwerp met ‘n teikenpopulasie gebruik gemaak, met insluiting van 'n ewekansige steekproef van werknemers met uiteenlopende agtergronde (ouderdom, geslag, ras, werksbedryf en hiërargievlak) wat by 'n wye verskeidenheid organisasies werksaam is. Die steekproef het 362 respondente (n=362) ingesluit en opname-navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik. 'n Elektroniese opname wat deur Qualtrics ontwikkel is, is hoofsaaklik deur middel van 'n anonieme opnameskakel aan deelnemers versprei. Deelnemers moes demografiese inligting op die opname invul, addisionele inligtingsvrae voltooi, en hul interpretasie van 'n stel van 16 ewekansige emoji's in terme van semantiek en sentiment aandui. Die studie het bevind dat emoji-interpretasieverskille nie net duidelik voorkom nie, maar dat emoji-interpretasieverskille ook vir elk van die veranderlikes wat ondersoek is, voorkom. Emoji-interpretasieverskille het gevolglik tussen platforms, ouderdomsgroepe, geslagte, rassegroepe, werkbedrywe sowel as hiërargievlakke voorgekom. Aangesien interpretasieverskille op grond van die bevindinge moontlik 'n nadelige impak op kommunikasie kan hê, en tot waninterpretasie en uiteindelik tot wankommunikasie kan lei, word praktiese aanbevelings gemaak Die aanbevelings sit effektiewe organisatoriese praktyke uiteen wat geïmplementeer moet word in 'n poging om verskillende emoji-interpretasies en die toepaslike gebruik daarvan in organisatoriese kommunikasie aan te spreek. Masters 2020-02-26T08:41:02Z 2020-04-28T12:17:21Z 2020-02-26T08:41:02Z 2020-04-28T12:17:21Z 2020-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108066 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xiii, 460 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Emojis Business communication Telecommunication UCTD Du Plessis, Talita Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts |
| title | Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts |
| title_full | Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts |
| title_fullStr | Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts |
| title_short | Interpretation of emojis in organisational Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) contexts |
| title_sort | interpretation of emojis in organisational computer mediated communication cmc contexts |
| topic | Emojis Business communication Telecommunication UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108066 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT duplessistalita interpretationofemojisinorganisationalcomputermediatedcommunicationcmccontexts |