Transnational Nonprofits’ Social Media Use: A Survey of Communications Professionals and an Analysis of Organizational Characteristics

In response to rapid changes in the communication environment, nonprofits are increasingly relying on digital technologies to achieve their communication goals. We examine factors influencing nonprofits’ digital-based external communication based on a survey of communications directors at transnatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly 2020-08, Vol.49 (4), p.849-870
Main Authors: Seo, Hyunjin, Vu, Hong Tien
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Leadership
Mass media
Nonprofit organizations
Polls & surveys
Social media
Social networks
Transnationalism
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Summary:In response to rapid changes in the communication environment, nonprofits are increasingly relying on digital technologies to achieve their communication goals. We examine factors influencing nonprofits’ digital-based external communication based on a survey of communications directors at transnational nonprofits, with an analysis of each organization’s characteristics as described on its Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 and website. Our results show that, at the organizational level, nonprofits with stronger leadership support concerning social media activities were more likely to use different digital platforms and value more various functions of social media for external communication as compared with those lacking such support. At the individual level, communications directors’ perceived ease of social media use and time in their current position significantly influenced their emphasis on different functions of social media. This research fills a gap in the literature by analyzing both organizational characteristics and individual communications director’s attributes in assessing nonprofits’ social media use.
ISSN:0899-7640
1552-7395
0899-7640
DOI:10.1177/0899764020908340