Discursive Constructions of Corporate Identities by Chinese Banks on Sina Weibo: An Integrated Sociolinguistics Approach

by Wei Feng

Overview

This book addresses the discursive construction of corporate identities in social media on the part of Chinese corporations, particularly highlighting how followers of corporate social media co-create corporate identities during firm-follower interactions. Toward this end, it pursues an integrated sociolinguistics approach combining e.g. thematic analysis, interactional analysis and in-depth interviews. Readers will also find extensive information on the brand-new dialogic framework of corporate identity formation. The book offers an insightful and revealing guide for both practitioners/trainers and teachers in corporate communication who are faced with the challenges of managing public relations and corporate images in the age of social media. It can also serve as a valuable case study for those readers who are fascinated by the Chinese economy and discourse analysis of the Chinese language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789811351471
Publisher:	Springer Nature Singapore
Publication date:	12/09/2018
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2017
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. Wei Feng is currently a lecturer at Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Shanxi University, where she teaches subjects such as Intercultural Communication to postgraduate students and Introduction to Chinese Culture to undergraduates. Her research interests include social media, media discourse and discourse interaction.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE CONSTRUCTION OF CORPORATE IDENTITY IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
1.2 THE RISE AND FLOURISH OF SOCIAL MEDIA
1.3 THE TRANSFORMING CHINA AND ITS BANKING SECTOR
1.4 SCOPE OF RESEARCH AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.5 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 IDENTITY, CORPORATE IDENTITY AND LANGUAGE USE
2.2.1 Identity formation and language use
2.2.1.1 Psychological and sociological perspectives
2.2.1.2 Linguistic and communication perspectives
2.2.2 Discursive constructions of corporate identity
2.3 IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN CORPORATE COMMUNICATION: HOW?
2.3.1 Corporate identity construction online: websites to social media
2.3.2 Impression management
2.3.3 Dialogue theory: the dialogic communication turn in public relations
2.3.4 Emotional branding 2.3.4.1 Emotional branding and the conversational human voice
2.3.4.2 The communication of corporate social responsibility
2.4 INTERACTIONAL SOCIOLINGUISTICS
2.4.1 The anthropological insights from John Gumperz
2.4.2 The sociological insights from Erving Goffman
2.4.3 The linguistic insights from Deborah Tannen
2.4.4 Face and linguistic face-work in social interaction
2.4.5 Conversation analysis
2.5 NEW MEDIA DISCOURSE
2.5.1 An overview
2.5.2 Microblogging Discourse
2.6 RESEARCH GAPS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRESENT STUDY
CHAPTER 3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND RESEARCH METHODS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 TOWARDS A DIALOGIC THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
3.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
3.4 GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
3.5 METHODS OF ANALYSIS
3.6 DATA COLLECTION
3.7 DATA COLLECTION METHODS 3.8 GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF TEXTUAL DATA
CHAPTER 4 HETEROGENEOUS CORPORATE IDENTITIES OF BANKS
ON SINA WEIBO
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 HETEROGENEOUS IDENTITIES OF THE CMB ON THE SINA WEIBO
4.3 HETEROGENEOUS IDENTITIES OF THE BOC ON THE SINA WEIBO
4.4 CORPORATE IDENTITIES REALIZED IN CORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA
4.5 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 5 FRAMING WHO WE ARE: IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES OF CORPORATE IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION ON
THE SINA WEIBO
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 HUMANIZING AND POPULARIZING THE CORPORATE SELF
5.2.1 ‘Playing cuteness’ as a distinctive conversational style in corporate Weibo
5.2.2 Face-work
5.2.2.1 Greetings
5.2.2.2 Expressing gratitude
5.2.2.3 Teasing followers and self-ridicule
5.2.3 Offer of free material benefits to followers
5.3 PERSUADING OTHERS INTO TRUSTING (AND EVENTUALLY TRADING WITH) THE CORPORATE SELF
5.3.1 The change of footing along posts: establishing power or solidarity
5.3.2 Devoting themselves to follow-up and interaction 168
5.3.3 Detailing company awards and benefits of promotions or launches
5.4 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 6 FOLLOWERS’ CO-CONSTRUCTING BANKS’ CORPORATE IDENTITY ON WEIBO
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 DIALOGIC COMMUNICATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
6.2.1 Active contributors
6.2.2 Listeners
6.2.3 Interlocutors
6.2.4 Lurkers
6.3 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 7 CROSS-BANK VARIATIONS IN CORPORATE IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION
7.1 INTRODUCTION
7.2 VARIATIONS OF IDENTITY PROJECTION BETWEEN THE BOC AND THE CMB
7.3 INTERVIEW INSIGHTS OF CORPORATE IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION: INSIDER STORIES
7.3.1 The interview with the BOC
7.3.1.1 Two critical identities the BOC wishes to construct 7.3.1.2 Corporate identity co-construction of the BOC followers
7.3.2 The interview with the CMB
7.3.2.1 Brand personality of the CMB
7.3.2.2 Dialogic communication with the CMB followers
7.4 THE LINK BETWEEN THE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE AND THE INTERVIEWS
7.5 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION
8.1 INTRODUCTION
8.2 SUMMARY OF THE MAIN FINDINGS
8.3 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
8.3.1 The multiplicity of corporate identities on social media
8.3.2 Impression management on social media
8.3.3 The co-construction of corporate identity
8.4 NEW CONTRIBUTIONS
8.5 RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX