A Comparative Analysis of Social Media Stakeholder Engagement in Higher Education: China and the United States

Although universities have increasingly employed multiple social media platforms to enhance interaction and engage with their stakeholders within online communities, empirical knowledge on how to effectively engage stakeholders across different cultural contexts remains limited. It is crucial to explore how users from diverse cultural backgrounds interact in the digital world. This study examines how the application of dialogic tenets in social media posts influences stakeholder engagement across different cultural contexts.

It analyzes messages from the top-ranked universities on prominent social media platforms in China and the United States – two significant markets characterized by large internet user bases and distinct cultural differences. By evaluating stakeholder engagement metrics on Weibo and Facebook, this research reveals varying impacts of dialogic tenets on stakeholder engagement across different cultural contexts. Specifically, we found that the dialogic tenets of propinquity and commitment exhibited consistent influences on stakeholder engagement in both cultural contexts. However, mutuality displayed divergent impacts, while empathy and risk were found to have distinct effects on stakeholder engagement in different cultural settings.

Through a comparative study, this analysis contributes to a further understanding of digital communication strategies in higher education from a cross-cultural perspective. It seeks to provide practical implications for universities aiming to effectively engage their stakeholders with various cultural backgrounds.