Each year, Fortune magazine publishes a list of the 500 largest corporations in the United States of America based on total revenue in the previous fiscal year. As successful companies, these organizations must prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for a multitude of reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine how agricultural and food companies on the 2021 Fortune 500 list demonstrated a commitment to DEI efforts on their corporate websites. Thus, we analyzed the DEI website of each food and agricultural company listed on the 2021 Fortune 500 list. Quantitatively, most websites only required two clicks to access resources and information regarding how the company supports diverse audiences in the workplace when navigating from the main corporate website. Corporations should ensure DEI is a priority for and clearly communicate this on the website using definitions, statements, and employee resources on websites. Additionally, using visuals such as photos, videos, and graphics can improve communication in this space. For the qualitative portion of the study, we analyzed the use of executive and employee voices in communicating about DEI on the corporate landing page. Two themes emerged. Within the corporate theme came the work-to-be-done subtheme which addresses corporate DEI work as a work in progress. The second theme was the personal and professional theme which helps support the personal and professional wellbeing of employees and stakeholders. We offer suggestions for communicators and executives for communicating about DEI in the food and agriculture webspace and offer recommendations for future research
{"title":"A Multi-Method Analysis of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Websites of Fortune 500 Agricultural and Food Companies","authors":"Garrett M. Steede, Rebecca Swenson, Troy McKay","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2487","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2487","url":null,"abstract":"Each year, Fortune magazine publishes a list of the 500 largest corporations in the United States of America based on total revenue in the previous fiscal year. As successful companies, these organizations must prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for a multitude of reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine how agricultural and food companies on the 2021 Fortune 500 list demonstrated a commitment to DEI efforts on their corporate websites. Thus, we analyzed the DEI website of each food and agricultural company listed on the 2021 Fortune 500 list. Quantitatively, most websites only required two clicks to access resources and information regarding how the company supports diverse audiences in the workplace when navigating from the main corporate website. Corporations should ensure DEI is a priority for and clearly communicate this on the website using definitions, statements, and employee resources on websites. Additionally, using visuals such as photos, videos, and graphics can improve communication in this space. For the qualitative portion of the study, we analyzed the use of executive and employee voices in communicating about DEI on the corporate landing page. Two themes emerged. Within the corporate theme came the work-to-be-done subtheme which addresses corporate DEI work as a work in progress. The second theme was the personal and professional theme which helps support the personal and professional wellbeing of employees and stakeholders. We offer suggestions for communicators and executives for communicating about DEI in the food and agriculture webspace and offer recommendations for future research","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135860480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Little research exists on the role Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources professionals play in communicating information about new turfgrass cultivars. In an effort to analyze behavioral intentions related to social media and its use in the turfgrass industry, the researchers drew from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). A pilot instrument was developed to measure the intent of University researchers and county-based Extension professionals to use social media to disseminate turfgrass information, as well as their use of social media for seeking turfgrass information. This case study examined the role of county-based ANR Extension professionals across six states, analyzing their role as either creators or disseminators of ANR and turfgrass information, their intent to use social media, and their use of these communications to engage with ANR and turfgrass information. Findings of this study show that Facebook is the primary communications channel used by county-based Extension professionals. Further, it has been determined that the role of the county-based Extension professional in “creating” verses “using” previously established research-based information to disseminate to clientele is not well-defined. Broader implications include examination of performance expectations of county-based personnel related to their use of social media for communicating turfgrass information.
{"title":"Identifying the Behavioral Intent to Use Social Media through the application of UTAUT in ANR and Turfgrass Extension","authors":"Barbara Worley, Jason Peake, Nicholas E. Fuhrman","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2469","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2469","url":null,"abstract":"Little research exists on the role Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources professionals play in communicating information about new turfgrass cultivars. In an effort to analyze behavioral intentions related to social media and its use in the turfgrass industry, the researchers drew from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). A pilot instrument was developed to measure the intent of University researchers and county-based Extension professionals to use social media to disseminate turfgrass information, as well as their use of social media for seeking turfgrass information. This case study examined the role of county-based ANR Extension professionals across six states, analyzing their role as either creators or disseminators of ANR and turfgrass information, their intent to use social media, and their use of these communications to engage with ANR and turfgrass information. Findings of this study show that Facebook is the primary communications channel used by county-based Extension professionals. Further, it has been determined that the role of the county-based Extension professional in “creating” verses “using” previously established research-based information to disseminate to clientele is not well-defined. Broader implications include examination of performance expectations of county-based personnel related to their use of social media for communicating turfgrass information.","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135860209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brytann Busick, H. Leggette, G. Briers, H. Whitaker, J. Parrella
The purpose of our research was to determine if attending a U.K. livestock show changed attendees’ attitudes about agriculture and to compare those changes in attitudes to attendees of a U.S. state fair similar in size and dynamic. The sample was livestock show attendees at the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS). The mixed-method design included a then and now semantic differential scale with bipolar adjective pairs to measure attendees’ attitudes about agriculture before and after the experience and qualitative interviews with photo elicitation to learn about how attendees developed attitudes about agriculture. Participants had positive attitudes about agriculture before they attended the Show and had more positive attitudes after attending. Participants had more positive attitudes before and after attending the Show than did California State Fair attendees. In addition, participants lacked prior experiences with agriculture, but attending the GYS provided them the opportunity to develop positive attitudes through cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors. Fair attendance should be promoted because they provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and U.S. fairs should adopt experiential tactics used at the GYS. Further research is needed to better understand how GYS attendees developed positive attitudes about agriculture prior to attending the Show and what elements of the GYS experience were most influential to attendees’ attitude development.
{"title":"Great Yorkshire Livestock Show Attendees’ Attitudes about Agriculture","authors":"Brytann Busick, H. Leggette, G. Briers, H. Whitaker, J. Parrella","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2493","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of our research was to determine if attending a U.K. livestock show changed attendees’ attitudes about agriculture and to compare those changes in attitudes to attendees of a U.S. state fair similar in size and dynamic. The sample was livestock show attendees at the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS). The mixed-method design included a then and now semantic differential scale with bipolar adjective pairs to measure attendees’ attitudes about agriculture before and after the experience and qualitative interviews with photo elicitation to learn about how attendees developed attitudes about agriculture. Participants had positive attitudes about agriculture before they attended the Show and had more positive attitudes after attending. Participants had more positive attitudes before and after attending the Show than did California State Fair attendees. In addition, participants lacked prior experiences with agriculture, but attending the GYS provided them the opportunity to develop positive attitudes through cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors. Fair attendance should be promoted because they provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and U.S. fairs should adopt experiential tactics used at the GYS. Further research is needed to better understand how GYS attendees developed positive attitudes about agriculture prior to attending the Show and what elements of the GYS experience were most influential to attendees’ attitude development.","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70867432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T. Murphrey, Audra W. Richburg, H. Leggette, Shannon L. Norris-Parish, J. Parrella
{"title":"Ready, Set, Communicate: Measuring Usability of Instructional Modules Designed to Improve Communications Skills of Students Studying Agricultural Sciences","authors":"T. Murphrey, Audra W. Richburg, H. Leggette, Shannon L. Norris-Parish, J. Parrella","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2478","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2478","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42031272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Urban farmers face challenges as they work among traditionally underserved populations, are new to farming, and may not recognize the resources available to them. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prioritizes urban food production research and has recognized the unique challenges faced by urban farmers. The purpose of this study was to better understand the perspectives of urban farmers toward urban agricultural resources. Using the USDA Urban Agricultural Toolkit (2016) as a conceptual framework, this study found three perspectives of Oklahoma agricultural producers regarding urban agricultural resource challenges: The Visionary Farmer, The Business-minded Farmer, and The Learning Farmer. Visionary Farmers emphasize the application of urban agriculture toward urban social and community-building needs. Business-minded Farmers recognize the need for economic and financial education and resources for urban farmers. Learning Farmers highlight the need for continued agricultural education in urban agricultural operations. The findings suggest an opportunity for Extension and farmer-serving agencies to provide innovative communication, programming and support designed to address the unique struggles of urban farmers.
{"title":"Using Urban Farmer Perceptions of Urban Agricultural Resources to Inform Extension Programming: A Q Methodology Study","authors":"Joshua R. Campbell, Angel Riggs, D. Montgomery","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2482","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2482","url":null,"abstract":"Urban farmers face challenges as they work among traditionally underserved populations, are new to farming, and may not recognize the resources available to them. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prioritizes urban food production research and has recognized the unique challenges faced by urban farmers. The purpose of this study was to better understand the perspectives of urban farmers toward urban agricultural resources. Using the USDA Urban Agricultural Toolkit (2016) as a conceptual framework, this study found three perspectives of Oklahoma agricultural producers regarding urban agricultural resource challenges: The Visionary Farmer, The Business-minded Farmer, and The Learning Farmer. Visionary Farmers emphasize the application of urban agriculture toward urban social and community-building needs. Business-minded Farmers recognize the need for economic and financial education and resources for urban farmers. Learning Farmers highlight the need for continued agricultural education in urban agricultural operations. The findings suggest an opportunity for Extension and farmer-serving agencies to provide innovative communication, programming and support designed to address the unique struggles of urban farmers.","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44907929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katerina Weingarten, Q. Settle, Linnea Harvey, D. Cartmell
{"title":"Exploring Social Media and Online Communication Use by Direct-to-Consumer Agricultural Businesses in Upstate New York","authors":"Katerina Weingarten, Q. Settle, Linnea Harvey, D. Cartmell","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2488","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2488","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48764193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Q. Settle, Linnea Harvey, Taylor K. Ruth, Joy N. Rumble
Because mothers are the primary grocery shoppers for most households, they play a fundamental role in the food their families eat. As such, it is important to understand their perceptions of potential sources of food safety and nutrition information. This study surveyed young mothers (i.e., 18-40 years old) across the United States to assess their awareness, knowledge, and trust of celebrities and social media influencers who communicate about food-related topics. The list of celebrities and influencers consisted of TV chefs, celebrities and influencers who espouse favorable viewpoints of food and agriculture, and celebrities and influencers who espouse more alternative viewpoints of food and agriculture. Respondents were usually more aware and knowledgeable of the celebrities and chefs than the influencers. They also generally trusted the TV chefs the most. There tended to be small-to-medium positive correlations between a respondents’ knowledge of a celebrity/influencer and their trust of that celebrity/influencer but not all were statistically significant. Communicators looking to influence the largest number of people would benefit more from working with celebrities, but social media influencers could still play a role in campaigns that target specific online communities where the influencers’ values align with community members. More research is recommended to expand to other audiences, as well as assessing other celebrities and influencers. Research can also address how consumers use social media to get food-related information, how trust could be affected by communication using different social media platforms, and content analyses of food-related communication by celebrities and influencers on social media outlets.
{"title":"Young Mothers’ Trust of Celebrities and Influencers for Food Safety and Nutrition Information","authors":"Q. Settle, Linnea Harvey, Taylor K. Ruth, Joy N. Rumble","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2464","url":null,"abstract":"Because mothers are the primary grocery shoppers for most households, they play a fundamental role in the food their families eat. As such, it is important to understand their perceptions of potential sources of food safety and nutrition information. This study surveyed young mothers (i.e., 18-40 years old) across the United States to assess their awareness, knowledge, and trust of celebrities and social media influencers who communicate about food-related topics. The list of celebrities and influencers consisted of TV chefs, celebrities and influencers who espouse favorable viewpoints of food and agriculture, and celebrities and influencers who espouse more alternative viewpoints of food and agriculture. Respondents were usually more aware and knowledgeable of the celebrities and chefs than the influencers. They also generally trusted the TV chefs the most. There tended to be small-to-medium positive correlations between a respondents’ knowledge of a celebrity/influencer and their trust of that celebrity/influencer but not all were statistically significant. Communicators looking to influence the largest number of people would benefit more from working with celebrities, but social media influencers could still play a role in campaigns that target specific online communities where the influencers’ values align with community members. More research is recommended to expand to other audiences, as well as assessing other celebrities and influencers. Research can also address how consumers use social media to get food-related information, how trust could be affected by communication using different social media platforms, and content analyses of food-related communication by celebrities and influencers on social media outlets.","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70867833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cara R. Lawson, Richard Austin-Castillo, Lauren Chase
{"title":"Scarce Water in Site: A Content Analysis of News Coverage of the Sites Reservoir Project","authors":"Cara R. Lawson, Richard Austin-Castillo, Lauren Chase","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2475","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45362090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Agricultural Communications Practitioners’ Perspectives on Skills and Competencies Graduates Need to Be Career Ready: A Mixed Methods Study with Implications for Undergraduate Programs","authors":"Elizabeth Wyss, Adam Cletzer","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2471","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46570797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karli S Yarber, Jefferson D. Miller, Jill Rucker, Lora Walsh
{"title":"\"You Know, the South is a Breeding Ground for Gluttony\": A Qualitative Evaluation of Dissonance between Christian Beliefs and Eating Habits","authors":"Karli S Yarber, Jefferson D. Miller, Jill Rucker, Lora Walsh","doi":"10.4148/1051-0834.2473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2473","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41912791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}