Our study investigates the extent to which social media users engaged with organizations online exhibit traditional characteristics of boundary spanners, and whether this engagement results in more positive public relations outcomes for organizations. An online survey was conducted among 403 students and structural equation modeling was used to test a proposed theoretical model. Starbucks and Amazon were selected for this study as both are organizations with a substantial online presence in social media. Results show that social identity and self-efficacy had a positive impact on boundary spanning behaviors, but boundary spanning behaviors did not have a significant impact on social media engagement. However, this study makes an important contribution to current theory in public relations as the results also provide strong empirical evidence for the positive effects that social media engagement has on both relational satisfaction and relational commitment.

1. The New
Boundary Spanners:
Social Media Users, Engagement &
Public Relations Outcomes
Philip R. Johnson, Uyanga Bazaa, and Li Chen
International Communication Association
2011 Virtual Conference

2. Introduction:
Social Media

3. Introduction:
Social Media
Social media is:
quick, constant, efficient, low cost, entertaining, personal,
and interactive multi-directional.
new form of online communication allows free flow of
conversation between publics.
provides timely information and ideas that creates,
nurtures, and solidifies relationship between individuals
and groups.
personalized niche communication for all media users to
publish content and consume information from non-

4. Introduction:
Social Media
Internet and social media have flattened the world
(Friedman, 2000).
“More brands are prioritizing their Facebook page in ads
over their own website.” -Steve Rubel, Senior Vice President, Edelman
Digital
Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have quickly
evolved into tools for marketing (Thomases, 2010).

5. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning

6. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning

7. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning

8. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning

9. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning
Boundary spanning is to search out
relevant information and disseminate
it.
However Boundary Spanning also
requires PR practitioners to
understand and appreciate all sides of
a relationship between their
organization and public (Guth &
Marsh, 2003).

10. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media

11. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media

12. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media
Much has been
written about how
the influential few
[an elite 10%] tells
the rest of us what
to buy, how to vote,
etc. Duncan Watts,
at Columbia and
Yahoo! Research,
says that it is not the
elite few that matter
but the connected
many and they have
to be ready to be
influenced.

13. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media

14. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media
Users have become secondary gatekeepers by
commenting on news posted online, favoring the stories
or passing the link of coverage (Shoemaker & Vos, 2009).

15. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media
Users have become secondary gatekeepers by
commenting on news posted online, favoring the stories
or passing the link of coverage (Shoemaker & Vos, 2009).
The use of blogs by organizations for PR purposes is
beneficial in the building and maintenance of
organization-public relationships (Yang, Kang, & Johnson, in press;
Yang & Lim, 2009).

16. Introduction:
Boundary Spanning & Social Media
Users have become secondary gatekeepers by
commenting on news posted online, favoring the stories
or passing the link of coverage (Shoemaker & Vos, 2009).
The use of blogs by organizations for PR purposes is
beneficial in the building and maintenance of
organization-public relationships (Yang, Kang, & Johnson, in press;
Yang & Lim, 2009).
Applicable to the use of blogs as a social media tool for
PR practitioners, the concept of engagement has
become a focal point in both the academic and
professional fields(Paine, 2007).

17. Purpose of Study

18. Purpose of Study
Thus researchers believe consumers have become
more than a target; instead they seek out product
information, create buzz, identify themselves with
the brand, and willing to engage with the
organization and then share the information with
others.

19. Purpose of Study
Thus researchers believe consumers have become
more than a target; instead they seek out product
information, create buzz, identify themselves with
the brand, and willing to engage with the
organization and then share the information with
others.
The aim of this study is to find out if individuals
engaged in social media have the characteristics of
boundary spanners, and whether this engagement
results in more positive public relations outcomes

20. Theory

21. Theory
Social media engagement is the extent to which social media communication elicits a sense of attachment in
terms of interactivity, connectedness, positive attitudes, and word of mouth intentions regarding an organization
(Yang & Kang, 2009).

22. Theory
Social media engagement is the extent to which social media communication elicits a sense of attachment in
terms of interactivity, connectedness, positive attitudes, and word of mouth intentions regarding an organization
(Yang & Kang, 2009).
Contingency interactivity. A familiar concept to internet research is the idea of interactivity, specifically
contingency interactivity, defined as the degree to which an exchange of messages are related to each other
and sequenced such that “subsequent messages are contingent or dependent on previous message” (Sundar,
Kalyanarman, & Brown, 2003, p. 35).

23. Theory
Social media engagement is the extent to which social media communication elicits a sense of attachment in
terms of interactivity, connectedness, positive attitudes, and word of mouth intentions regarding an organization
(Yang & Kang, 2009).
Contingency interactivity. A familiar concept to internet research is the idea of interactivity, specifically
contingency interactivity, defined as the degree to which an exchange of messages are related to each other
and sequenced such that “subsequent messages are contingent or dependent on previous message” (Sundar,
Kalyanarman, & Brown, 2003, p. 35).
User-organization connection. Previous research has shown that a person’s identification or connection with an
organization through engagement has positive persuasive outcomes (Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009). Specifically,
brand engagement has shown to represent a part of an individual’s self-concept and antecedent to attention,
memory, and preference of an individual’s favorite brands (Sprott, Czellar, & Spangenberg, 2009). In our study,
user-organization connection is defined as the degree to which an online user feels a connection to an
organization through their social media use.

24. Theory
Social media engagement is the extent to which social media communication elicits a sense of attachment in
terms of interactivity, connectedness, positive attitudes, and word of mouth intentions regarding an organization
(Yang & Kang, 2009).
Contingency interactivity. A familiar concept to internet research is the idea of interactivity, specifically
contingency interactivity, defined as the degree to which an exchange of messages are related to each other
and sequenced such that “subsequent messages are contingent or dependent on previous message” (Sundar,
Kalyanarman, & Brown, 2003, p. 35).
User-organization connection. Previous research has shown that a person’s identification or connection with an
organization through engagement has positive persuasive outcomes (Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009). Specifically,
brand engagement has shown to represent a part of an individual’s self-concept and antecedent to attention,
memory, and preference of an individual’s favorite brands (Sprott, Czellar, & Spangenberg, 2009). In our study,
user-organization connection is defined as the degree to which an online user feels a connection to an
organization through their social media use.
Organizational attitude. In our study, organizational attitude is the degree to which a social media user has
positive or negative feelings toward an organization. In public relations, positive attitudes toward an organization
has an impact in how publics behave toward an organization (Ki & Hon, 2007). In the case of social media,
positive attitudes toward an organization are more likely to elicit higher levels of engagement between social
media users and the organization.

25. Theory
Social media engagement is the extent to which social media communication elicits a sense of attachment in
terms of interactivity, connectedness, positive attitudes, and word of mouth intentions regarding an organization
(Yang & Kang, 2009).
Contingency interactivity. A familiar concept to internet research is the idea of interactivity, specifically
contingency interactivity, defined as the degree to which an exchange of messages are related to each other
and sequenced such that “subsequent messages are contingent or dependent on previous message” (Sundar,
Kalyanarman, & Brown, 2003, p. 35).
User-organization connection. Previous research has shown that a person’s identification or connection with an
organization through engagement has positive persuasive outcomes (Busselle & Bilandzic, 2009). Specifically,
brand engagement has shown to represent a part of an individual’s self-concept and antecedent to attention,
memory, and preference of an individual’s favorite brands (Sprott, Czellar, & Spangenberg, 2009). In our study,
user-organization connection is defined as the degree to which an online user feels a connection to an
organization through their social media use.
Organizational attitude. In our study, organizational attitude is the degree to which a social media user has
positive or negative feelings toward an organization. In public relations, positive attitudes toward an organization
has an impact in how publics behave toward an organization (Ki & Hon, 2007). In the case of social media,
positive attitudes toward an organization are more likely to elicit higher levels of engagement between social
media users and the organization.
Word of mouth intentions. Additionally, positive word of mouth intentions are also indicative or increased social
media engagement between users and an organization. Word of mouth intentions are defined as a user’s desire
to share or tell information about an organization to others. Higher levels of word of mouth intentions are

26. Theory & Extension

27. Theory & Extension
User-Org Word of Mouth
Interactivity Org. Attitude
Connection Intentions
Social Media
Engagement

28. Theory & Extension
User-Org Word of Mouth
Interactivity Org. Attitude
Connection Intentions
Enduring
Involvement
Social Identity
Boundary Social Media
Spanning Engagement
Self Efficacy
Need for
Cognition

29. Theory & Extension
User-Org Word of Mouth
Interactivity Org. Attitude
Connection Intentions
Enduring
Involvement
Relational
Satisfaction
Social Identity
Boundary Social Media
Spanning Engagement
Relational
Self Efficacy
Commitment
Need for
Cognition

30. Theory

31. Theory
Enduring involvement is defined as one’s personal interest in the
organization (Baker & Lutz, 1988, 1996).

32. Theory
Enduring involvement is defined as one’s personal interest in the
organization (Baker & Lutz, 1988, 1996).
Social identity is that part of an individual’s self-concept derived
from his or her membership in some social groups, along with the
value and emotional significance of that membership (Tajfel, 1981).

33. Theory
Enduring involvement is defined as one’s personal interest in the
organization (Baker & Lutz, 1988, 1996).
Social identity is that part of an individual’s self-concept derived
from his or her membership in some social groups, along with the
value and emotional significance of that membership (Tajfel, 1981).
Self-efficacy is defined as an individual’s belief about her/his
capability to accomplish tasks and “to organize and execute the
courses of action required to manage prospective situations” (1995,
p. 2).

34. Theory
Enduring involvement is defined as one’s personal interest in the
organization (Baker & Lutz, 1988, 1996).
Social identity is that part of an individual’s self-concept derived
from his or her membership in some social groups, along with the
value and emotional significance of that membership (Tajfel, 1981).
Self-efficacy is defined as an individual’s belief about her/his
capability to accomplish tasks and “to organize and execute the
courses of action required to manage prospective situations” (1995,
p. 2).
Need for cognition is an individual’s tendency to engage in and
enjoy effortful cognitive activity (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982, p. 116).

35. Theory

36. Theory

37. Theory
Relational commitment is defined as the extent to which “one
party believes and feels that the relationship is worth spending
energy to maintain and promote” (p. 14).

38. Theory
Relational commitment is defined as the extent to which “one
party believes and feels that the relationship is worth spending
energy to maintain and promote” (p. 14).

39. Theory
Relational commitment is defined as the extent to which “one
party believes and feels that the relationship is worth spending
energy to maintain and promote” (p. 14).
Relational satisfaction is defined as the extent to which “one
party feels favorably toward the other because positive
expectations about the relationship are reinforced” (p. 14).

40. Hypotheses
H1: Social identification with an organization is positively related to
boundary-spanning behaviors.
H2: Self-efficacy is positively related to boundary-spanning behaviors.
H3: Need for cognition is positively related to boundary-spanning
behaviors.
H4: Enduring involvement is positively related to boundary-spanning
behaviors.
H5: Boundary-spanning behaviors are positively related to social media
engagement.
H6: Social media engagement is positively related to relational satisfaction.

41. Proposed Model &
Hypotheses
H1
H2 H6
H5
H3
H7
H4

42. Methods
Online Survey: N = 403, Response rate 5.37%
2 organizations: Amazon and Starbucks
Pretest: N = 35 students to measures of all variables in the study for
reliability, consistency, and which organizations are best suited for
investigation.
Data Analysis:
Chronbach’s alpha will first be used to test scale items reliability for all
variables.
confirmatory factor analysis was used to test model fit statistics of all
latent variables.
Results are analyzed using structural equation modeling with the AMOS
18.0 statistical package to specify the structural model and assess

43. Measuring Enduring
Involvement
Q: Please rate the following word pairs when thinking about Starbucks/
Amazon.
Not fun O O O O O O O Fun
Appealing O O O O O O O Unappealing
Uninteresting O O O O O O O Interesting
Fascinating O O O O O O O Not fascinating
Not exciting O O O O O O O Exciting
Valuable O O O O O O O Not valuable
Not essential need O O O O O O O Essential need
Important O O O O O O O Unimportant

44. Measuring Social Identity
Q: When thinking about Starbucks/Amazon, please rate your level of
agreement with the following statements. (5-point scale Agree to Disagree)
I think Starbucks/Amazon has good reputation.
I am satisfied with products and services of Starbucks /Amazon.
I identify myself with Starbucks /Amazon.
I am a valuable customer of Starbucks /Amazon.
I am an important member of Starbucks /Amazon's brand community.
Q: Please rate your level of attachment and belongingness to each
organization. (7-point scale Very much, moderate, not at all)
How attached are you to Starbucks /Amazon?
How strong would you say your feelings of belongingness are toward Starbucks /Amazon?

45. Measuring Self Efficacy
Q: Please rate your level of agreement on each of the following statements.
(5-point scale Agree to Disagree)
I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort.
It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals.
I can usually handle whatever comes my way.
Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations.
When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions.
I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough.
If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.
I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events.
I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities.
If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution.

46. Measuring Need for
Cognition
Q: For each statement below, please indicate to what extent the statement is
characteristic of you, from extremely uncharacteristic to extremely
characteristic. (5-point scale)
I find satisfaction in deliberating hard and for long hours.
The notion of thinking abstractly is appealing to me.
I would prefer complex to simple problems.
Thinking is not my idea of fun.
I feel relief rather than satisfaction after completing a task that required a lot of mental effort.
I only think as hard as I have to.
The idea of relying on thought to make my way to the top appeals to me.
I usually end up deliberating about issues even when they do not affect me personally.
I really enjoy a task that involves coming up with new solutions to problems.
I like to have the responsibility of handling a situation that requires a lot of thinking.
I prefer to think about small, daily projects to long-term ones. etc.,

47. Measuring Boundary
Spanning Behavior
Q: For each statement below, please indicate to what extent the statement
is characteristic of you, from extremely uncharacteristic to extremely
characteristic. (5-point scale)
I do persuade others.
I reach out to those who are in need.
I do support my standpoint.
I am a good contact for critical evaluation.
I proactively seek advice from others I prevent myself from overload.
I am a good contact for new ideas.
I am a good contact for external information.
I can be out of my comfort zone.

48. Measuring Social Media
Engagement - Interactivity
Q: Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements when
thinking about Starbucks/Amazon. (7-point scale Agree to Disagree)
It is likely that I would link to Starbucks' social media content from my own web site,
blog, Facebook, or Twitter page.
I am interested in reading social media content by Starbucks.
I feel connected to Starbucks' ideas and thoughts.
I would feel comfortable if Starbucks asked me to interact through social media.

49. Measuring User-
Organization Connection
Q: Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements when
thinking about Starbucks/Amazon. (7-point scale Agree to Disagree)
I can feel a personal connection to Starbucks.
I think Starbucks helps me become the type of person I want to be.
I can identify with Starbucks. Starbucks reflects who I am.
I use Starbucks to communicate who I am to other people.
Starbucks suits me well.
I consider Starbucks to be "me" (if it reflects who I consider myself to be or the way that I want to
present myself to others).

50. Measuring Word of Mouth
Intentions
Q: Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements when
thinking about Starbucks/Amazon. (7-point scale Agree to Disagree)
I would recommend Starbucks products to someone who asked my advice.
I would say positive things about Starbucks and its products to other people.
I would encourage family members or relatives to buy products from Starbucks.
I would encourage friends to buy products from Starbucks.

51. Measuring Organizational
Attitude
Q: Please rate the following word pairs when thinking about
Starbucks/Amazon.
Unreputable O O O O O O O Reputable
Responsible O O O O O O O Irresponsible
Financially unstable O O O O O O O Financially stable
Fly by night O O O O O O O Established
Long-run oriented O O O O O O O Short-run oriented

52. Measuring Relational
Satisfaction
Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements. (7-point scale
Agree to Disagree)
Starbucks fails to satisfy the needs of people like me.
Most people enjoy dealing with Starbucks.
Both Starbucks and people like me benefit from the relationship.
Generally speaking, I am pleased with the relationship Starbucks has established
with people like me.
In general, I believe that nothing of value has been accomplished between
Starbucks and people like me.
Most people like me are happy in their interactions with Starbucks.
I am happy with Starbucks.
I feel people like me are important to Starbucks.

53. Measuring Relational
Commitment
Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements. (7-
point scale Agree to Disagree)
I feel a sense of loyalty to Starbucks.
I would rather work together with Starbucks than not.
I can see that Starbucks wants to maintain a relationship with people like me.
I could not care less about Starbucks.
Compared to other organizations, I value my relationship with Starbucks more.
I feel that Starbucks is trying to maintain a long-term commitment to people like
me.
There is a long-lasting bond between Starbucks and people like me.

54. Descriptives
N = 403
Age ➔ M = 24.26
GPA ➔ M = 3.58
Gender ➔ Over 60% female
65% White, 14% Asian/Pacific Islander, 5.8% Black
Nearly 60% income $0-74,999, mode = $0-24,999
Students ➔ nearly 75%

55. Bivariate Results
Starbucks
Boundary
Spanning (DV)
Self-Efficacy .37*
Need for Cognition .20*
Social Identity ns
Enduring * p < .01
ns
Involvement N = 403

56. Bivariate Results
Starbucks
Relational Relational
Satisfaction (DV) Commitment (DV)
Interactivity .50* .61*
User-
Organization .51* .67*
Connection
WOM Intentions .74* .71*
Organizational
.53* .41*
Attitude * p < .01
N = 403

57. Bivariate Results
Amazon
Boundary
Spanning (DV)
Self-Efficacy .37*
Need for Cognition .20*
Social Identity .16*
Enduring * p < .01
ns
Involvement N = 403

58. Bivariate Results
Amazon
Relational Relational
Satisfaction (DV) Commitment (DV)
Interactivity .34* .49*
User-
Organization .31* .56*
Connection
WOM Intentions .68* .58*
Organizational
.53* .43*
Attitude * p < .01
N = 403

59. Bivariate Results
PR Outcomes
Starbucks
Relational satisfaction <—> Relational
commitment
r = .77, p < .01
Amazon
Relational satisfaction <—> Relational
commitment
r = .70, p < .01

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61. Hypotheses
DV Boundary Spanning
H1 Social identity ➔ Boundary
spanning – supported
H2 Self-efficacy ➔ Boundary
spanning – supported
H3 Need for cognition ➔ Boundary
spanning – not supported
H4 Enduring involvement ➔
Boundary spanning – not supported

62. Hypotheses
DV Social Media Engagement
H5 Boundary spanning ➔ Social
media engagement – Amazon only

63. Hypotheses
DV PR Outcomes
H6 Social media engagement ➔
Relational satisfaction – supported
H7 Social media engagement ➔
Relational commitment – supported

64. Social Media Engagement
Starbucks

65. Social Media Engagement
Amazon

66. Hypothesized Model
Starbucks

67. Hypothesized Model
Amazon

68. Alternative Models
Post-Hoc

69. Alternative Model 1
Starbucks

70. Alternative Model 1
Amazon

71. Discussion
Social media engagement has a strong,
positive effect on PR outcomes
Verifies importance of org’s fostering user
engagement via social media
Enduring involvement & social identity’s effect
on social media engagement
Org’s should focus on recruiting/attracting/
nurturing those online users w/high levels of
enduring involvement & social identity
Boundary spanning ➔ not a good mediator in
our study, but its importance still unknown