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Organisation

Media, ICT and interpersonal relations in Organisations and Society (MIOS)

Research Group

Lifecycle:1 Oct 2003 →  Today
Organisation profile:MIOS is a research group within the Department of Communication Studies at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. The research team aims at analysing individuals' and organizational uses of ICT (and other media) to gain insight into (computer) mediated communication, its uses and effects, and to pursue evidence-based communication strategies and policy. The research activities of MIOS can be linked to two communication levels, which comprise the central and complementary research strands: • The use of ICT (and other media) by individuals, and the associated risks and opportunities: This level focuses on research into the use of internet, mobile phones and games by children, young people and adults. • The strategic use of ICT (and other media) by organizations (companies, social-profit organizations, governments): At this level, research is conducted in areas such as (online) marketing and health communication. Studies within the first research strand center on the following key topics: • Cyberbullying: definition, measurement, typology, prevalence, profiles of bullies and victims. • E-marketing and privacy: the various types of electronic marketing, the disclosure of personal data in online marketing contexts and on social networking sites, the knowledge and experience that children and adolescents have in the area of e-marketing (and more specifically, their ad-discriminating ability and their ad-intent awareness). • Digital gaming: the study of player experiences and player involvement, the integration of marketing communication into games (e.g. in-game advertising), the health implications of games and moral issues related to digital games. • ICT Families: how the use of ICT possibly interferes with parenting, food intake patterns (e.g. decline of family meals) and other family rituals. In addition, the parenting behaviours, communication styles of parents and parental internet-mediation strategies are examined within this context. The second research strand is primarily focused on the use of technological applications for purposes of strategic communication in profit and social-profit organizations. This context involves the expansion of research concentrating on marketing (and e-marketing) communication, as well as on governmental or other awareness-raising communication campaigns, including health-related communication and interventions. Attention is also paid to the impact of ICT on internal organizational communication.
Keywords:PRIVACY, HEALTH COMMUNICATION, E-MARKETING, SOCIAL NETWORK SITES, ICT, CYBERBULLYING, GAMING, E-PRIVACY, E-GOVERNMENT
Disciplines:Animal experimental and comparative psychology, Applied psychology, Human experimental psychology, Social psychology, Communication sciences, Journalism and professional writing, Media studies, Other media and communications