Browsing by Subject "Communications"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Design Thinking: Using Creativity and Collaboration to Transform Public Relations
    (2018-12) Hayes, Nora
    Public relations practitioners, like designers, toggle back and forth between seemingly different modes of operation: logic and creativity, specific and universal, human and non-human, time-bound and timeless. Both professions are driven by curiosity and the need to shape and change our worlds. Yet the processes at the heart of public relations have focused too narrowly on business imperatives and lost sight of the broader human dimension that fuels stories and provides meaning. Design thinking can provide a tool to help public relations reframe its role as a strategic creative driver.
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    The Interactions between E-Shopping and Store Shopping: A Case Study of the Twin Cities
    (2010-08) Cao, Jason; Douma, Frank; Cleaveland, Fay; Xu, Zhiyi
    This research aims to reveal the interactions between e-shopping and in-store shopping using a sample of Internet users in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. This report summarizes previous research on the interactions among spatial attributes, e-shopping, and travel behavior and makes eight recommendations for future research. Guided by the recommendations, this study adopts an innovative research design by integrating a conventional shopping survey with an activity diary. This report provides a detailed description of survey development and implementation and points out several common pitfalls in survey administration. This report also presents results on the interactions. Specifically, two ordered probit models and structural equation models were developed to investigate the influence of geography on online shopping usage and the influence of e-shopping on traditional shopping.
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    Losing our lakes: an assessment of the human dimensions of lakeshore landowner shoreland management
    (2012-01) Rudberg, Edgar Atwood
    The fragility of shorelines and the impact of residential development on habitat and water quality led to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's interest in promoting native vegetative buffers. First, I used the Integrative Model (IM) (Fishbein & Yzer, 2003) to evaluate lakeshore homeowners' attitudes, norms and self-efficacy for restoring a native vegetative buffer. Five belief evaluations (decrease maintenance β = .05, increase water quality β = .058, be attractive β = .103, impede recreation β = .046, and create privacy β = -.028 one self-efficacy evaluation (ability to keep up with maintenance β = .23), and three normative influences (family β = -.097, friends β = .051 and Minnesota DNR β = .065) were significant predictors of intention (R2 = .36). Secondly, I used the Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB) (Rimal and Real, 2005) as an alternate model and compared the results with the IM (Fishbein & Yzer 2003). My findings indicated that the IM (R2 = .241) had a greater explanation of variance, when compared to the TNSB, and that a greater amount of the variance was explained by the inclusion of descriptive norms, group ID and injunctive norms (R2 = .323). Finally, I sought to connect risk theory with behavioral theory and propose a framework for doing so. I used a case study of Minnesota shoreland landowners with native vegetative buffers for integrating risk and behavioral theory to segment audiences. My findings showed that 22.5% of survey respondents reported having a vegetative buffer on their shoreland and 10% of respondents had removed native vegetation in the past. I did not find a significant difference between the attitudes towards buffers of those that have removed vegetation and those that have not. However, the findings showed that having a negative attitude towards buffers increased one's odds of not having a native vegetative buffer by 2 ½ times. The analysis also showed that evaluation of buffers significantly predicted respondents' attitudes towards buffers (R 2 =.22, F[2, 11] = 8.69, p < .001). Compared to respondents without native vegetative buffers, the beliefs that buffers create an attractive shore (β = -.143, p = .019), create habitat (β = .32, p < .001), and create privacy (β = .146, p = .020) were predictive of attitude towards buffers for respondents that have buffers.
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    Minnesota Crookston Announces Hunter Plante As Assistant Marketing And Communications Director
    (University of Minnesota Crookston, 2019-01-04) Smith, Shawn D.
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    Quality of Life: Assessment for Transportation Performance Measures
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2013-01) Schneider, Ingrid E.; Guo, Tian; Schroeder, Sierra
    Quality of life (QOL) is a commonly used term. Defining QOL, however, is an ongoing challenge that experts often take on with minimal input from citizens. This groundbreaking research sought citizen input on what comprised QOL and what role transportation played in it. Further, this research explored in detail the important factors across the breadth of transportation and how the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) was performing on these important factors. The research encompassed three phases between 2010 and 2011: (1) an extensive literature review on QOL, (2) 24 focus groups that asked Minnesota’s citizens about their QOL, and (3) a mail questionnaire about what matters in quality of life, transportation and their intersection. Eleven related quality of life factors emerged, including transportation: education, employment and finances, environment, housing, family, friends and neighbors, health, local amenities, recreation and entertainment, safety, spirituality/faith/serenity, and transportation. Within transportation, seven important areas were identified that predicted satisfaction with MnDOT services: access, design, environmental issues, maintenance, mobility, safety and transparency. Results reveal that a) QOL is complex and transportation plays an important and consistent role in it across Minnesota; b) transportation is critical to QOL because it connects us to important destinations in aspects that matter most; and c) Minnesotans can readily identify what matters and how the state is performing within the breadth of transportation services.
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    Strategies for Improving Communications with limited English Proficient Populations in State Health
    (Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2013-05-06) Mastrud, Heidi; Reser, Aaron; Fischbach, Martha
    Demographic trends in Minnesota are changing. Numbers of foreign-born residents in Minnesota, including refugees from many different countries, are increasing, and the state is becoming more diverse. In order to fulfill its mission, MDH needs health messages to reach to all Minnesotans, which increasingly includes Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities. Improving LEP communications will ensure legal compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, increase responsiveness to health needs of immigrant populations, and work towards elimination of health disparities. In order to effectively communicate health messages to all Minnesotans, MDH needs to track and connect with ever-changing LEP populations in the state.