gala_a - honors capstone final v2 3-29-16

Mexico Tourism Board: An Analysis of Relationship Maintenance Strategies on Twitter

A Capstone Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of theRequirements of the Renée Crown University Honors Program at

Syracuse University

Alison Gala

Candidate for Bachelor of Scienceand Renée Crown University Honors

December 2015

Honors Capstone Project in Public Relations

Capstone Project Advisor: _______________________ Advisor’s Name

Capstone Project Reader: _______________________ Reader’s Name

Honors Director: _______________________ Stephen Kuusisto, Director

Date: December 9, 2015

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements iAbstract iiExecutive Summary iii

Chapter 1: Introduction 1Importance of Tourism in Mexico 1Obstacles to Mexican Tourism 2Mexico Tourism Board 3Sample of Mexico Tourism Board’s Online Presence 5Purpose of the Present Study 5

Chapter 2: Literature Review 6Organization-Public Relationships 6Relationship Quality Outcomes 7Relationship Maintenance Strategies 9Summary of Purpose 15

Chapter 3: Method 16Content Analysis 16Coding Sheet Construction and Procedures 16Conceptualization and Operational Definitions of Variables 18Intercoder Reliability 23

Chapter 4: Results 23Overview 23Access 24Assurances 24Networking 27Openness 29Positivity 30Sharing Tasks 31

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Discussion 32Access 32Assurances 33Networking 35Openness 36Positivity 39Sharing Tasks 40Theoretical and Practical Implications 41Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research 43

Works Cited 44Appendix 1 47

MEXICO TOURISM BOARD, p. i

Acknowledgements

I feel a great sense of gratitude toward all those who helped me achieve this

accomplishment. First, I would like to express sincere gratitude to my adviser Professor Hua

Jiang for her continuous support in guiding me through this project. Her patience, dedication and

expertise motivated me to reach my full potential. I would also like to thank my reader Professor

Joon Soo Lim for reviewing my research and ensuring quality.

Finally, I am incredibly grateful for my family. Mom and Dad, thank you for the love,

support and tuition. I love you and appreciate all the opportunities you have given me.

MEXICO TOURISM BOARD, p. ii

Abstract

Since tourism is such an integral component of many national economies, public relations

(PR) has an important job to do for this industry. Effective PR practices help tourism

organizations build relationships with key publics, inform public perception and cultivate

positive attitudes toward a destination, thus encouraging travel. There are six established

strategies used to build and maintain quality relationships online, including access, assurances,

networking, openness, positivity and sharing tasks. These strategies can lead to positive

relationship outcomes such as trust, loyalty and satisfaction with key publics. Though previous

studies have examined the use of the aforementioned relationship building strategies for other

areas of PR, no framework existed to analyze their implementation on Twitter for tourism PR.

This study seeks to address this deficiency. This capstone proposes a framework for tourism PR

and uses it to analyze a sample of the Mexico Tourism Board’s tweets to understand how it uses

online relationship maintenance strategies to affect relationship quality outcomes.

Keywords: Organizational-Public Relationships, Relationship Maintenance Strategies, Tourism

Public Relations, Mexico Tourism Board, Relationship Quality Outcomes, Twitter Analysis,

Online Relationship Building

MEXICO TOURISM BOARD, p. iii

Executive Summary

This study is the first to establish a framework through which tourism organizations can assess

the implementation of six relationship maintenance strategies on Twitter, including access, assurances,

networking, openness, positivity and sharing tasks. Effective online communication is of great importance

because it helps organizations develop relationship quality outcomes like trust, satisfaction and

commitment among target publics.

Through a content analysis, this project coded tweets from the Mexico Tourism Board to apply

the new framework and assess the organization’s use of online relationship maintenance strategies.

During the coding process, tweets were assessed in terms of the most salient strategy, as well as the level

at which it was implemented (low to high).

The study found that the Mexico Tourism Board used positivity most often and at the highest

level, followed by networking, access, assurances, openness and, finally, sharing tasks in terms of

frequency. The Mexico Tourism Board primarily directed tweets toward niche tourist groups such as

culturists, explorers, “foodies”, couples, sports fanatics and beach bums. The study found that tweets

featuring a higher level of implementation generally received greater engagement from users,

demonstrating that the use of relationship maintenance strategies do affect how users interact with online

content.

This capstone adds to a lacking body of research on tourism public relations and will allow

organizations to examine the effectiveness of online communication with target publics via Twitter.

Similar to findings from previous research, the study maintained the value of relationship maintenance

strategies in building quality relationships. It also revealed an opportunity for tourism organizations to

extend PR efforts beyond themselves to affect perceptions of the country as a whole.

MEXICO TOURISM BOARD, p. 1

Chapter 1

Introduction

Effective communication is a key component of any good relationship and Twitter is one

effective way for tourism organizations to communicate with publics online. To form meaningful

relationships, organizations use a variety of strategies – including access, assurances,

networking, openness, positivity and sharing tasks. In the past, scholars have created frameworks

to analyze how well organizations used the aforementioned relationship maintenance strategies

(RMS) to build organizational-public relationships (OPR). Researchers have tried to understand

the impact of these strategies on relationship quality outcomes like commitment, trust and

satisfaction between parties.

The Mexico Tourism Board is the focus of this study. Tourism is one of the most

important contributors to many national economies, including Mexico’s. Many people are

invested in the health of the tourism industry, which depends on tourists’ perceptions of the

destination. As a result, the tourism industry can look to public relations to manage reputation

and public perception. In Mexico, tourism PR is essential in combating the impact of negative

perceptions about the country that deter travel, such as police corruption and drug violence. This

study examines how this tourism organization uses online strategies on Twitter to develop

relationships with key publics.

Importance of Tourism in Mexico

Mexico is a Spanish-speaking country with 31 states and one federal district. As

Mexico’s largest service sector, tourism is an extremely important contributor to the Mexican

economy (Wilson, 2008). According to the United Nations’ (UN) International


Recommendations for Tourism Statistics (2010), tourism is a social, cultural and economic event

that takes place when people travel, either within their home country or outside its borders.

Mexico is a very popular destination for American tourists. In fact, in 2013, it was the top

destination for U.S. travelers according to the U.S. Department of State (2014). According to the

Mexico Tourism Board (2014), the number of visitors from the U.S. to Mexico is steadily

increasing.

Tourism creates new jobs and opportunities for employment, and therefore can play an

important part in alleviating poverty and furthering a country’s sustainable development.

Historically, tourism has increased foreign exchange earnings, expanded employment

opportunities and increased income (Jud, 1975). According to the WTTC (2014), tourism

employment directly contributed to the creation of 3,180,000 jobs in Mexico, totaling 6.4 percent

of employment in 2013. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) (2014) stated the total

contribution of tourism amounted to 13.3 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product in 2013.

Further, tourism encourages the creation of new infrastructure. Although infrastructure may

originally be intended for use by tourists, its development benefits non-tourists as well.

Despite clear benefits, tourism has always had its consequences. Critics claim the

industry harms the country’s culture, value system and environment. However, these types of

damages are less tangible than the benefits tourism reaps, as it contributes directly to foreign

exchange earnings and employment (Jud, 1975).

Obstacles to Mexican Tourism

The Mexico Tourism Board’s public relations strategies are of great interest due to

current pressures placed on the tourism industry. The industry is working to counter concerns

regarding violence and corruption. The Mexico Peace Index (MPI) (2013), produced by the


Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), has measured Mexico’s peacefulness from 2003 to

2012. The study examines peacefulness by analyzing seven indicators: homicide, organized

crime, justice efficiency, incarceration, firearms, violent crime and police funding. According to

the MPI study (2013), over the past ten years, Mexico’s peacefulness has declined 27.5 percent.

Despite this decline, Mexico is still more peaceful than the global average in many areas.

Encouragingly, in the past two years, Mexico has shown a 7.4 percent improvement in

peacefulness. It is important to note that the country’s tourist destinations are largely safe, since

not all indicators and regions have shown equal rates of decreased peacefulness in the last

decade.

Nevertheless, data shows that tourist arrivals to Mexico have declined. The tourism

industry is also very vulnerable to disasters – like drug-related violence and corruption – because

they make people not want to visit. According to the MPI study (2013), some of this decline may

be attributed to difficult economic conditions in the U.S. However, high levels of violence have

earned Mexico poor coverage in international media. This negative coverage makes tourists

fearful of violence, and thus, unlikely to travel to Mexico. The media are quick to cover disasters

and the poor conditions that follow, including death, suffering, property damage and social

issues, making tourists weary to visit (Sönmez, Apostolopoulos, & Tarlow, 1999). Therefore,

persistent media coverage of violence in Mexico is thought to be a significant contributor of

tourism decline, a problem effective PR can help combat.

Mexico Tourism Board

According to the Center for Association Leadership (2015), the Mexico Tourism Board

was created in 1999. The MTB is an agency under Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism. According to

Mexico Tourism Board’s online mission and vision statement (2015), it is a government


organization charged with coordinating, designing and developing communication strategies to

increase tourism. Still, it is independently managed and welcomes the participation of

organizations in the private sector. The MTB has offices in eight major cities in North America,

including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, Vancouver and the head

office in Washington.

The organization aims to help the country of Mexico fulfill its tourism potential and

maximize economic benefits. According to MTB (2015), the organization’s mission is to develop

the tourism industry and make it more competitive by advertising Mexico’s products and

destinations to both domestic and international markets. Its vision statement describes the

organization’s goal to lead the industry in tourism promotion by engaging and combining efforts

with various stakeholders, and to portray Mexico as a place where tourists can enjoy various high

quality experiences. It promotes the country’s diverse destinations, activities, and natural and

cultural sites through marketing, advertising and public relations strategies. Overall, the MTB

contributes to the national goal of creating a prosperous Mexico.

The Mexico Tourism Board’s mission and vision statement (2015) outlines several

objectives. First, it aims to solidify Mexico’s image as a high quality destination where tourists

can enjoy attractive and authentic experiences. Second, it strives to maximize tourism’s

economic benefit by emphasizing products and tailoring experiences to appeal to specific

customer segments and niche markets through advertising campaigns and promotional tools.

Third, it desires to create a stronger presence and increase market share in the U.S. and Canada.

Fourth, it wants to focus on emerging markets, which have a higher growth potential, in hopes of

appealing to new tourist markets looking for unique experiences. Finally, it wants greater air

connectivity to make it easy for tourists to travel to more destinations and open new markets.


Sample of Mexico Tourism Board’s Online Presence

The quality of an organization’s relationship with the public hinges upon how well it

adopts strategies for relationship management, which can be done with great effectiveness

online. According to Zhu and Han (2014), the tourism industry has been deeply impacted by

widespread use of the Internet. Online platforms like social media allow tourism organizations to

increase opportunities for cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders. For this reason,

Kang and Mastin (2007) suggest that a strong online presence is one of the most important

components of tourism public relations.

Fortunately, one of the Mexico Tourism Board’s greatest strengths is its extensive online

presence. Its website is very thorough. It includes links to all active social media accounts,

extensive information about destinations, videos and pictures, flight-booking capabilities and

more. However, the website features primarily one-way communication, in which the

organization is delivering information to the public without promoting much feedback or

interaction from users. Therefore, social media was selected as a sample of the organization’s

communications initiatives. This is because the Mexico Tourism Board’s social media accounts

were incredibly active and demonstrated two-way communication. The Mexico Tourism Board

has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+. This study will

focus on its Twitter account.

Purpose of the Present Study

To summarize, this paper will focus on how a tourism organization, the Mexico Tourism

Board (MTB), uses relationship maintenance strategies (RMS) – like access, assurances,

networking, openness, positivity and sharing tasks – to build quality relationships on Twitter.

The researcher selected to analyze the organization’s Twitter because it appeared to be the most


active one among the organization’s social media platforms. Additionally, it was an area that had

not been previously researched in tourism public relations. As such, it was an opportunity to

develop a new framework and contribute to a growing body of literature in tourism public

relations. The present study contributes to a modest, but growing body of research on tourism

public relations by being the first to develop a framework through which to analyze how tourism

organizations use RMS on Twitter to create and maintain quality relationships.

Chapter 2

Literature Review

Organization-Public Relationships

As previously discussed, developing organization-public relationships (OPR) is one of

the most important elements of effective public relations. To manage an organization effectively,

Public Relations is tasked to identify, establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships

between an organization and the publics who determine its success or failure. The goal of

managing OPRs is to establish shared interests and goals with target publics so the organization

and its publics can establish a mutual understanding, which will benefit both parties over time

(Zhu, 2011). Effective public relations aims to go beyond communicating to positively affecting

behavioral outcomes (Ki & Shin, 2006).

Parties in an OPR are interdependent and can consequently influence one another

positively or negatively. It is important for organizations to consistently manage consequences in

order to promote positive outcomes and relationships (Zhu, 2011). The quality of organization-

public relationships is indicative of public relations success and leads to a competitive edge for

the company.


There are three stages of an OPR: antecedents, relationship maintenance strategies, and

relationship quality outcomes (Kelleher & Miller, 2006). First, antecedents of relationships

establish why an organization pursues relationships with specific publics. Second, relationship

maintenance strategies (RMS) analyze the way an organization goes about cultivating and

sustaining high quality relationships. Lastly, relationship quality outcomes refer to the measure

of relationship quality, dealing with the positive results of using relationship cultivation

strategies (Ki & Hon, 2008).

Relationship Quality Outcomes

Ideally, use of RMS results in quality relationship outcomes. These outcomes include

control mutuality, satisfaction, trust, and commitment (Huang & Zhang, 2012). Relationship

cultivation strategies help organizations foster long-term, stable and satisfying relationships.

Well-maintained OPRs should feel balanced and should promote loyalty and contentment in a

relationship (Ki & Hon, 2009).

Commitment is the belief that a relationship will continue to be ongoing and is therefore

worth maintaining to ensure that it continues indefinitely (Ki & Hon, 2009). It refers to the

organization’s pledge to care for the welfare of the community, often by way of contributing to

resolving social issues through acts of corporate social responsibility. Through these positive

acts, the organization has the potential to influence two underlying dimensions of commitment:

continuance and affective. Continuance commitment is about one’s commitment to a certain line

of action (Ki & Hon, 2009). Li (2010) understands continuance commitment as repeated

purchase behaviors. It is characterized by consumers’ preference for a specific brand in a product

category over a period of time (Li, 2010). In other words, brand loyalty entails a favorable

attitude toward the brand and consistent purchasing. To foster continuance commitment, parties


should feel there are more benefits than costs to maintaining a relationship (Meyer, Stanley,

Herscovitch, & Topolnytsky, 2002). On the other hand, affective commitment is an emotional

orientation or attachment between an organization and its public (Ki & Hon, 2009). Affective

commitment has the strongest correlation to overall commitment because it relates to the extent

to which a party identifies with, or is invested or involved in, an organization on an emotional

level (Meyer et al., 2002). Emotional appeals go a long way in building brand loyalty.

Trust is when parties in a relationship believe their partner has integrity and is reliable. It

refers to the amount of confidence they have in each other, and includes a willingness to be

vulnerable or open. Trust corresponds with the public’s belief that it can depend on an

organization to keep its promises (Ki & Hon, 2009). According to Li (2010), “It is based on the

perceptions that the brand, as a personified entity, is reliable and responsible for the interests and

welfare of the consumer” (p. 10). In sum, the consumer has faith that the organization will take

care of them. There are three dimensions of trust: integrity, dependability, and competence. First,

integrity is the belief that an organization is fair, ethical, and just. Second, dependability – a key

factor of trust – is the belief that an organization will keep its promises and will follow through

with what it says it will do. Lastly, competence is a term for the belief that an organization is

actually able to do what it says it will do (Ki & Hon, 2009).

Satisfaction refers to how favorably each party in a relationship feels about the other.

Satisfaction – the most widely used relationship outcome – results from the reinforcement of

positive expectations. A high level of satisfaction is achieved when parties believe that a

relationship is fair. In a satisfying relationship, both parties give and take equally – meaning, the

ratio of outputs to inputs is proportionate for both parties (Ki & Hon, 2009).


Control mutuality occurs when both parties in a relationship perceive a balanced

amount of influence in the relationship. For example, this outcome could be illustrated through

the extent to which each party’s opinion is reflected in an organization’s final decision. An

organization shows value for its publics when it considers their feedback in its decision-making

process. Control mutuality is important in encouraging interdependence and it exists to some

degree in all stable, positive relationships between an organization and publics. It is worth

mentioning that control mutuality allows for some degree of power inequality to exist within

relationships. The relationship will not be perfectly balanced. However, this outcome is a

measure of the degree to which parties agree on who has the power to influence the other (Ki &

Hon, 2009).

Relationship Maintenance Strategies

There are many methods for cultivating mutually beneficial relationships. Relationship

maintenance strategies are one key component of relationship management (Zhu, 2011).

Previously, public relations research created a framework for analyzing relationships based on

research of interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution (Hon & Grunig, 1999). The

psychological theories of communication between individuals were evolved to apply to

organizations and target publics (Ki & Hon, 2009).

There are strategies to help organizations build and maintain high quality, mutually

beneficial relationships (Ki & Hon, 2009). The goal of RMS is to keep a relationship in existence

and in a satisfactory condition (Hung, 2003). According to scholarly research, the six most

effective relationship maintenance strategies in creating quality relationship outcomes include (1)

access, (2) assurances, (3) networking, (4) openness, (5), positivity and (6) sharing of tasks. (Ki

& Hon, 2008). A description of each RMs, as per previous studies, is described below.


Access refers to how the organization fosters communication with its own organization.

It is illustrated when an organization provides open communication channels for publics to

contact it (Hung, 2003). In other words, it rates how much effort an organization puts into

ensuring its publics are able to reach it quickly (Ki & Hon, 2009).

On Twitter, “access is defined as an organization’s efforts to foster communication and to

provide communication channels or media outlets with other Twitter users” (Li, 2010, p. 26).

There are several potential indicators for this strategy, including replies and mentions to users,

providing contact information and links to more information. Access allows parties in a

relationship to share opinions by providing outlets that allow publics to share their thoughts (Li,

2010). When using this strategy, parties respond to emails, calls or other attempts to connect with

one another (Hon & Grunig, 1999).

In terms of relationship quality outcomes, access has been found to have a positive effect

on control mutuality because it entails involvement between parties. Control mutuality is related

to the extent to which a party’s opinion is reflected in a final decision. As such, having channels

to communicate one’s thoughts is critical (Ki & Hon, 2009). This engagement, which encourages

two-way symmetrical communication, increases the effect each party has in the other’s decision-

making process by giving them open platforms to have their voices heard (Li, 2010).

Assurances entails validating one another’s concerns, and ensuring they are understood

and tended to (Li, 2010). It legitimizes publics by demonstrating organizational willingness to

invest resources – time, money and concern – into the relationship to make sure it is successful

(Ki & Hon, 2009). Making assurances conveys value for a relationship and emphasizes to the

public that its concerns are valued and will be addressed. On Twitter, this category covers tweets

that demonstrate willingness to help or commitment to the relationship – for example, customer


service tweets or other personal responses (Li, 2010). Validating publics in this way empowers

them. Overall, the assurances strategy shows publics that they truly matter.

In terms of relationship quality outcomes, Ki and Hon’s (2009) study found that

assurances was a key strategy for producing all four relationship quality outcomes. Primarily, the

use of assurances has been found to be a primary predictor of commitment and satisfaction. This

strategy leads to commitment because an organization’s desire to assure a public that its concerns

are attended to leads to loyalty since it implies an intent to preserve a long-term, stable

relationship with the public (Ki & Hon, 2009). Additionally, it leads to satisfaction because

publics feel significant, and thus fulfilled in the relationship.

Networking is a proactive, constructive strategy involving an organization’s efforts to

create coalitions with the same groups as their publics. Networking refers to an “organization’s

efforts in building networks or coalitions with the same groups that their publics do, such as

environmentalists, unions, community groups, celebrities and opinion leaders” (Li, 2010, p. 26).

Instead of facilitating communication with its own organization, networking refers to efforts that

encourage communication with groups external to it (Zhu, 2011). Past research found this

strategy to stimulate the building of relationships, acting as a catalyst (Hung, 2003). On Twitter,

networking is often demonstrated by tagging external organizations or sharing external content

that would draw on the interests of target publics.

For tourism, networking can be understood as how an organization markets itself to niche

groups like “foodies”, eco-tourists, honeymooners or history-junkies by engaging external

groups and organizations. For example, food-related posts like one about a chef or restaurant

would be categorized as networking with “foodies”. Additionally, networking is used when

organizations post external content that would interest tourists, like links to information about


restaurants, hotels or spas. Similarly, highlighting local points of interest like museums,

historical landmarks or national parks on its platforms demonstrates networking. By establishing

relationships with strategic external groups – and showing all that Mexico has to offer – the

organization is able to deepen its appeal among current users and expand its reach to new

tourists.

In previous studies, networking was not found to generate any significant paths to

relationship quality outcomes. This does not mean it has no value. Networking is still effective in

attracting and preserving publics, which has significant rewards for an organization. Some

studies have found that networking to encourage relationship outcomes like control mutuality

and liking (Ki & Hon, 2009).

Openness is a proactive, constructive strategy that involves being willing to have direct,

explicit discussions about feelings or concerns that affect the relationship (Ki & Hon, 2009).

Openness involves candidly communicating thoughts about satisfaction or dissatisfaction in a

relationship. In respect to organizations, openness was demonstrated when parties felt

comfortable honestly disclosing opinions or problems so they could be responded to adequately

and truthfully (Li, 2010). When parties in a relationship share secrets, discuss problems, give

advice and are willing to listen without judgment, they demonstrate openness (Li, 2010).

Openness is key to ethics in public relations (Hung, 2003) and entails the acceptance of a

symmetrical model of communication (Li, 2010). Openness can be seen in organizations with

high levels of transparency in what they are doing (Zhu, 2011). It often entails communicating

how an organization’s actions will affect its publics. If a party in a relationship decides to

withhold information, it should make sure this is done in the interest of the party with less power.

Openness is also demonstrated through an organization’s willingness to share information


regarding any changes in finance, organizational structure or other internal activities. Providing

annual reports and issue briefings, or holding member meetings to foster discussion of opinions

between an organization and its constituents are examples of openness (Li, 2010).

Ki and Hon (2009) found openness to be the least significant RMS in producing quality

relationship outcomes. Indeed, relationships benefit from transparency and openness. Perhaps

part of the reason why research makes an underwhelming case for openness as a RMS is because

transparency is found inherently in the nature of all other relationship cultivation strategies (Ki &

Hon, 2009). Still, some public relations scholars believe it to leads to satisfaction and trust.

Openness can also encourage equal distribution of power within a relationship because

transparency empowers publics to have complete information with which to develop informed

opinions and participate in the decision-making process.

Additionally, for tourism organizations like Mexico Tourism Board – beyond being

transparent about information regarding the organization’s purpose and finances – openness

should entail communicating the changes within the country as well. This is key to open

communication and full disclosure for tourism industries. In this study, openness includes

communicating changes in safety and weather conditions within the country – in addition to

organizational structure and other organizational activities – that would be in the public interest

or may affect one’s decision to travel there. As such, tweets that inform about national news,

events, festivals and competitions are important for tourism organizations and fall within the

category of openness.

Positivity is a strategy an organization uses to make sure publics are pleased with the

relationship. According to Li (2010), positivity refers to the actions an organization takes to

make a relationship more enjoyable for key publics. Positivity entails upbeat, enjoyable


interactions and may include affectionate or courteous behavior (Ki & Hon, 2009). It can be seen

in cheerful exchanges that are polite, provide positive feedback or use other tactics intended to

generate positive emotions (Hung, 2003). On Twitter, to achieve a level of positivity, a tweet

must have a positive tone plus a number of indicators. Recognized indicators include smiley

faces, positive exclamation points, slogan and humor (Zhu, 2011). In this study, clever tweets or

ones including emoticons or pictures of Mexico’s scenic landscapes will also be accepted as

additional indicators of positivity.

Studies have found positivity to be a significant path to control mutuality, satisfaction and

trust. First, positivity is predictive of control mutuality because enjoyable exchanges encourage a

public to be cooperative in times of compromise and work to preserve interdependence.

Secondly, positivity leads to relationship satisfaction because the public is able to see the

benefits of continuing a relationship with the organization. By making interactions positive, an

organization provides the public with an incentive to preserve the relationship because the pros

of sustained engagement outweigh the cons (Ki & Hon, 2009).

Sharing Tasks is a constructive strategy in which organizations and publics join in

solving problems of mutual interest (Hung, 2003). Sharing tasks can be gauged via the extent to

which an organization demonstrates concern for social problems (Zhu, 2011) and takes on

publics issues with intent to respond to them (Li, 2010). For parties in an OPR, this strategy

involves dividing tasks and carrying out responsibilities together. Sharing tasks could mean

anything from uniting to reduce pollution, provide charity or other efforts outlined in a

company’s social responsibility report.

An organization should learn about what concerns its publics and act to solve these

issues. By learning what its publics care about, the sharing of tasks strategy will be more


effective in creating and accomplishing interdependent goals (Ki & Hon, 2009). Sharing tasks

has been found to be a significant path to control mutuality and relationship satisfaction because

people feel involved and fulfilled in their relationship with an organization through the pleasure

of getting involved in a meaningful cause.

Summary of Purpose

The purpose of this study is to create a framework through which tourism organizations,

in this case the Mexico Tourism Board, can analyze implementation of RMS on Twitter. It also

discusses inferred potential relationship quality outcomes related to the use of RMS on Twitter

for tourism organizations. Research employs qualitative methods via content analysis – much of

which has been adapted from Li’s (2010) study of RMS on Twitter for retail organizations to

apply to tourism. This study addresses the following research question:

How do tourism organizations, in this case the Mexico Tourism Board, use relationship

maintenance strategies to cultivate quality organization-public relationships on Twitter?

Overall, this study is important because it adds to a lacking body of tourism literature by

developing a new framework through which tourism public relations professionals may analyze

their organizations’ use of RMS on Twitter. This will allow tourism organizations to determine

the status of their communications – through the establishment of measureable benchmarks – and

to allow them to create plans to build the best possible relationships going forward.

For Mexico, this study highlights the importance of effective tourism public relations.

Since tourism is such a large contributor to the Mexican economy, there is great interest in

analyzing the effectiveness of public relations communications and managing public perceptions.

An analysis of all communication strategies and tactics is important for organizational success,


as it will lead to recommendations that will allow the organization to be more effective in its

efforts.

Chapter 3

Method

Content Analysis

Content analyses examine communication “in a systematic, objective, and quantitative

manner for the purpose of measuring variables” (Li, 2010, p. 22). Using this method, this study

sampled three months of the Mexico Tourism Board’s tweets, from March 17, 2015 to June 17,

2015. There were many Twitter accounts under the name “Mexico Tourism Board,” but they

belonged to offices in various locations. This study exclusively analyzed content on the Twitter

account linked from the Mexico Tourism Board’s official website.

Coding Sheet Construction and Procedures

Coding Sheet. Throughout the coding process, codes were revised, updated, reconsidered

and condensed. Codes were defined and operationalized separately each time to ensure

consistent application. The codebook is attached in Appendix 1. Tweets were reviewed four

times to ensure consistency in application of codes to accommodate evolving criteria.

Preliminary coding criteria for RMS on Twitter came from Li’s study (2010). As the researcher

continued the coding process, she added to the codes and indicators present in Li’s study (2010).

The coding criteria was modified to apply to tourism PR and to accommodate to themes

and patterns specific to the Mexico Tourism Board. Mexico Tourism Board’s content was

evaluated using tweets as the unit of analysis. The researcher took a grounded theory approach.

The researcher used a selective coding method in which data was categorized according to


specific indicators that suggested the use of RMS. Though this study built upon previous

research, it was sensitive to themes presented in the data (Smith, 2008). This allowed the

researcher to build upon previous research to add to existing concepts and identify new ideas that

emerged.

Coding procedures. To record data, first, the researcher took screen shots of all tweets to

have a hard copy for personal reference. She then input all data into an Excel workbook. The

workbook’s first page recorded the 185 tweets, amounting to three months’ worth of content, and

included the following data: date, number of retweets, number of favorites, tweet content, RMS,

level of implementation and the reason it was coded as such (a brief rationale noting existent

indicators that led the tweet to be coded as it was). The researcher later sorted each RMS into its

own Excel page within the workbook to organize and manipulate the data by strategy.

The researcher reviewed data several times to understand codes and apply them

consistently as data evolved. First, the researcher determined which RMS were in each tweet –

listing all applicable strategies without regard for level of implementation. Then, to narrow it

down, tweets were analyzed in terms of the primary purpose of the post, meaning the most

prominent relationship maintenance strategy. After, using an evolved and updated coding sheet,

the researcher once again identified all existing RMS in each tweet. Once she understood more

deeply how to apply codes, she tailored the coding sheet to reflect patterns and themes unique to

the Mexico Tourism Board. The final coding book integrated the criteria in Li’s (2010) study, the

coder’s changes, and feedback from scholarly experts.

The study’s results are outlined in the results section. In the discussion section, the

researcher compared findings to the literature review to infer how the Mexico Tourism Board’s

use of RMS may affect its relationships. In short, this study discovers how the Mexico Tourism


Board uses RMS and comments on how these findings could relate to quality relationship

outcomes in the tourism industry.

Conceptualization and Operational Definitions of Variables

Due to a lack of research, there was no pre-established framework to analyze relationship

maintenance strategies on Twitter specific to a tourism organization. This study presents the first

framework to analyze RMS in tweets for tourism organizations, contributing to tourism PR’s

small body of literature.

The researcher coded tweets in terms of six relationship maintenance strategies – access,

assurances, networking, openness, positivity and sharing tasks. Tweets were first considered in

terms of tone, as described below, then in terms of level of implementation on a scale of one to

three, one being the lowest. The level of implementation was determined via the existence of

established strategy indicators. Tweets were coded in terms of the most salient RMS, meaning

posts were categorized by the strategy implemented at the highest level. This means that if a

tweet demonstrated medium-level assurances, but high-level positivity, it would be coded as

positivity. If two RMS were present in the same tweet at the same level of implementation, the

coder judged the main purpose of the tweet and categorized it as the primary RMS.

Building upon Li’s (2010) study, the researcher developed a framework to code the level

of implementation for every RMS. Each strategy was coded from one to three (low to high). Due

to a wealth of research that emphasizes the importance of two-way communication, high-level

implementation of RMS on Twitter usually encouraged participation from users or featured

strong interactivity. Medium-level implementation of RMS encouraged engagement or feedback,

without two-way communication or participation. Low-level implementation usually informed or

posted targeted messages without requiring participation or engagement from users. Tweets re-


posted by the Mexico Tourism Board were not included in this study’s analysis because the

messages were not created by the organization itself. Only original content posted independently

by the organization was coded and was included in the present study.

Openness. Tweets with openness convey transparency about internal organizational or

external national information with the goal to inform and discuss relevant events. Tweets should

communicate both positive and negative news to create a holistic view of the country and

organization. Openness posts are not aimed at solving mutual problems (see sharing tasks), but to

inform in an honest and transparent manner. Communications about organizational information

could include discussing changes in finance, organizational restructuring or the status of the

company. National information could include discussing changes in safety or weather conditions,

or informing about national events of potential interest to tourists.

High-level implementation of openness demonstrates two-way communication. Using

openness, the post both informs and encourages participation or asks for meaningful feedback

from users. Indicators include conversing with about concerns or questions specific to national or

organizational information, asking thoughtful questions about national news or facilitating user

involvement. Medium-level implementation informs about news or events, and promotes further

research from users. It does not, however, solicit meaningful feedback, discussion or

participation. Indicators include links to more information, surface-level or rhetorical questions

about news or event, or reminders to tune-in or attend an event. Low-level implementation of

openness states information about national or organizational information without providing

opportunities for further discussion, engagement or participation--for example, tweets informing

about events, festivals or competitions with little detail, context or further discussion.


Access. Access tweets make it easy for users to connect with the organization – in this

case, the Mexico Tourism Board. The tone is reachable and available. Indicators include

providing contact information, or links to the organization’s website or social media accounts.

Tweets with high-level access include a link an alternative communication platform like

another social media account, provide holistic customer service, and encourage user feedback or

participation, thus demonstrating two-way communication. Tweets with medium-level access

include a link to an alternative communication platform and provides description or direction,

but do not request user participation. Tweets with low-level access include a link to the

alternative platform, but do not include description nor request for participation.

Networking. Tweets using networking foster communication with external groups. The

tone is interactive, targeted or logistical. Posts appeal to specific niche tourist groups by

communicating with external organizations of interest to them. Indicators include external links

or tags to other organizations. Tweets that appeal to an external tourist niche group, but include a

link to an internal site should be coded as access instead of networking.

High-level networking posts target niche tourist groups, connect users with external

organizations of potential interest, and encourage two-way communication by requesting

opinions, input or thoughts. Tweets are purposeful, targeted, clear, and interactive. They may

include open-ended questions, encourage feedback or otherwise solicit a high level of

involvement from users. Medium-level networking tweets target niche tourist groups and provide

links to communicate with external organizations of potential interest. Posts do not employ two-

way communication nor ask for user feedback. Tweets are purposeful, targeted and clear. Tweets

demonstrating low-level networking are clearly targeted to external niche tourist groups, but do

not facilitate communication with outside organizations. Alternatively, a low-level networking


tweet may appear notably targeted to a niche tourist group, but the goal of the tweet may be

undefined or unclear.

For this strategy, a tweet was categorized in terms of its level of implementation and,

additionally, via the targeted tourist niche group. A universal list or standard classification of

tourist groups, demographics, identities or interests does not exist. Rather, tourism organizations

must decide to which groups it wants to appeal based on unique, destination-specific qualities,

offerings, experiences or national brands.

Assurances. Assurances is a strategy that demonstrates commitment to maintaining a

relationship with a user, most often taking the form of a reply resembling good customer service.

The tone of assurances posts is supportive, affirmative, caring, interested, helpful and available.

Indicators may include acknowledging a user comment, responding to an inquiry, answering a

question or other content that conveys willingness to help.

High-level assurances provides complete help and meaningful support. This strategy fully

address the user’s inquiry and provide relevant, pertinent information to the user – or otherwise

invites the user to add value to the organization. It is seen when the organization answers

questions directly, reaches out to related personnel or shares or asks permission to share user

content. Medium-level assurances provides some incomplete or transitional support. Indicators

can be seen in posts that tell the user what to do next, include a photo in response to a specific

user or seek further information by asking questions. Assurances also entails engaging the user in

further small talk or asking users about their trips to Mexico. Low implementation acknowledges

a user inquiry, and provides surface-level support and responses. These responses do not address

or ask follow-up questions. However, they provide generic support like well wishes, thanks, and

agreement that acknowledge the user.


Positivity. Tweets with positivity attempt to make experiences with the organization fun

or pleasant. They aim to foster favorable attitudes toward the organization. The tone of positivity

tweets is cheery, catchy, beautiful, funny, witty or enthusiastic. Indicators include positive

exclamation points, humor, slogan or company hashtag (in this case #LiveItToBeliveIt),

cleverness, emoticons or pictures of scenic landscapes.

To achieve a high level of positivity, tweets must feature more than two indicators, or

demonstrate humor or cleverness. For medium-level positivity, posts must have two indicators

and no humor, though they may be moderately animated. If a tweet has one indicator and no

humor, it implements positivity at a low level.

Sharing Tasks. Tweets using this strategy address problems of mutual interest with users

or publics. The tone is responsible, progressive, supportive of social issues, inspiring and

solution-oriented. Indicators include posts communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR)

initiatives; addressing shared social concerns; promoting awareness of issues like the

environment, education and employment; and outlining volunteer activities.

In tweets with high-level implementation, the organization describes what it is doing to

solve problems of mutual interest. It displays specific CSR efforts, publicizes a long-term plan of

action, promotes further research on the issue of interest or facilitates user participation.

Medium-level implementation of promotes awareness of a cause or problem of mutual interest

without explicitly stating whether the organization is taking specific actions to solving the issue.

It may promote further research on the topic or one-time user participation with a trivial call to

action. Low-level sharing tasks references or promotes awareness of a problem of mutual interest

without explicitly stating how it will contribute to the cause. It does not include detail or call to

action. Sharing tasks refers only to efforts taken by the organization itself to solve joint issues.


Posts that communicate national initiatives to solve joint problems fall under openness, not

sharing tasks.

Intercoder Reliability

In addition to the researcher’s coding, one undergraduate student was used as an

additional coder. After reading the coding book and asking questions, the coder analyzed 20

tweets that were part of the formal sample. Out of 20 tweets, 14 were coded in the same way.

Three tweets were coded as the same strategy, but were assessed differently in terms of level of

implementation. Out of 20 tweets, the remaining three were not assessed in the same way.

Overall, these results suggest accuracy and repeatability of this study, since results between

coders are largely similar.

Chapter 4

Results

Overview

In total, the researcher coded 185 tweets, accounting for three months of content. As

shown in Figure 1 below, positivity appeared most frequently with 81 tweets. In second place

was networking, with 44 tweets. Third was access with 30 tweets. Fourth was assurances with 21

tweets. Second-to-last was openness with eight tweets. All but absent was sharing tasks with

only one tweet.


Positivity Networking Access Assurances Openness Sharing Tasks0

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Figure 1: RMS Distribution

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The average Mexico Tourism Board tweet was coded just barely under medium-level

implementation, averaging 1.9 out of 3. Out of 185 tweets, 54 employed high-level

implementation, amounting to 29 percent. There were 94 tweets implementing RMS at a medium

level, representing over half of tweets and accounting for 51 percent of the posts. Last and least,

35 tweets were coded under low-level implementation, amounting to 19 percent. This data is

represented graphically above in Figure 1.

Access occurred as a primary RMS 30 times. The average level of implementation was

1.9, at about a medium level. Tweets demonstrating access were both retweeted and favorited an

average of 3.13 times respectively. Of the 30 tweets, high-level access amounted to 10 percent of

tweets, medium-level amounted to 57 percent and low-level amounted to 20 percent. Of the 30

Figure 1 shows the which RMS were used the most, then depicts level of implementation within each RMS (low, medium, high)


access tweets, those linking to Pinterest amounted to 15 tweets, or 50 percent, of access tweets.

Links to Mexico Tourism Board’s Instagram accounted for ten, or about 33 percent, of posts.

The Mexico Tourism Board’s website was linked twice, representing about 7 percent of access

tweets.

Of the 30 access tweets, three were coded at the highest level, accounting for ten percent

of tweets. Tweets that achieved a high level of access included a link to another Mexico Tourism

Board account and provided a detailed description that allowed users to know the purpose of the

tweet. In this example, high-level access appeared in a response tweet to a user. It read: @user

we have 32 states for you to explore *emoticon* #LiveItToBelieveIt and start to plan your trip

visitmexico.com. The link to the organization’s website in order to plan a trip was a

straightforward response that allowed the user to know the purpose of the tweet and prompted

participation from the user by encouraging them to plan a trip.

Of 30 access tweets, 20 were of medium level, or 67 percent of all access tweets. An

example of medium-level access was from May 9, 2015. It read: The shamanistic roots of

Huichole culture translating into colors and art. #LiveItToBelieveIt *Instagram link*. The intent

of the tweet was clear and targeted, and it included a link to another Mexico Tourism Board

website or account.

Six access tweets demonstrated low-level access, making up 20 percent of the total. An

example of low-level access was from April 24, 2015. It read: Every Magical town holds its own

treasure. Metepec, Estado de Mexico #LiveItToBelieveIt *Instagram link*. It is unclear by the

description who this tweet is targeting or what the user will be led to view after clicking the link

to the Mexico Tourism Board’s Instagram account.


Assurances was the primary RMS in 21 tweets. The average level at which the Mexico

Tourism Board used assurances was 2.04, indicating a mean just above medium-level

implementation. The average assurances tweet received .89 retweets and 1.84 favorites. Of 21

tweets, 33 percent coded as high-level assurances, 38 percent as medium-level and 29 percent as

low-level. All but one assurances tweet was a direct response to a user that contacted Mexico

Tourism Board.

Seven of 21 tweets, or 33 percent, were coded as high-level assurances. In each of these

tweets, the Mexico Tourism Board shares, or asks a users’ permission to share, user-generated

content on its social media accounts. An example of this is from April 8, 2015. It reads: @user

Amazing! Would you let us use it on our channels, with due credit? If so, could you confirm to us

the location? Thank you! This tweet demonstrates two-way communication. It allows users to

have a say in the organization and requests a meaningful exchange between the user and Mexico

Tourism Board.

Eight of 21 tweets, or 38 percent, were coded under medium-level assurances. The vast

majority of these were follow-up questions to users who contacted the Mexico Tourism Board.

For example, after a user tweeted the organization about their trip, it responded on April 29,

2015 with: @user Where in Mexico? :). This tweet demonstrated care for the relationship by

wanting to know more about a user’s experience in Mexico. The tweet only medium-level

assurances tweet that was not a follow-up question was from April 22, 2015. It read: @user

maybe we can help. We are following you, so send us a DM! Thanks :). This tweet provides

demonstrated care for the relationship by providing support and answering a user’s question.

Six of 21 tweets, or 29 percent, demonstrated a low-level of assurances because they

provided either generic support, expressed well wishes or thanks. They were often just one word


like “enjoy!” or “delicious!” However, they could be longer-form as well. An example of a

longer low-level assurances tweet is from April 7, 2015 when the Mexico Tourism Board

tweeted: @user Enjoy! Share photos with us when you get back!

Networking was the second most used RMS with 44 tweets, behind positivity, which had

81 tweets. Of these, seven tweets were coded as high-level networking, 21 were medium-level

and 16 were low-level. On average, tweets demonstrating networking were coded at 1.8,

meaning that on average, networking tweets were just shy of medium-level implementation. The

average number of retweets was 4.08. The average number of favorites was 4.625.

An example of a high-level networking tweet targets sports fanatics during the legendary

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather boxing match. On May 2, 2015, the tweet read: Entering the final

third of the duel now! What are your thoughts so far? Are you enjoying the fight? #WBCBoxing

#MayPac #PacquiaoMayweather. This tweet engages sports fanatics by inviting them to engage

in conversation, asking their opinions and thoughts on the match.

From April 10, 2015, this medium-level networking tweet illustrated the type of post

targeted toward Beach Bums: Beaches, bohemian walks, shopping, adrenaline: we're struggling

to decide where to begin the fun in Puerto Vallarta! *link*. It provided a link to a popular

vacation spot by including an external link and listed activities that would directly appeal to

vacationers.

An example of low-level networking pertains to “foodies”. Posted on April 28, 2015, the

tweet reads: “A DELICIOUS afternoon for sure. #LiveItToBelieveIt *link*. Though this tweet

clearly relates to foodies, it does not facilitate communication with an external organization and

lacks two-way communication.


As shown in figure 3, this study found the Mexico Tourism Board’s tweets to network

with six key publics: culturists, explorers, foodies, couples, sports fanatics and beach bums.

Culturists Explorers Foodies Couples Sports Fanatics Beach Bums0

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Figure 2: Networking Posts Per Target Public

Culturists. Of 44 networking tweets, six were coded as relating to culture, or about 14

percent. Some tweets targeted tourists who travel to experience or learn about Mexico’s

authentic culture or rich history. Tweets included information about fashion, architecture,

artifacts, art and cultural heritage in various Mexican cities.

Explorers. Only one of 44 tweets in this sample targeted explorers, or about 2 percent.

Explorers are adventurous, outdoorsy, adrenaline-seeking tourists.

Foodies. Seventeen of 44 tweets were targeted at foodies, or about 39 percent. Tweets

often included external links to restaurants and chef pages. Posts provided information

about gastronomy, chef masterclasses and food festivals and photos of delicious food.

Figure 2 shows the number of networking tweets directed at each target public.


Couples. Of 44 tweets, four were targeted at couples seeking a romantic getaway, often

orienting toward newlyweds. Tweets included information about dream weddings and

romantic views.

Sports Fanatics. Eight of 44 networking tweets were targeted toward those who love

sports. Sports tweets typically demonstrated a markedly high implementation of

networking. These tweets often demonstrated two-way communication. They generated

excitement, reminded users to tune-in to matches and asked their opinions about the

game.

Beach Bums. Of the 44 networking tweets, five were directed at beach bums, amounting

to about 11 percent. These tweets targeted at vacationers who want luxury, sun, beaches,

shopping, bohemian walks and summer vacation. Posts may have included links to

connect users to beach resorts.

Openness appeared 8 times as the primary indicator in a tweet. The average level of

implementation of openness in was 1.5, between low- to medium-level implementation. Half of

openness tweets were coded as medium-level openness, the other half at a low-level. No tweets

received the highest level of openness. This category received an average of 2.75 retweets and

3.375 favorites.

No tweets received the highest level of openness; however, the Mexico tourism board

achieved medium-level openness with tweets that informed users and encouraged engagement.

Of the four tweets coded as medium level openness, three out of four were encouraging users to

tune-in to nationally relevant TV events. The last informed and provided a link to watch a speech

by Chancellor Jose Antonio Meade and linked Meade’s account in the tweet. Illustrative of


medium-level openness tweets, the Mexico Tourism Board asked users to tune in for the

Mayweather Pacquaio fights on May 2, 2015 with a tweet that read: Did you know that Mexico is

co-participating in tonight's epic showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao? Turn in for the

duel! #WBCBoxing.

The lowest level of openness only informed and did not provide any context or

perspective, nor solicited feedback from users. A tweet characteristic of low-level openness was

from April 23, 2015. It read: The goal is free movement of people, The Pacific Alliance is

happening to make tourism and economic growth a reality #A_DelPacifico. This tweet informed

but does not answer questions about the Pacific Alliance’s who, what, where, when, why or how.

Positivity was a very special RMS for the Mexico Tourism Board. It occurred at some

level in almost every post. It was overwhelmingly the most frequently employed, at the highest

level and with the greatest response from users. Positivity was the primary RMS in 81 tweets.

Positivity had the highest average level of implementation of any RMS with an average of 2.4,

meaning it was usually employed at medium to high level. Tweets demonstrating positivity were

retweeted an average of 4.99 times and were favorited an average of 6.14 times, both averages

were record highs in this study.

Of 81 Positivity tweets, 46 percent were high-level, 49 percent were medium-level and 4

percent were low-level. Of 81 tweets, 37 tweets featured high-level positivity, making up 46

percent. For example, a tweet from April 12, 2015 reads: Sailing towards a great week… or

maybe another great beach ;) #LiveItToBelieveIt *photo*. This tweet illustrates high

implementation because it is clever, has a smiley face, uses the organization’s slogan in a

hashtag and includes a photo. It also features networking to Beach Bums, but not at as high a

level as positivity because it does not include an external link.


Positivity was implemented at a medium level 40 times, making up 49 percent of 81

tweets. For example, a tweet from April 26 read: Can't you tell that the Prismas Basalticos are

magical? #LiveItToBelieveIt in the Magical Town Huasca de Ocampo *photo*. This tweet is

medium-level because it included a photo and the organization’s slogan. It could also be coded

secondarily under networking with culturists. In which case, this tweet would be coded as low-

level networking because it does not link an external organization, so it is coded under medium-

level positivity, which is the more salient RMS.

Only three of 81 tweets coded as low-level positivity, making up 4 percent of tweets. A

tweet from May 2, 2015 read: The Battle of the Century begins! We're rooting for an awesome

spectacle above everything else #WBCBoxing #PacquiaoMayweather. This tweet had an

encouraging and cheerful tone, but only one indicator: an exclamation point. It could be

considered low-level networking with sports fanatics too, but the purpose of the tweet seems to

be projecting and communicating a positive, happy attitude.

Sharing Tasks was all but absent from Mexico Tourism Board’s tweets, with merely one

post. The post from March 28, 2015 demonstrated medium-level sharing of tasks. It read: Make

it count for Earth, make it for you. Don't forget to turn off your lights today for Earth Hour ;).

The tweet received ten retweets and six favorites, significantly above Mexico Tourism Board’s

average. This tweet was an outlier. Sharing tasks represents an enormous opportunity for the

Mexico Tourism Board to connect with users who seem to be very responsive to this type of

post.


Chapter 5

Conclusions and Discussion

In this sample, posts received an average of 3.9 retweets and 4.6 favorites. As shown in

figure 3, tweets that used RMS at a low level received an average of two retweets and 3.8

favorites. Tweets with medium-level implementation averaged four retweets and five favorites.

High-level implementation earned an average of 5.7 retweets and 7.7 favorites. This

demonstrates that, overall, a higher-level employment of RMS truly resulted in a greater

response from publics, as shown in Figure 7. However, this outcome does not hold true for every

RMS in this study.

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Figure 3: Average Response to MTB Tweets

RetweetsFavorites

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Access was the third most frequently used strategy of the six. It earned an average

implementation just under a medium level. Using this strategy, the organization demonstrated the

effort it was willing to put into ensuring its publics were able to reach it. Although the

organization has several platforms, access tweets in this sample linked mainly to the

Figure 3 demonstrates that higher implementation of RMS correlates with a greater response from users overall.


organization’s Pinterest, Instagram and website. This finding presents an opportunity for the

organization to develop different channels and broaden its communication efforts to incorporate

different social media, including YouTube, Google+ and Facebook.

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Figure 4: Access Response

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Though Figure 4 indicates that a higher level of implementation does not necessarily

relate to a greater response from users, access has been shown to have a positive effect on control

mutuality. Control mutuality refers to the extent to which a party’s opinion is reflected in the

organization. Therefore, having channels to communicate one’s thoughts paired with a receptive

organization is key. It allows users to influence the organization and fosters interdependence.

Access may also have an effect on trust by cultivating the dimension of dependability because

publics felt they could rely on the organization to be there to respond to needs and concerns by

facilitating attempts to contact it.

Assurances was the fourth most frequently used RMS out of six. It was implemented just

above medium-level and was usually employed in responses to direct tweets from users to the

Figure 4 indicates that higher implementation of access does not necessarily correlate with a greater response from users.


Mexico Tourism Board. Out of 20 tweets using assurances, only five received a response from

users in terms of retweets and favorites. The Mexico Tourism Board demonstrated the value it

placed on relationships using this strategy. High-level assurances tweets often asked permission

to use user’s photos on the organization’s channels. Other times, they included follow-up

questions to users who contacted the organization, or demonstrated support or well wishes.

These types of activities convey to users that they are legitimate in the eyes of the organization,

reassuring publics that the organization feels the relationship is important.

Similar to findings in Ki & Hon’s study (2009, 2), assurances could have an impact on all

four relationship quality outcomes for tourism organizations. Assurances may have a positive

effect on control mutuality. When the MTB tweets at users asking to use their photos on its

channels with due credit, this allows users to have an impact on the organization’s content and

provides them a say in the organization. It is a prime example of allowing users to influence the

organization instead of always the other way around, bringing balance and interdependence to

the relationship.

Assurances may also have an effect on relationship satisfaction. When an organization

validates its publics, it has a positive effect on how favorably each party feels about the

relationship. In responding to users and demonstrating care, the ratio of outputs from users and

inputs from the organization balances out. The organization cares as much as users do. This give

and take, and positive reinforcement of publics’ attempts to engage the organization, leads users

to feel more fulfilled and balanced in the relationship. Assurances also cultivates trust by

increasing the amount of confidence users have in the organization. When users view an

organization as reliable, it positively affects trust’s dimension of dependability. Because


organizations have validated the public, users are able to trust an organization to follow-up with

their concerns and execute what it says it will do.

Lastly, assurances could cultivate commitment by demonstrating care for the relationship.

When an organization demonstrates care for the relationship, it would likely develop affective

commitment or attachment to an organization. With assurances, users are led to believe the

relationship will be ongoing because the organization is willing to put resources into ensuring it

satisfies and acknowledges its publics.

Networking was the second most commonly used RMS for the Mexico Tourism Board.

It involved establishing connections with the same groups as their publics, and contributed to the

posting of pertinent and valuable information tailored to appeal to niche tourist groups.

Networking is essential to drawing in potential tourists because it allows tourism organizations to

share what unique experiences their countries have to offer.

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Figure 5: Networking Response

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Figure 5 indicates that higher implementation of Networking does not necessarily correlate with a greater response from users.


In Ki & Hon’s study (2009), networking was not found to generate significant paths to

relationship quality outcomes, but to act as a catalyst for building relationships. These findings

may apply to this study as well. As demonstrated in Figure 4, a higher level of implementation

did not necessarily spur a greater response from users.

Though networking may not seem to explicitly link to any relationship quality outcomes,

it may lead to trust. Tourism organizations sell experiences. As such, it is important that publics

have confidence in the organization’s ability to deliver the highest quality experience tailored to

their unique interests. When tourism organizations use networking, they are demonstrating

competence – a dimension of trust – which portrays to them that an organization is actually able

to follow through on the amazing vacation it promised by proving the existence of opportunities

relevant to the tourist niche’s unique interests. In other words, because the publics can see that

the organization is involved with groups similar to themselves, they are able to trust that it will

follow through on its promise to create an experience the tourist will find valuable.

Openness was rarely used as the primary strategy, coming in second to last place in

frequency as compared to the other five RMS. It received low- to medium-level implementation

on average. Not even one tweet earned the highest level of openness, which would have required

demonstrating two-way communication. However, as shown in Figure 6, a higher level of

implementation was not related to a greater response from users for this strategy in this sample.

Incidentally, it is important to note that due to the small number of openness tweets in

this sample, it is difficult to generalize about the average response to these tweets. Within the

sample, openness posts pertained to Mexico, not the organization. The Mexico Tourism Board

did not provide information about who it was or what it was doing. There were no tweets about

changes in finance, organizational restructuring or the status of the organization. It is worth


noting that the absence of organization-oriented openness posts does not necessarily translate to

a weakness for a tourism organization because people are less concerned with the organization

and more interested in the country of reference.

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Figure 6: Openness Response

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When the organization did use openness, it mostly referred only to those actions taken by

Mexico that explicitly related to or directly impacted tourism – for example, describing Mexico’s

participation in a coalition aimed at increasing tourism. No tweets included information about

changes in weather or safety, which are issues of major concern in Mexico. The organization

provided little information about Mexico as a country or about how current events or national

issues affected its publics. Contrary to what good public relations theory would recommend, in

this sample, the organization was not proactive in addressing its publics’ concerns, encouraging

feedback or providing information about national issues or events. Tourism organizations should

not ignore their country’s obstacles and struggles. National issues are tourism issues. Horrific

Figure 6 indicates that higher implementation of Networking does not necessarily correlate with a greater response from users.


events and negative media coverage inhibit tourism because tourists do not want to put their

safety in jeopardy. Initiating communication about concerns would help combat negative media

coverage painting Mexico as unsafe. Using openness, an organization would be able to reclaim

the conversation and soothe concerns. The organization could post about improvements to safety

or the police force. It could communicate how tourism destinations are left largely untouched by

gang violence through providing links to statistics or other facts.

In this situation, transparency about the national situation could become an ethical issue.

Thus, is important to ensure people are aware of the situation they are putting themselves in so

they can make smart decisions. Failing to share information about safety or other pertinent

situations is not in the interest of the Mexico Tourism Board’s publics.

On that note, openness could lead to a more equal distribution of power between the

Mexico Tourism Board and its publics since transparency empowers publics with complete

information upon which to develop informed opinions. For tourism organizations, openness is an

opportunity to foster trust, specifically by fostering the dimension of integrity. Transparency

becomes especially important to countries experiencing national crises. If an organization says

nothing to address concerns, then publics will make the judgments themselves. The organization

need not flood its feeds with news of Mexico’s most traumatic events. However, if tourism

organizations are active and forthcoming in communicating which destinations are safe – sharing

both good and bad news – then, publics will go to it as a credible source of information, therefore

minimizing concern and cultivating trust.

Most of the Mexico Tourism Board’s network is drawn to it because they are interested

in the country, not the organization. As such, providing information about Mexico as a country

would appeal to publics. Further, the organization could expand its reach and fulfill its potential


by becoming a reputable source for all things related to Mexico. Beyond just talking to tourists,

tourism organizations have the opportunity to position themselves as the voice of a country,

which could widen range of appeal.

Positivity was the strongest overall RMS for the MTB, as per the findings of this sample.

It overwhelmingly the most frequently used RMS, almost doubling networking which ranked at

second place with 44 tweets. Positivity appeared to some degree in almost every post.

Impressively, this strategy also enjoyed the highest average level of implementation of any RMS.

Tweets using positivity received the highest level of interaction from users, at about five

retweets and six favorites. This indicates that users have the strongest desire to interact and

continue the relationship with the organization when tweets use positivity. Tweets including

pictures received a whopping average of 8.83 retweets and nine favorites. As shown in Figure 7,

for this strategy, the higher the level of implementation, the greater the response from the public.

Interestingly, positivity was the only RMS in this study that clearly indicated a relationship

between higher-level implementation and greater user response.

High Medium Low0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Figure 7: Positivity Response

RetweetsFavorites

Level of implementation

Aver

age

num

ber

Figure 7 demonstrates that higher implementation of positivity correlates with a greater response from users.


In other studies, positivity was shown to be predictive of relationship outcomes like

control mutuality, satisfaction and trust (Ki & Hon, 2009). For the Mexico Tourism Board, there

is a strong case for claiming that, additionally, positivity strongly relates to relationship

commitment. For tourism organizations, positivity influences relationship commitment by

cultivating affective commitment. Tourism organizations sell mostly vacations and other

enjoyable activities. Therefore, publics are predisposed to having positive feelings toward a

tourism destination: they may have dreams to visit, feel nostalgic to go back or just wish they

were sitting on a beach. When tourism organizations use positivity, it reminds users of their good

feelings which then become a benefit of, and incentive to, continue the relationship with the

organization. It is worth considering whether high success rating was due to the fact that

positivity does not necessarily entail two-way communication, a requirement the Mexico

Tourism Bard had difficulty meeting to be considered high-level implementation for other RMS.

Sharing Tasks was the least frequently used RMS, and was all but absent from this

sample with only one tweet using the strategy at medium-level implementation. Sharing tasks

presents a great opportunity for the organization to solve interdependent goals of mutual interest

with its publics. Though there was only one sharing tasks tweet, it got an excellent response from

users and revealed itself as an outlier in this study. The tweet reminded users to turn their lights

off in honor of Earth Day. It received ten retweets and six favorites, as compared to the sample’s

average of 3.2 retweets and 3.8 favorites.

For tourism organizations, what is the value of investing in corporate social responsibility

(CSR)? As previously discussed from this study’s findings, publics generally interact with

tourism organizations by referencing the country itself. They seem to care little about the


organization itself and what it is doing. This suggests that investing in CSR efforts may have

little return on investment.

Though CSR efforts may not have a significant effect on tourism in the short-term, the

value of investing in eliminating problems of mutual concern could result in a real decrease in

worry among tourists, and make the destination a more appealing place to travel. Still, even if

tourism organizations do not launch full-blown CSR campaigns to portray sharing tasks, the one

and only tweet that enacted this strategy received an uncharacteristically high response from

users. This means that even if an organization demonstrates care for problems of mutual interest

by posting about them – even if they do not back support with meaningful action – could draw

significant attention from users. If an organization takes the time to learn about what its publics

care about and then posts about these issues, it could unite publics and make them feel more

connected to the organization.

Sharing tasks could have a positive effect on relationship satisfaction because by

contributing to a social cause by engaging with the organization, users feel connected to

something good. This leads to a more fulfilling relationship by making it more meaningful. CSR

efforts would reinforce positive expectations of the organization and encourage parties to view

the relationship as meaningful by connecting them to something good.

Theoretical and Practical Implications

This study is important because it contributes to relationship cultivation theory in PR by

developing a new framework for the tourism industry, allowing tourism organizations to

examine the effectiveness of online communication with target publics via Twitter. These

findings can guide future public relations practices by permitting organizations to identify


benchmarks to outdo in the future. By doing so, they will be able to use online strategies more

effectively and positively influence quality relationship outcomes.

Similar to findings from previous research, this study showed that tourism organizations

benefit from using RMS on Twitter to build and maintain relationships. Using RMS at a higher

level does generally translate to a greater response from online users. This knowledge is

incredibly valuable because increased interaction between parties in a relationship could imply or

lead to quality outcomes like commitment, trust, control mutuality and satisfaction.

Notably, differing from research of other areas of PR, this study found that tourism

organizations should not only communicate internal, but national information because publics

are more concerned with the tourist destination than with the company. In general, tweets to the

Mexico Tourism Board had little to do with the organization. Users were usually more interested

in discussing Mexico as country, future trips, past experiences or national issues than with the

Mexico Tourism Board as an organization. Data from this study implies that tourism public

relations acts not only on behalf of the organization it represents, but also on behalf of the

country as a whole. Tourism organizations should recognize this unique responsibility when

using online relationship maintenance strategies.

For this reason, in contrast to other areas of public relations, it is important that online

communications not only address matters that directly concern the organization and their publics,

but that they represent national interests. Tourism organizations have an opportunity to become

national ambassadors and go-to sources for national news events. Moreover, they have an ethical

responsibility to proactively and honestly address travel and safety concerns, so that tourists can

make informed decisions. While other industries focus mostly on managing public perception of


a company, tourism organizations should also embrace the responsibility of managing public

perception about an entire country.

Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research

This study had a few limitations. As described above, potential relationship outcomes of

relationship cultivation strategies on Twitter for the tourism industry were merely logical

assumptions. In 2009, Ki & Hon developed a framework to measure the causal linkages between

relationship cultivation strategies and relationship quality outcomes. However, this study did not

quantitatively measure the correlation matrix between RMS and relationship quality outcomes.

Instead, its aim was to develop a framework to understand how tourism organizations use RMS

on Twitter. Still, this presents an opportunity for future research in tourism PR.

It is important to be sensitive to the effects of sampling when considering this study’s

results. For example, networking to Sports Fanatics may not reflect reality as the highly

anticipated Mayweather vs. Pacquaio boxing match happened to fall within the time of this

sample. Several sports-related tweets took place during the match, so results for sports-related

tweets may be uncharacteristically high due to the importance of that particularly match to

Mexico. It is unclear whether Sports Fanatics are always an important group with which the

MTB networks or whether efforts were uncharacteristically high in the particular timeframe

sampled.

It is important to note that most Positivity tweets could also be coded under networking.

However, if positivity was used at a higher level of implementation than networking, or another

RMS present in the tweet, it would be coded as positivity. Since positivity was so frequently

employed at such a high level – higher than any other RMS – this strategy often trumped other


RMS present in the tweet as the primary indicator. Many tweets coded as Positivity also had

other RMS present, though not as saliently, so data for the other RMS may seem lower than they

truly appear.

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