Critical Considerations
Getting Upset by Good News at Work: Recollecting Why Positive Feedback is Perceived Negatively View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session John Baur
Feedback is a critical part of organizational development. While we recognize that critical or constructive feedback may frequently be received differently than as intended, we assume that positive feedback is received as intended (i.e., positively). As a result, we often are less intentional when providing the positive feedback. However, meta-analytic results suggest that 38% of feedback interventions result in negative outcomes (i.e., the end result is worse than it was prior to the intervention). As such, while the majority of scholarly research has focused on the feedback process for providing critical feedback, we seek to consider how the often-overlooked process of positive feedback may also lead to negative outcomes. In the first study, we begin with a research question focused on whether positive feedback is perceived negatively. We develop a new measure (Positive Feedback Questionnaire) and collect qualitative data (N = 172) to create a typology consisting of seven reasons why positive feedback is perceived negatively. In the second study, we use attribution theory to develop and quantitatively test hypotheses that demonstrate how these negative responses to positive feedback result in reduced attitudinal outcomes (i.e., lower job satisfaction and affective commitment and increased intentions to quit). Additionally, from the sample (N = 228), we also hypothesize, and test important medicating mechanisms related to employee perceptions of support, justice, and politics using structural equation modeling. We find support for many of our hypotheses and offer important insight regarding the assumptions and outcomes of positive feedback in the workplace.
Communication without Socialization: The Problem of Social Networks
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ildar Khannanov
There is a disconnect between formal communication and interpersonal socialization in modern social networks. Exchange of information carries only partial interaction. The one who posts and the one who reads the posts are not immediately connected. Philosophy--phenomenology in particular--offers a number of positions on interpersonal socialization. Such are the ideas of constitution of the subject in the eyes of the Other (Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Dasein (Heidegger), the notion of faciality (Deleuze), toucher (Derrida), and Ich und Du (Buber). It is a paradox: social networks offer very little in regard of socialization; they miss a large non-verbal component and reduce the communication to a pure "speech culture," in terms of Valery Podoroga. My paper is dedicated to the discussion of these missing elements in contemporary social network communication and to the attempt to offer a solution.
Media Portrayals of Agritourism in the Mekong Delta: Romanticizing Farmer Livelihoods
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mi Hoang
Agritourism has emerged as a significant tourism trend in Southeast Asia, with notable economic and cultural implications. However, existing research reveals a gap in examining how farmers' lives are represented within agritourism media portrayals across the region. Using the Mekong Delta as a case study, this research investigates the prevailing sentiment and tone surrounding depictions of farmers in media coverage. This study employs a dual-method approach, combining thematic analysis and corpus-based discourse analysis, to examine agritourism-related articles published in five mainstream Vietnamese newspapers between 2015 and 2025. Findings indicate that media portrayals of farmers are predominantly positive, with minimal emphasis on the challenges they face. Such representations construct an idealized "green fantasy" for tourists, overshadowing the realities and hardships experienced by farmers engaged in agritourism. These findings suggest a need for journalism to adopt more critical communication strategies, moving beyond an exclusive focus on agritourism’s benefits to provide a more balanced and nuanced portrayal of local livelihoods.
How Korean Love Reality Shows Shape the Image of Women: A Textual Analysis of ‘Better Late Than Single’
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Boyu Guo
This study explores how Korean love reality shows construct idealized images of femininity, focusing on the 2025 Netflix program 'Better Late Than Single'. While such shows are typically marketed as lighthearted entertainment, they actively shape and reinforce cultural norms surrounding gender. This research analyzes how female participants are framed through visual techniques, emotional narratives, and behavior that align with socially accepted expressions of womanhood — including emotional openness, physical presentation, and romantic passivity. Although the show portrays its contestants as independent agents making personal choices in their romantic journey, these choices are often shaped by subtle forms of aesthetic and emotional regulation. Visual strategies such as selective editing, slow motion, and framing further reinforce traditional ideals of femininity. These portrayals create a tension between the appearance of empowerment and the reproduction of conventional gender roles. Using qualitative textual analysis, this study examines selected episodes to understand how visual and narrative devices work together to construct gender performance. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions in media and gender studies by highlighting how reality television reshapes the boundaries of femininity under the guise of authenticity, growth, and romance.
