Our Blog
A blog for the global network of Northeastern communication, digital media, and human resources professionals
Why graduation is not the end of a learning journey — it’s the beginning
It was a cool spring evening as our May 2021 College of Professional Studies graduates gathered at Fenway Park for a celebration of their accomplishments. We were socially distanced and wearing masks, but this was a true coming together after a year of extraordinary...
Understanding generational differences in communication technology and social media use
The Eastern Communication Association (ECA), the largest regional communication association on the East Coast, hosted its annual conference remotely in March with a very appropriate theme: Resilience. I presented my research on how five generations use information and...
The ‘new normal’ hiring process – perspectives from the front lines
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the hiring process has undergone a radical change, both for recruiters and job hunters. The job market has been reshaped as some sectors, like travel and tourism, have shrunk and others, like online services, have exploded....
How should you build organizational identity? From the top down, or the bottom up?
The Covid-19 pandemic has focused attention on a subject that has long fascinated communicators and HR professionals: Organizational culture and identity. What drives cultural change? Is identity forged only from the top down? How have changing employee expectations...
How one professional association is placing diversity, equity, and inclusion center stage
Why do we join professional associations? The simple answer is that they bring together people who do similar work -- but in different organizations and places -- for networking, education, and career development. Those are the tangible benefits of membership. On a...
Effective social media marketing strategies for nonprofits
Because of its popularity and relatively low cost, social media is frequently used by different types of organizations as a marketing tool. In order to develop course materials for my CMN6040: Consumer Behaviors in the Online Environments and social media courses in...
Lifelong learning can take many paths — here is one alumna’s journey
For an early to mid-career professional, why should you take the leap into a graduate program? Should you know beforehand exactly what your objectives are? And, how can an experiential project turn into much more than a project? These are some of the questions I asked...
The eyes have it!
We often look at communication through an organizational lens: CEO messages to x number of employees, or collaboration platforms, or networks flowing vertically and horizontally. But the reality is that communication within organizations is based on building blocks of...
We make learning experiential!
We are delighted to announce the launch of Inspire & Influence, a website showcasing the experiential learning projects of our communication, digital media, and human resources management students. For students in our graduate and bachelor’s completion...
Navigating the new normal — a conversation with Tracy Burns, CEO of the Northeast HR Association
The Northeast HR Association has over 2400 members on the East coast. In a recent conversation with our academic community of HR students, faculty, and alumni, Tracy Burns, the organization’s CEO, shared observations about the HR profession and the emerging trends we...
A step-by-step guide to B2B social media marketing
Because of its popularity and relatively low-cost, social media is frequently used by small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) as a marketing tool. Organizations with various sizes, including SMBs, can use social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook,...
Making ‘lifelong learning’ a reality
The term "lifelong learning'" has gained a lot of currency in recent years, but what does it really mean? A standard definition is that it is a form of self-initiated education focused on personal development. Learning, of course, takes place in many ways and...
Taking advantage of possibilities
Gina Dunn, an alumna of our Corporate and Organizational Communication program, is a marketing and communication professional helping organizations connect with their target audience via strategy development and implementation. Gina lives in Paris, and has just...
How organizations can foster positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in an e-commerce environment
There has been an accelerated digital transformation amid the pandemic. Many consumers either choose to shop online or utilize multiple channels to shop. Even we are moving into the new normal, the trends for online shopping and digitalization will continue. ...
The power of employing communication skills to reach the goal
There was that moment when Zirui, Sahar, and Patty moved from researching three cases to present at a conference to agreeing, “We should write a book!”. Considering the pandemic and many barriers we were facing, there was also that moment when we agreed, “We have...
A day in the life of a public relations intern
Software security, cybersecurity, application security – before working at Veracode I had a general understanding of these types of terms, but I did not truly grasp the depth and breadth of this industry and its critical role in society. The significant disruption...
Rising to the occasion: how a class assignment morphed into an award-winning project
Corey Ortiz, a student in the MS in Corporate and Organizational Communication program, was one of 22 recipients of this year’s RISE research awards (and one of two graduate student honorees in the Business and Entrepreneurship category) from more than 400 entries!...
Experiential learning can be transformational — here’s proof!
Raissa Talehata, a student in the Digital Media master's program, graduated in December 2021. She was one of three Northeastern University students to be recognized with an Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Experiential Learning, honoring graduate students "who...
Exploring consumer behaviors amid the COVID-19 pandemic with predictive analytics
The Eastern Communication Association (ECA), the largest regional communication association on the East Coast, hosted its 113th annual convention in Philadelphia, PA in April with “Reunion” as the convention theme. It was my honor to present my award paper,...
How organizations are preparing for the future of work
The media has been buzzing with reports of the ‘Great Resignation.’ COVID-19 has certainly changed the way many Americans think about work. Another consequence of the pandemic has been a seismic shift in how we think about workplace learning. This was the subject...