Developing An Integrated Digital Communication Model For Institutional Image Enhancement In Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18326/inject.v10i1.4426Keywords:
Digital Communication, Good University Governance, Higher Education Institution, Strategic CommunicationAbstract
Digital transformation compels higher education institutions to adapt communication strategies to fortify their institutional image, a strategic asset significantly shaped by the quality of digital interactions. This study analyzes the digital communication practices within public services at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang (FIS UM), to formulate an optimization model. Employing a qualitative-descriptive method, data were collected through in-depth interviews with stakeholders, digital observation of official platforms, and document analysis. The findings reveal that current communication is predominantly reactive, fragmented, and strategically misaligned with audience needs. Furthermore, an underdeveloped user interface and experience (UI/UX) on the faculty’s digital platforms fail to project a professional image and hinder user engagement. Concluding that a coherent digital communication strategy is absent, this research proposes an Integrated Service Unit (ULT) as its primary contribution. The model’s novelty lies in its function as a proactive instrument for reputation management, transforming disparate interactions into a cohesive strategy for measurably strengthening the institutional image.
References
Aggerholm, H. K., & Thomsen, C. (2020). Change management and communication in public sector organizations: The Gordian knot of complexity, accountability, and legitimacy. The Handbook of Public Sector Communication, 197–213.
Ahmed, Z. Y., Yulianto, M. R., & Indayani, L. (2024). Pengaruh Akreditasi, Promosi, dan Kualitas Pelayanan terhadap Minat Kuliah Mahasiswa di Program Studi Manajemen Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo. Jurnal E-Bis, 8(1), 424–439.
Al Rahmah, F., Hafiar, H., & Budiana, H. R. (2022). Pengelolaan aktivitas media sosial instagram@ cimahikota oleh pemerintah kota cimahi. Jurnal Komunikasi Nusantara, 4(1), 128–139.
Amin, F., & Khan, M. F. (2021). Online reputation and stress: Discovering the dark side of social media. FIIB Business Review, 10(2), 181–192.
Balmer, J. M., & Podnar, K. (2021). Corporate brand orientation: Identity, internal images, and corporate identification matters. Journal of Business Research, 134, 729–737.
Bonilla Quijada, M. del R., Perea Muñoz, E., Corrons, A., & Olmo-Arriaga, J.-L. (2022). Engaging students through social media. Findings for the top five universities in the world. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 32(2), 197–214.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Brockhaus, J., Buhmann, A., & Zerfass, A. (2023). Digitalization in corporate communications: Understanding the emergence and consequences of CommTech and digital infrastructure. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 28(2), 274–292.
Carvalho, L., Brandão, A., & Pinto, L. H. (2021). Understanding the importance of eWOM on Higher Education Institutions’ brand equity. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 31(2), 261–279.
Charbonnet, A. (2012). From the viewbook to Facebook: A content analysis of universities’ Facebook posts to measure organization-public relationships [Master of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College]. https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_theses.842
Chiang, C.-T. (2023). Engraving customer experiences through digital technologies. Journal of Services Marketing, 37(5), 671–685.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
E. Crocco, E. Giacosa, & F. Culasso. (2024). Stakeholder Engagement in Higher Education: State of the Art and Research Agenda. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 13457–13468. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2022.3218286
Fadlan, M., Saputra, I. T., & Suprianto, S. (2022). Pengukuran Kualitas Website E-learning Pada Perguruan Tinggi Di Kalimantan Utara Dengan Webqual 4.0. Jurnal Sisfokom (Sistem Informasi Dan Komputer), 11(3), 304–309.
Foroudi, P., Akarsu, T. N., Ageeva, E., Foroudi, M. M., Dennis, C., & Melewar, T. (2018). Promising the dream: Changing destination image of London through the effect of website place. Journal of Business Research, 83, 97–110.
Fusch, P., Fusch, G. E., & Ness, L. R. (2018). Denzin’s paradigm shift: Revisiting triangulation in qualitative research. Journal of Sustainable Social Change, 10(1), 2.
Galioto, M., Pedone, F., Vantarakis, A., Tavares, P., & Bianco, A. (2025). The use of social networks in institutional communication at university: A prospective pattern for enhancing the sense of belonging among students. Frontiers in Communication, 10, 1523295.
Ghani, M. R. A., Nawi, W. N. F. W. M., & Husain, R. (2023). Social media impact on university reputation and enrollment: An empirical investigation of online presence and student choices. I-iECONS e-Proceedings, 379–392.
Grunig, J. E. (2009). Paradigms of global public relations in an age of digitalisation. PRism, 6(2), 1–19.
Hong, C.-Z. (2019). The Feasibility of the Application of Stakeholder Theory in Higher Education. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Management Science and Management Innovation (MSMI 2019). Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Management Science and Management Innovation (MSMI 2019), Changsha, China. https://doi.org/10.2991/msmi-19.2019.50
Isa, M., Praswati, A. N., Sari, E. K., & Ramadani, K. D. N. (2023). Strategi Pemasaran Melalui Konten Media Sosial Mim Pk Wirogunan. Abdi Psikonomi, 77–83.
Juhaidi, A. (2024). Social media marketing of Islamic higher education institution in Indonesia: A marketing mix perspective. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2374864.
Kambau, R. A. (2024). Proses Transformasi Digital pada Perguruan Tinggi di Indonesia. Jurnal Rekayasa Sistem Informasi Dan Teknologi, 1(3), 126–136.
Kang, M., & Sung, M. (2017). How symmetrical employee communication leads to employee engagement and positive employee communication behaviors: The mediation of employee-organization relationships. Journal of Communication Management, 21(1), 82–102.
Kaur, H., & Kaur, K. R. (2021). Investigating the effects of consistent visual identity on social media. Journal of Indian Business Research, 13(2), 236–252.
Kazmi, S., Jan, R., Shaikh, H. L., & Javeed, S. (2024). How Educational Institutions use Social Media Platforms to Engage Students, Promote Online Communities and Build a Sense of Belonging. Review of Education, Administration & Law, 7(4), 303–317.
Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2002). Toward a dialogic theory of public relations. Public Relations Review, 28(1), 21–37.
Koshkin, A. P., Rassolov, I. M., & Novikov, A. V. (2017). Monitoring social media: Students satisfaction with university administration activities. Education and Information Technologies, 22, 2499–2522.
Krøtel, S. M. (2021). Digital communication of public service information and its effect on citizens’ perception of received information. International Journal of Public Administration, 44(2), 132–145.
Kwestel, M., & Milano, E. F. (2020). Protecting academic freedom or managing reputation? An evaluation of university social media policies. Journal of Information Policy, 10, 151–183.
Malešević, A., Barać, D., Soleša, D., Aleksić, E., & Despotović-Zrakić, M. (2021). Adopting xrm in higher education: E-services outside the classroom. Sustainability, 13(14), 7522.
Malik, R. A., & Frimadani, M. R. (2022). UI/UX analysis and design development of Less-On digital startup prototype by using lean UX. Jurnal RESTI (Rekayasa Sistem Dan Teknologi Informasi), 6(6), 958–965.
Masele, J. J., & Rwehikiza, D. P. (2024). Usability of social media for promoting higher learning institutions’ activities in Tanzania: A diffusion of innovation perspective. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 36(1), 91–122.
Men, L. R., & Stacks, D. (2014). The effects of authentic leadership on strategic internal communication and employee-organization relationships. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(4), 301–324.
Neill, M. S., & Bowen, S. A. (2021). Ethical listening to employees during a pandemic: New approaches, barriers and lessons. Journal of Communication Management, 25(3), 276–297.
Nguyen, M. H., Gruber, J., Marler, W., Hunsaker, A., Fuchs, J., & Hargittai, E. (2022). Staying connected while physically apart: Digital communication when face-to-face interactions are limited. New Media & Society, 24(9), 2046–2067.
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1609406917733847.
Pandey, N., Nayal, P., & Rathore, A. S. (2020). Digital marketing for B2B organizations: Structured literature review and future research directions. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(7), 1191–1204.
Rossel, P., Finger, M., & Misurac, G. (2006). “ Mobile” e‑Government Options: Between Technology‑driven and User‑centric. Electronic Journal of E-Government, 4(2), pp63-70.
Ruck, K., & Men, L. R. (2021). Guest editorial: Internal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Communication Management, 25(3), 185–195.
Rutter, R., Roper, S., & Lettice, F. (2016). Social media interaction, the university brand and recruitment performance. Journal of Business Research, 69(8), 3096–3104.
Sambo, A. S., Lawal, A. M., & Helen, K. (2021). The use of smart phones for information seeking by undergraduate students in Nigerian specialized university. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1–17.
Shah, S. A., Shoukat, M. H., Ahmad, M. S., & Khan, B. (2024). Role of social media technologies and customer relationship management capabilities 2.0 in creating customer loyalty and university reputation. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34(1), 344–367.
Simiyu, G., Komen, J., & Bonuke, R. (2019). Social media, external prestige and students’ attitude towards postgraduate enrollment: A conditional process analysis across levels of university reputation. SEISENSE Journal of Management, 2(5), 1–19.
Sulistiowati, E., & Febriyanta, I. M. M. (2020). Serba-serbi Penggunaan Media Sosial di Instansi Pemerintah. Djkn.Kemenkue. https://www.djkn.kemenkeu.go.id/kanwil-jakarta/baca-artikel/13455/Serba-serbi-Penggunaan-Media-Sosial-di-Instansi-Pemerintah.html
Sung, M., & Yang, S.-U. (2008). Toward the model of university image: The influence of brand personality, external prestige, and reputation. Journal of Public Relations Research, 20(4), 357–376.
Susanti, M. (2023). Implementasi Perencanaan Strategis dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Lulusan di Sekolah Menengah Atas. Al-Marsus: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 1(1), 42–53.
Susanti, T., Anom, E., & Iswadi, I. (2023). Optimizing Public Communication in the Digital Era: A Case Study of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in Indonesia. CHANNEL: Jurnal Komunikasi, 11(2), 144–149.
Swan, E. L., Dahl, A. J., & Peltier, J. W. (2019). Health-care marketing in an omni-channel environment: Exploring telemedicine and other digital touchpoints. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 13(4), 602–618.
Syafei, T. F. M., & Hidayatullah, A. (2023). Analisis Penerapan UI/UX Dalam Meningkatkan Pengalaman Pengguna Pada Sistem Reservasi Amadeus. JUSTINFO| Jurnal Sistem Informasi Dan Teknologi Informasi, 1(1), 1–8.
Van den Bosch, A. L., De Jong, M. D., & Elving, W. J. (2005). How corporate visual identity supports reputation. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 10(2), 108–116.
Wattie, L. O., Masengi, E. E., & Wawointana, T. (2024). Public Service Management at The Command Center of The Minahasa Regency Communication and Information Service. Technium Soc. Sci. J., 53, 1.
Weiger, W. H., Wetzel, H. A., & Hammerschmidt, M. (2017). Leveraging marketer-generated appeals in online brand communities: An individual user-level analysis. Journal of Service Management, 28(1), 133–156.
Wibowo, Y. A., Suwawi, D. D. J., & Febriyani, W. (2022). Kerangka Kerja Indikator Pengukuran Tingkat Kematangan Transformasi Digital Perguruan Tinggi. JURIKOM (Jurnal Ris. Komputer), 9(5), 1575.
Yang, A., & Taylor, M. (2010). Relationship-building by Chinese ENGOs’ websites: Education, not activation. Public Relations Review, 36(4), 342–351.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 INJECT (Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
