| Abstract [eng] |
Access to information is important for implementing open governance, ensuring transparency, and involving citizens in governance processes. Digital technologies enable effective public sector communication. Some public sector organizations have traditionally been closed to the public, having neither the duty nor the need to provide information. The Lithuanian Armed Forces has traditionally been an extremely closed institution that avoided sharing information, basing its reticence on the secrecy of information. The values of a democratic society have changed attitudes towards the role of the military and encouraged greater openness to society. By communicating, the military has the opportunity to justify the necessity, thus seeking public trust and support. Social networks create favourable conditions for effectively informing the public about military service, thereby attracting more citizens to military service and educating citizenship. The field of social networks is wide and changing, so many aspects of its applicability in the public sector have not yet been thoroughly investigated, there is a lack of analysis summarising the findings of already conducted research. The use of social networks is studied by researchers abroad and in Lithuania, a number of studies have been conducted on communication at the local self-government level. Researchers draw attention to the potential of social networks, and their advantages compared to traditional media and identify problems of practical use in the public sector. However, there are few studies on using social networks in the communication of military institutions abroad and none in Lithuania. Due to the growth of the potential of social networks, the updating of knowledge is necessary, so communication in social networks remains a relevant topic for research. The results of the study would be useful for science, revealing trends in the use of social media in public sector’s communication and for the practical improvement of the communication of the Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. In this project, the research problem is posed by the question: how the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces uses the possibilities of social networks to achieve their communication goals. Research object – specifics of the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Communication on Facebook. Aim of the project is to determine how the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Army uses the features provided by social network to achieve its communication goals on Facebook. Objectives of the project: 1. to analyse the concept of communication, its importance in the public sector and the peculiarities of using social networks in public sector communication; 2. perform an analysis of the public sector communication environment in which the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service operates; 3. to investigate the specifics of the communication of the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces on Facebook; 4. disclose the goals and attitudes of the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service to its communication on Facebook. Methods used in the project: analysis of scientific literature, analysis of legal documents, mixed content analysis, and semi-structured expert interviews. The results of the research revealed that the communication of the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service on Facebook aims to provide the public with knowledge about military service, to change its attitude towards it, to motivate and attract more citizens to the Lithuanian Armed Forces. It was identified that communication specialists organise and implement communication based on their initiative and knowledge, as well as experience and abilities because the institution does not have a communication strategy, goals and target audiences. Although specialists understand the value of communication and make great efforts, the possibilities of the social network Facebook are not being used enough. The identified lack of human and material resources prevents specialists from exploiting the possibilities of content diversity, creating higher-quality content, and ensuring feedback. The results of the study are useful for science, revealing trends in the use of social networks in public sector communication and for the practical improvement of the communication of the Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The project consists of three main sections, conclusions, and recommendations, lists of literature and information sources, and appendices. The first chapter deals with the theoretical aspects. The second chapter analyses the public sector communication environment in which the Conscription and Recruitment Service operates. The third chapter presents the methodology of the empirical study and the results of the study, as well as recommendations. At the end of the project, lists of used scientific literature and information sources are provided. |
