Social Media, Organizational Identity and Public Relations

7 Plausibility and legitimation

By analyzing intersections of plausibility and legitimation, we are able to see points of connection in the sensemaking process whereby the property of plausibility is strengthened in relation to other properties with the introduction of various legitimation strategies. This chapter will focus on the relationship between plausibility and legitimation strategies and practices within the social media environment as they relate to organizational identity.

Within a social media context, I am particularly interested in the intersection of these two elements: the sensemaking property of plausibility, a property influencing sensemaking as one meaning emerges as ‘feeling right’ or resonating above others, and discursive ...