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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "MGT/CMS 361"
COURSE NAME: "Social Networks and Media Management: Practices and Representations"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Andrea Paletti
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 7:30 PM 8:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course explores the significance of social networks in business and social life. The focus of the course is to critically appreciate social media platforms across a variety of contexts. The course investigates issues related to the management of social media in terms of the strategies and tactics related to successful deployment and cultivation of business/social initiatives and the redefinition of the customer/user as a central element in value creation. Issues related to participatory culture, communication power, collaborative work and production, privacy and surveillance, and political economy of social media are explored in depth through the use of contemporary cases.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course explores how social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and others create value for users and the broader public. By applying frameworks from economics, sociology, and management, students will gain a deep understanding of the mechanisms driving platform growth, user engagement, and monetization.

The course is structured into two parts. The first part introduces key theories from economic, sociological, and managerial literature to explain how social media platforms generate value for their users and stakeholders, analyzing why platforms that once dominated, such as Facebook, are losing ground to newer alternatives like Instagram or TikTok, despite offering similar functionalities.

The second part examines both positive and negative societal impacts of social media, including their use as essential infrastructures during crises and natural disasters, and critical issues such as privacy, misinformation, community building, and threats to democratic processes, illustrated vividly by cases like Cambridge Analytica.

Throughout the course, students will select a social media platform of interest and apply learned frameworks to conduct their own analysis, critically evaluating platform success factors, user growth or decline, and the broader societal trends shaped by these platforms.

By the end of the course, students will be able to answer questions such as:

  • Why is Facebook losing users while TikTok is rapidly gaining popularity?

  • What factors drive the success or failure of social media platforms?

  • How will social media platforms evolve in the coming years?

  • Why are certain governments banning platforms like TikTok but not Facebook?

This course empowers students to critically assess and consciously use social media, equipping them to contribute positively to social and democratic progress.

 

 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

 Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Identify and explain key factors determining the success or decline of different social media platforms.

  2. Critically apply economic, sociological, and managerial theories to analyze how social media platforms create value for individuals and communities.

  3. Critically assess the positive and negative impacts of social media on society, including privacy, misinformation, and democratic influences.

  4. Independently conduct analyses on specific social media platforms, using theoretical frameworks to understand dynamics of growth, user engagement, and monetization.

  5. Formulate informed predictions about the future evolution of social media, considering technological, socio-cultural, and political trends.

  6. Discuss consciously the reasons behind political decisions such as government bans of certain social media platforms, and the societal and democratic implications of these decisions.

This course empowers students to critically assess and consciously use social media, equipping them to contribute positively to social and democratic progress.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Social Media: A Critical Introduction Christian Fuchs SAGE Publications Ltd 978-1446257319   

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Midterm presentation The Midterm exam will be oral, based on a PowerPoint presentation lasting 5-7 minutes. Students will select a social media platform and apply the theories discussed in the course to their chosen case. After the presentation, students will respond to oral questions about their analysis and the relevant theoretical frameworks.50%
Final Presentation The final exam will be oral, based on a PowerPoint presentation lasting 5-7 minutes. Students will select a social media platform and apply the theories discussed in the course to their chosen case. After the presentation, students will respond to oral questions about their analysis and the relevant theoretical frameworks.50%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality conducts a comprehensive analysis, applying all theoretical frameworks learned during the course simultaneously and in an interconnected manner. The answer demonstrates a deep, critical understanding of theories, clearly explaining how a social media platform creates value for individuals and the public. The analysis integrates theories coherently and relevantly, with evidence of additional reading, strong synthesis, and critical analytical skills. All questions must be answered correctly.
BWork at this level demonstrates a solid understanding of the theories learned in the course. The student correctly applies all theories to explain how a social media platform creates value for individuals and the public, but theories are applied separately rather than integrated. The analysis shows substantial reading and good personal insight. All questions must be answered correctly.
CWork of this quality reflects a basic understanding of theories. The student explains how a social media platform creates value for individuals and the public but applies theories separately, with some inaccuracies or misunderstandings. The answer primarily relies on lecture materials with limited additional reading or significant analysis.
DWork at this level demonstrates minimal grasp of course material, with important information omitted and irrelevant points included. The analysis shows significant misunderstandings, barely demonstrating enough comprehension to avoid failing.
FWork at this level fails to demonstrate any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised. The majority of content is irrelevant, and key concepts are misunderstood or omitted entirely.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Lecture 1 – Social Media: Definition and Value Creation
This session introduces social media as digital platforms that enable the co-production of content and services. We will explore how platforms create value for users, moving beyond simple metrics like followers and likes to understand deeper mechanisms of engagement and network effects.

Lecture 2 – Economic Theories and the Business Model Canvas
Students are introduced to key economic theories (market positioning, Porter’s Five Forces) and management frameworks (the Business Model Canvas) to analyze social media market positions and business models.

Lecture 3 – Network Economics
The lecture focuses on network economics and introduces the concepts of network effects, positive and negative externalities, and critical mass. We will study how growth dynamics and user interactions shape the success or failure of platforms.

Lecture 4 – The NICE Model
This session presents the NICE model (Novelty, Lock-in, Complementarities, Efficiency) as a framework for analyzing how specific features of social media platforms generate user value and competitive advantage.

Lecture 5 – Transaction Costs
We connect transaction cost theory with social media. Students will learn how platforms act as intermediaries among actors, reducing search, negotiation, and enforcement costs for users. We will also apply this theory to real cases to show how social media platforms can increase or decrease transaction costs.

Lecture 6 – Algorithms, AI, and Transaction Costs
The lecture explains how social media platforms use algorithms and artificial intelligence to further lower transaction costs, streamline decision-making, and personalize user experiences. We will also address risks such as bias, opacity, and power concentration.

Lecture 7 – Public Value and Social Media
We analyze the concept of public value and how social media platforms affect democratic participation, collective well-being, and trust. Case examples illustrate both positive contributions and harmful effects.

Lecture 8 – The Power of Social Media Platforms
This session examines the growing influence of major platforms in shaping information flows, cultural trends, and market power. The discussion includes monopoly/oligopoly dynamics and platform governance.

Lecture 9 – Government Control and Public Value Creation
The final lecture explores the role of governments in regulating social media platforms. We will study possible interventions, from antitrust policies to content moderation, and their implications for public value and individual freedoms.

The course includes two main exams: a Mid-Term Exam and a Final Exam, each consisting of a PowerPoint presentation.

  • Mid-Term Exam – October- 50% course grade

  • Final Exam – December- 50% course grade