Welcome to Griffith Open

Griffith Open collects, preserves and makes freely available research publications by Griffith College staff and learners. These can include, but are not limited to, theses, peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, working papers and conference papers, professional presentations, exhibitions and teaching resources. Where material has already been published it is made available subject to the open-access policies of the original publishers. This service is maintained by Griffith College Library.

Recent Submissions

Reshaping the Irish Economy: The Impact of International Mergers and Acquisitions on the Irish Technology Sector (2021-2023)
(Griffith College, 2024) M Hassan, Sara; Whelan, Suzanne
This dissertation investigates the impact of international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on the Irish technology sector, focusing on how these activities have reshaped corporate strategies, influenced organizational culture, and affected the broader economic landscape from 2021 to 2023. The research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the key challenges and opportunities faced by Irish technology firms involved in M&A, with particular attention to strategic realignment, workforce integration, and regulatory influences. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative survey data from professionals within the Irish technology sector with qualitative insights obtained through structured interviews with senior executives from companies that experienced M&A during the period. The surveys captured perspectives on organizational culture, strategic realignment, employee morale, and economic impact, while the interviews provided deeper context on leadership decisions, cultural integration, and strategic shifts post-acquisition. Key findings from the research reveal that strategic realignment is a critical driver of post-M&A success. Companies that effectively realigned their strategies towards global expansion, product innovation, and operational efficiency were better positioned to realize the benefits of M&A, such as increased market share and competitive advantage. These companies often leveraged synergies from the merger to innovate more rapidly, penetrate new markets, and streamline operations, leading to sustained growth. However, the research also underscores the complexities of cultural integration, with several companies struggling to maintain employee morale and cohesive corporate cultures following mergers. The research also highlights the supportive role of Ireland’s regulatory environment in facilitating M&A activities, enabling smoother transitions for firms while ensuring compliance with legal and financial standards. Nonetheless, the increased competition from global players entering the Irish market post-M&A presents both challenges and opportunities for local firms. This study contributes to both academic literature and business practice by providing actionable recommendations for companies to enhance post-M&A integration and for policymakers to sustain a regulatory framework that fosters both growth and fair competition in the technology sector. Future research directions are proposed, focusing on longitudinal studies of post-M&A outcomes and comparative analyses across different industries and regions.
The Importance of Protecting Trademarks For Small To Medium-sized Coffee Retailers in Dublin, Ireland
(Griffith College, 2024) George, Abhijith; Dayman, Charlie
This research investigates the current practices and challenges faced by small to medium-sized coffee retailers in Dublin in protecting their trademarks and examines the impact of trademark protection on their business performance. The study aims to explore the role of trademarks in safeguarding daily business operations, analyse the collaborative management of trademarks, and evaluate the impact of intellectual property (IP) strategic decision-making on competitive advantages through a survey conducted with key stakeholders. A positivism research philosophy was applied, supporting the collection and analysis of quantifiable data. A deductive approach was utilized, aligning with the quantitative research method, and a descriptive research design was chosen to focus on the importance of trademark protection for coffee retailers in Dublin. A total of 92 voluntary respondents participated in the survey, and the data were analysed using SPSS 25. The findings reveal that trademark rights are of significant concern for small and medium-sized coffee retailers in Dublin. While most retailers prioritize acquiring trademark rights in Ireland, a considerable portion also holds rights for the European Union, though few have pursued international trademark protection. The results indicate that 35.9% of respondents are uninterested in obtaining proper knowledge about trademark protection, while most participants express a desire to learn more about property rights. Additionally, the majority of respondents regularly seek legal advice, highlighting the importance of legal consultation in avoiding legal issues and gaining knowledge about property acts. This research underscores the crucial role of trademarks in the business strategy of Dublin's coffee retailers and the need for continued education and legal support in this area.
Public Relations as an Effective Tool in Restoring Consumers Trust After Product Recalls: A Case Study of Samsung Note 7 2016 Recall
(Griffith College, 2024) Asemota, Joy Etinosa; Vecchi, Alessandra
Effective public relations strategies have a tremendous role to play in the event of a product recall. Public relations strategies such as addressing of press conferences, issuing of press statements, social media engagements, recall of the affected product(s) as well as replacement, and apologies, can determine if the confidence of the consumers will be restored or not. The focus of this dissertation was an evaluation of public relations as an effective tool in restoring consumers’ trust after product recalls, using the 2016 Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall incident as a case study. In specific terms, the research objectives were to: determine the extent to which Samsung used public relations strategies in the Note 7 recall in 2016; ascertain the types of public relations strategies used by Samsung in the Note 7 recall in 2016; and to find out the extent of social media engagements which Samsung had with consumers in the Note 7 recall in 2016, amongst others. The research designs were qualitative and quantitative content analyses and in-depth interview. The instruments for collecting data from the social media were Octoparse and Twython, while a questionnaire was used as an interview guide for the in-depth interview. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Among the key findings of the research were that Samsung deployed several public relations strategies such as addressing of press conferences, issuing of press statements, engaging the consumers through the social media, and recalling the affected product and replacing it, amongst others. On the types of public relations strategies used by Samsung, the findings indicated that the company used media relations, crisis management, strategic communication, and consumer relations, among others. In terms of the sentimental framing of social media comments and posts during the crisis, findings showed that a majority of the consumers’ responses were negative. The researcher made the following recommendation for practice, amongst others, that: apart from using in-house public relations personnel, Samsung, just like other conglomerates should have internationally-reputable public relations firms such as Edelman, Hill & Knowlton, Ogilvy & Mather, Brunswick, BCW, and Dentsu, among others, that can dispassionately look at the issues involved and tell the organisation where it went wrong. In-house personnel are usually the staff of an organisation, perhaps, may be a bit bias in their approach. These global PR firms have the capacity to handle global brands like Samsung.
Finding a home away from home
(Griffith College, 2024) Kure, Blessing; Proctor, Pat; Lalor, Francesca
"Finding a Home Away from Home" is a radio documentary that delves into the experiences of international students in Ireland. This first part of a seven-part documentary series is an audio portrait of one student. Through the students’ personal narratives, the documentary examines the culture shock experienced and its challenges, focusing on initial struggles, its psychosocial impacts, the students’ coping mechanisms and eventual integration into Irish society. This 36 minute long documentary aims to offer insight into the peculiar challenges, experiences, and triumphs of educational migration and was structured based on the five stages of culture shock as identified by Peter Adler. This work is valuable for future research on international student experiences and migration studies.
A Case Study of Nigeria on the Impact of Media Framing in Newspapers on the Electoral Success of Female Political Candidates.
(Griffith College, 2024) Showemimo, Agnes Oluwatomi; O'Brien, Paddy
This dissertation investigates how media framing in Nigerian newspapers affects female political candidates' chances of winning elections. This research uses the media framing theory as a theoretical framework to investigate how different frames affect public opinion and the outcomes of elections for women in politics. This research is conducted in Nigeria, a nation with a complex sociopolitical environment and deeply embedded gender norms. The primary methodology of the study is content analysis, which involves methodically going through newspaper stories to find standard frames that are utilised when covering female political candidates. A popular method in media studies, content analysis, enables the quantitative evaluation of media material and exposes biases, patterns, and trends in the way female candidates are portrayed (Krippendorff, 2018). According to Robert Entman's (1993) expansion of Erving Goffman's (1983) framing theory, audience interpretation and comprehension are significantly impacted by the way media content is organised. In this situation, frames might draw attention to the qualities of female candidates while minimising others, which can affect how the public views them. The study focuses on a number of framing techniques, such as exemplars, catchphrases, metaphors, and portrayals, in order to identify the prevailing narratives in Nigerian publications. The analysis is based on theoretical understandings from intersectional feminism and colonial/post-colonial studies. In order to comprehend the ongoing influence of colonial legacies on current gender dynamics in Nigeria, it is helpful to read Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks (1952). Because of the influence of colonial history on media representations and societal standards, women are frequently marginalised in public spaces. The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses, written by Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyēwùmí in 1997, not only critiques the imposition of Western gender categories on African cultures but also offers a crucial perspective on how these consequences are still reflected in media portrayals. Furthermore, the media framing of female candidates is examined in light of overlapping identities, including gender, ethnicity, and class, via the lens of Kimberlé Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality, as presented in On Intersectionality: Essential Writings (2017). Understanding the multifaceted biases that female candidates experience in the media requires an intersectional perspective (Crenshaw, 2017). This approach is informed by Emma Ming Wahl's examination of Black women in Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks (2021), which emphasises the unique difficulties associated with racialised gender stereotypes. The results of this dissertation show that gender biases are frequently reinforced by media framing in Nigerian newspapers, which has a detrimental effect on female political candidates' chances of winning elections. Many frames highlight traditional gender roles or cast doubt on women's abilities and suitability for leadership roles. These frames hurt female candidates' chances of winning elections by contributing to a negative public opinion of them. By offering insights on how media practices may be changed to support female equality in political representation, this study adds to the larger conversation on gender and media in Africa. The study promotes policy measures and media changes that aid in the electoral success of female political candidates in Nigeria by emphasising the need for more equal and balanced media depictions.