Social networks as a vehicle for happiness management in university governance

Barquero Cabrero, J. D.; Caldevilla Domínguez, D.; Barrientos Báez, A.; Gonzálvez Vallés, J. E.

Purpose: This study aims to determine whether the communication of Universities in Madrid (Spain) on social networks through their official channels has caused positive results in students’ perceptions of their trust in university institutions during the first semester of the 2020–2021 term and to measure whether the implementation of happiness management strategies in the communication within university governance affected students’ happiness levels, as well as on the recognition of their belonging to the university. Design/methodology/approach: With an exploratory-correlational approach and a quantitative study, this study conducted a statistical-descriptive analysis based on the premise of a general linear regression model with correlations between the variables, using a data collection instrument, whose construct and content validity was previously assessed by experts, which was answered by 564 students of the Degrees in Communication and Marketing from the Complutense University of Madrid, University of La Laguna, and ESERP Business and Law School. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were implemented to analyze the correlation between variables;Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Pearson and Spearman’s coefficients were also used. Findings: Those students who used social networks to receive news from university institutions about the COVID-19 pandemic deem these channels official, sound and credible. Similarly, the use of official information from university institutions on social networks increases students’ happiness levels. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies aiming to provide scientific evidence of the relationship between happiness management and university governance. This research’s practical implications lead to attributing added value to these types of means for the university governance that seeks students’ happiness. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.