ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE CONTEXT OF PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION: a study on official Instagram profiles of the Porto Alegre Metropolitan Zone Campus of IFSulDigital media. Professional and Technological Education. Public communication. Organizational communication. Computer-mediated interaction.
This research, developed within the Professional and Technological Education Graduate Program (ProfEPT), constitutes a Master's investigation aimed at analyzing, from the perspective of mediation, how institutional conceptions of organizational communication influence the structuring of official Instagram profiles of IFSul in campuses located in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre. The study intends to provide profile managers with tools that facilitate the dissemination of effective organizational communication. In this study, three fundamental factors are considered essential: organizational communication—taking into account strategic communication guidelines—, mediation, and Instagram as a social media platform for dialogue between the institution and its audiences. All of these aspects are analyzed within the context of Professional and Technological Education (ProfEPT). It is recognized that, despite the importance of communication in organizational development, the reality faced by Federal Institutes, including their organizational structures, is one of limited investment and lack of allocation of qualified professionals for communication processes. This study specifically refers to the Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense (IFSul). The research highlights the necessity of providing basic concepts and structures for the development of adequate communication in each campus, aligning with the mission, vision, and values set forth by the Federal Institutes of Education, Science, and Technology (IFs). To bridge the gap between institutional intentions and practical implementation, the study considers the use of bibliographic references that elaborate on the aforementioned concepts within the context of Professional and Technological Education. In this regard, the work draws upon authors such as Ciavatta (2008) and Cury (2000), as well as those specifically addressing communication-related concepts, including Kunsh (2022), Weber (2017), Baldissera (2020), and Ferreira (2021), among others. Regarding the educational product, a manual was developed to facilitate the application of organizational communication on the digital media platform Instagram. Based on an analysis of publications from the profiles @ifsul_sapucaia, @ifsul_nh, @ifsul_gravatai, and @ifsulcampuscharqueadas over the course of one year, as well as interviews conducted with each profile manager and a bibliographic review on the subject, basic guidelines were formulated for institutional staff. These guidelines aim to encourage and educate on the following topics: (1) Institutional context; (2) Organizational communication at IFSul; (3) Instagram and engagement; (4) Instagram and planning; and (5) Instagram and moderation. In this regard, fundamental techniques for the use of organizational communication on digital media, with a specific focus on Instagram, were provided.