Worth a like? : A case study of Swedish-speaking customers' perceptions of the Southwest Finland Police Department's bilingual social media communications

Abstract

Social media are increasingly used by governmental organisations, including the police, as an additional means of external communication, policing and customer service. The Finnish police authorities’ communication has specific objectives, such as effectiveness and trustworthiness, and through communication the police intend to foster positive perceptions among citizens. However, organisations' self-representations do not always coincide with customers' perceptions, as perceptions are highly subjective. Furthermore, in a bilingual context, the issue of language in communication introduces an additional consideration in the execution of communication. Language is closely linked to identity and can significantly influence how messages are interpreted. Therefore, the choice of language in communication can influence customer perceptions. To explore the interplay between communication language and customer perceptions in a bilingual context, this study developed a novel theoretical framework. The framework assesses customers' perceptions of social media communication based on their willingness to communicate in a second language. This willingness is influenced by various factors, including linguistic and political considerations, which were also taken into account when analysing perceptions. A qualitative case study was undertaken to explore how Swedish-speaking customers perceive the social media communications of the Southwestern Finland Police Department, one of the bilingual police departments in Finland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five bilingual individuals to assess their perceptions, and thematic analysis was employed to gain insights into the broader implications of communication language in (police) social media communications. The diverse backgrounds of the respondents contributed to a richer understanding of the issue. The results of the study indicate that the perceptions of the Swedish-speaking customers of the Southwestern Finland Police Department's social media communications were generally positive and well-aligned with the Police Department's communication objectives. Furthermore, the findings suggest that language choice plays an important role in making the police's social media communications, and the police authority itself, appear more impartial and inclusive towards the Swedish-speaking minority. However, even in the absence of Swedish content in social media communication, negative perceptions among bilingual customers may be mitigated by their knowledge of and willingness to communicate in their second language. In addition, beyond the aspect of language choice, police social media communications were perceived as an effective medium to portray the police and their work in ways that may not be possible during patrols or customer service interactions.