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Communications of the Association for Information Systems

Author ORCID Identifier

Nandani Agarwal: 0000-0002-1679-2773

Agam Gupta: 0000-0002-9073-6673

Vivek G. Nair: 0000-0001-8955-9422

Abstract

This study investigates how CEOs communicate with stakeholders on social media (SM) across institutional contexts and platforms. Drawing on institutional theory, signaling theory, Heavey et al’s communication typology and the functional blocks of SM, we compare the platform-specific communication behaviors used by CEOs of Fortune 50, NIFTY 50 (India’s top listed firms), and Indian Unicorns (high-growth startups). Analyzing 1,829 posts from 121 CEOs across LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), we find that CEOs adapt their communication strategies based on platform choice and firm context. Fortune 50 CEOs prefer structured, informational communication, while Indian Unicorn CEOs favor interactive and symbolic communication behaviors to gain visibility and build legitimacy. NIFTY 50 CEOs adopt a more reserved approach, reflecting the insider model of governance within Indian business culture. The study contributes to Information Systems literature by theorizing how institutional maturity, legitimacy, regulatory differences, and SM platform jointly shape digital leadership. Specifically, we spotlight India’s dual institutional landscape as a fertile context for theorizing platform-mediated executive signaling. Our findings offer conceptual advancements to signaling and institutional theories while providing actionable guidance to equip consumers with insights to better interpret institutionally shaped CEO signals on social media, discerning legitimacy-building tactics from substantive updates in diverse markets.

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