Innovation Diffusion: The Influence of Social Media Affordances on Complexity Reduction for Decision Making.

Shahrina Md Nordin,Izzal Asnira Zolkepli,Ammar Redza Ahmad Rizal

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.705245

Shahrina Md Nordin, Izzal Asnira Zolkepli + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.705245

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Abstract

Social media is a prominent communication platform. Its active usage permeates all generations and it is imperative that the platform be fully optimized for knowledge transfer and innovation diffusion. However, there are several considerations regarding platform usage, including media affordances. Social media affordances enable users to interact with the world around them through features of modality, agency, interactivity, and navigation. Previous studies have indicated that social media affordances significantly influence user behavior and usage. However, research exploring the effect of social media affordances on knowledge acquisition and the reduction of decision-making complexities is limited. Therefore, focusing on 179 paddy farmers in Malaysia, this study examined the effect of social media affordances on information quality, knowledge acquisition, and complexity reduction regarding innovation adoption decisions using a quantitative approach. This study’s findings reveal that social media affordances have a significant effect on perceived information quality, knowledge acquisition, and complexity reduction.

Highlights

The flourishing popularity of social media has allowed its diffusion in all strata of society
The main motivation of this study was to address concerns about how social media affordances affect farmers’ knowledge acquisition, based on the current phenomenon of farmers using social media platforms, those participating in Facebook groups
Drawing on the Malaysian paddy industry as the background and uses and gratification theory (U&G) as an overarching theoretical perspective, this study explored the effect of social media affordances on farmers’ perceived information quality, knowledge acquisition, and complexity reduction

Summary

Introduction

The flourishing popularity of social media has allowed its diffusion in all strata of society. More than half (approximately 53.6%) of the global population uses at least one type of social media platform, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (Smart Insight, 2021). The frequency of information-seeking behavior via social media has increased because it allows individuals from all backgrounds to share content or opinions without being limited by traditional mass media gatekeepers (Hargittai et al, 2018). This trend has gained prominence, during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which began early 2020.

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