Abstract
This paper contributes to a growing body of research on the process by which small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) adopt social network sites (SNSs) as part of their business strategies. If SMBs make use of SNSs, they could potentially compete with big corporations, flattening the marketplace. Open-ended online survey questions were used to collect data from 24 different social media experts in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan was selected for this study because 90% of its adult Internet users are active on SNSs, a percentage that surpasses many emerging and developed countries. This research project identifies (a) relative advantage, (b) community demand, and (c) interactivity as motivating factors for SNS adoption. The survey results also reveal that (a) top management belief, (b) firm readiness, (c) negative comments and reviews, and (d) a low level of awareness are barriers to SNS adoption by SMBs in Jordan. The present study should prove to be particularly valuable to academics and business managers to formulate their business strategies regarding SNS adoption, and to pave the way for more research to assess likely changes.
Highlights
Social network sites (SNSs) help firms target more engaged customers, despite excluding a few due to their inability to stay engaged (Culnan, McHugh, & Zubillaga, 2010)
Despite the common benefits that social network sites (SNSs) offer to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), a literature review highlights a list of barriers that hinder adoption, such as privacy and security issues, regulation concerns, and top management belief
This study provides significant implications and benefits to the researchers, managers, and social media companies in formulating improved strategies for SNS adoption
Summary
Social network sites (SNSs) help firms target more engaged customers, despite excluding a few due to their inability to stay engaged (Culnan, McHugh, & Zubillaga, 2010). Firms use SNSs as a platform to help them construct human relationships through online communication, enabling them to conduct data analyses of these interactions, ascertain their performance, and improve areas of concern (Gandomi & Haider, 2015). In the context of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in particular, SNSs help small businesses stand out from the competition, including big firms that have established marketing channels. Businesses are able to reach out to the larger market segments that use such social sites. Despite the common benefits that SNSs offer to SMBs, a literature review highlights a list of barriers that hinder adoption, such as privacy and security issues, regulation concerns, and top management belief. The key motivations and barriers will be reviewed in detail below
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