Social networking sites: an exploration of the effect of national cultural dimensions on country adoption rates and usage patterns

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Hofstede's cultural framework on adoption rates of social networking sites (SNS) and usage patterns across 30 countries, while controlling for a country's median age, urban population level and mobile internet penetration. Hierarchical regressions are conducted. Findings reveal that masculinity/femininity (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and long-term orientation (LTO), significantly impact nations' adoption levels of SNS above and beyond the effects of median age and urban population level. Conversely, only LTO was found to be a significant predictor of average time spent on SNS. It is among the first to specifically relate cultural perspectives to country adoption levels and usage patterns of SNS. Moreover, it incorporates a fuller range of cultural dimensions than previous studies. We provide a theoretical framework and supporting empirical evidence to underscore the importance of cultural impacts on SNS adoption behaviour across countries. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are provided.