Adoption Of Social Networking Sites Research Articles

Cultural values reflected in the adoption of social networking sites

This study investigates the impact of two dimensions of Hofstede's cultural framework, namely, individualism and masculinity, on the adoption of social networking sites across countries, controlling for social-economic factors such as mobile internet penetration, a country's median age and urban population. Hierarchical regressions are conducted to test the hypothesised effects using a large-scale secondary dataset for 23 countries. Our findings reveal that both individualism and masculinity have significant impact on nations' adoption levels of social networking sites above and beyond the effects of the social-economic factors. Since little can be found in the extant literature about the influence of national culture on the use of social media, our study is among the first to provide a theoretical framework and supporting empirical evidence to establish the importance of understanding how culture impacts consumers' social networking sites adoption behaviour across countries. Limitations and implications, along with directions for future research are discussed.

Applying uses and gratifications theory and social influence processes to understand students' pervasive adoption of social networking sites: Perspectives from the Americas

This study provides nascent information on university students' needs to adopt social networking sites (SNSs) pervasively. The study drew from the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and social influence (SI) processes framework. Relevant hypotheses were formulated to test the proposed research model. Data was collected in a survey of university undergraduates in four countries in the Americas (i.e., United States, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina). Data analysis using partial least squares (PLS) supported 8 out of the 10 hypotheses formulated. The SI process of internalization and identification, as well as UGT categories of self-discovery, entertainment value, social enhancement, and the need to maintain interpersonal connectivity through the construct of behavioral intentions, were found to have positive impacts on students' pervasive adoption of SNSs. The results also revealed that the cultural factor of individualism–collectivism had a positive impact on the pervasive adoption of SNSs, such that greater levels of engagement were observed for students from more individualistic cultures.

Mapping the two levels of digital divide: Internet access and social network site adoption among older adults in the USA

ABSTRACTOlder adults have increasingly adopted Internet and social network sites (SNSs), but little communication scholarship has explored systematic differences in access within this population. Using a nationally representative sample of Americans over the age of 50 years from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study, we examine Internet access (N = 18,851) and SNS adoption patterns (N = 869) among this sample and explore how these patterns vary by age. Regarding Internet access, results suggest that while the gender divide has reversed in favor of women, older adults who are economically, socioculturally, or physically disadvantaged are less likely to have reliable Internet access. In addition, the view that the various divides in Internet access are less of a concern for those who are younger is only partially supported, as some access-related divides do not vary by age or even decrease with age. For SNS adoption, we found that access to technological resources (diversity of online activities) positively predicts SNS use. Moreover, SNS users are more likely to be younger, female, widowed, and homemakers, perhaps because these individuals are more motivated to use SNSs to complement or compensate for their existing social status. These findings reveal unique challenges and motivations in relation to Internet access and SNS adoption patterns across the later life span.

The effect of network externality on mobile social network site continuance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of network externality on users’ continuance of mobile social network sites (SNS). Design/methodology/approach – Based on the 230 valid responses collected from a survey, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the research model. Findings – The results indicated that network externality, which includes referent network size and perceived complementarity, has a significant effect on perceived usefulness and flow. Privacy concern affects perceived usefulness, flow and privacy risk. These three factors determine continued use. Originality/value – Previous research has focussed on the effects of motivations such as perceived value on user adoption of SNS. The effect of network externality on user continuance has seldom been examined. This research tries to fill the gap.

CONTINUOUS INTENTION CRITERIA OF SNS APPROPRIATION PROCESS IN FAMILY CONTEXT: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Communication technologies such as Social Network Sites (SNSs) are increasingly being used within family settings to support and extend the family relationships. Although many previous researchers have highlighted the impact of SNSs in family environment, criteria of SNS adoption and use in family context have received little research attention. This paper highlights selected SNS appropriation process criteria in family, individual and technical perspectives in order to understand why and how the SNS is being used in family context. Using the procedure of Bandara et al. (2011), NVivo 9.0 was employed to conduct content analysis of 284 articles published between the year of 2006 until 2014. As a result, the adoption and use criteria of SNS appropriation process were identified, and has been categorized in family, individual and technical perspectives using the Family Appropriation Process of Social Network Site (FAPSNS) framework. The understanding of the criteria could assist in effective and healthy adoption and use of SNSs among family members. However, this paper is merely focusing on level 2 and level 3 of SNS appropriation process in family, individual and technical perspectives.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Social Networking Sites: Malaysian Muslim Users Perspective

For social, emotional and cognitive development of the human being, Social Networking Sites (SNSs) provide an important milieu that eventually leads the human experience to the new era. Malaysia is one of the top countries where social networking sites are adopted faster. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors influencing the Malaysian Muslim users to adopt social networking sites. It will justify the social, educational, technological and other factors behind the adoption of social networking sites like Facebook, twitter and MySpace. The paper is conceptual in nature and proposes that a future research can be conducted with the Structural Equation modeling approach to sort out the significance and the relative importance of these factors behind the Muslim users' adoption of social networking sites in Malaysia.

Factors impacting the adoption of social network sites for emergency notification purposes in universities

The increasing number of campuses incidents has kindled a realisation among university officials of the need for better communication with students at such trying times. This study uses the technology, organisation and environment (TOE) framework and the theory of channel complementarity to develop an insight into the factors that contribute to social network adoption intention and to examine the relationship between traditional channels and social network sites in the context of emergency response. The findings suggest that the intention to adopt social network sites for emergency notification purposes is influenced by two factors: the rate of critical incidents on campus, and the number of traditional notification channels deployed on campus, indicating that traditional channels and social network sites complement each other. The insights presented here will aid both school authorities and business firms in making informed decisions regarding the deployment of notification technologies.

Facebook on Campus: The Effect of Environmental and Social Factors on the Adoption of Social Network Sites

Facebook on Campus: The Effect of Environmental and Social Factors on the Adoption of Social Network Sites

Social network site use, mobile personal talk and social capital among teenagers

Social network sites (SNSs) and mobile phones are becoming increasingly important in teenagers’ lives. Using data collected from a nationally representative survey (N=800), this study explores the variation of social capital by SNS adoption, different SNS activities, and mobile personal talk among teenagers. The results indicate that SNS adoption and mobile personal talk can not only enhance teenagers’ close ties with friends, but also jointly promote teenagers’ civic engagement. Among SNS users, mobile personal talk also increase teens’ network capital. Different SNS activities such as commenting on friend’s Facebook pictures and joining Facebook groups have different relationships with social capital, and such relationships are moderated by mobile personal talk.

Understanding information and communication technology behavioral intention to use: Applying the UTAUT model to social networking site adoption by young people in a least developed country

According to many studies, social network sites (SNS) have become some of the most popular online destinations. It has been pointed out that very little is known about the psychosocial variables that predict people's use of these websites. In this article, our general objective is to understand behavioral intentions to use SNS employing the well‐known unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), which has been validated in a number of studies. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey from a final sample of 1,039 social networking website users in Africa. We have shown that there are contexts, such as the African context, in which the UTAUT does not hold up. Explanations are provided to support the findings.

Large-scale study of city dynamics and urban social behavior using participatory sensing

The ubiquitous availability of computing technology such as smartphones, tablets, and other easily portable devices, and the worldwide adoption of social networking sites make it increasingly possible for one to be connected and continuously contribute to this massively distributed information publishing process. In this scenario, people act as social sensors, voluntarily providing data that capture their daily life experiences, and offering diverse observations on both the physical world (e.g., location) and the online world (e.g., events). This large amount of social data can provide new forms of valuable information that are currently not available on this scale via any traditional data collection methods, and can be used to enhance decision making processes. In this article, we argue that location-based social media systems, such as Instagram and Foursquare, can act as valuable sources of large-scale sensing, providing access to important characteristics of urban social behavior much more quickly than traditional methods. We also discuss different applications and techniques that can exploit the data shared in these systems to enable large-scale and nearreal- time analyses and visualization of different aspects of city dynamics.

The Adoption of Social Network Sites: Does Gender Inequality Matter?

The rise of social network sites (SNS) entails significant changes—opportunities and threats—for businesses and society. We combine research on discrimination against women with technology adoption...

Enterprise SNS Adoption and its Usage Potential for Knowledge Sharing: Conceptual Framework

Knowledge management has captured unprecedented attention amongst organizations today and information technology tools such as Enterprise social networking sites(SNS) are being increasingly develop...

Prepaid social media and mobile discourse in South Africa

Abstract Broad adoption of social network sites and mobile messaging in South Africa has made many-to-many communication increasingly accessible. This article tackles ongoing issues of differentiated access to and use of mobile communication, and particularly the specific digital materialities involved in mobile-centric access to the Internet. Specific local patterns of adoption and participation are sketched, in particular the influence of differential commodification of mobile communication, the tiered functionality of phones and cost saving through avoidance of high prepaid data tariffs. We present three distinctive case studies of mobile political discourse during The Spear controversy in May 2012 – activists’ MXit profiles, a popular Facebook group, the New Political Forum, and Facebook status updates posted from mobile applications. Both community dynamics in the Facebook group and the limited use of mobile link-sharing in the status updates suggest that commodified communication can stifle certain kinds of mobile participation in public discourse. While mobile use has expanded access to online political discourse, computer and smartphone users occupy a strategic position in a broader social media ecology, where Facebook updates connect with instant messaging, everyday talk and Google and Facebook rankings, where increasingly the question is not only ‘who speaks’, but also ‘who gets heard’.

Associations Online: Barriers for Using Web-Based Communication in Voluntary Associations

Despite the high adoption level of Facebook and other social network sites (SNSs) in Norway, local level voluntary associations have not embraced SNSs to the same degree. Regular websites are the main web representation, and information provision is the main function of the associations’ web representations. Using quantitative data on website content and organizational characteristics we have analyzed which factors hinder SNS adoption. The results point to size and complexity of associations and to age-based digital divides among members as important factors for having a profile on a SNS. It seems that a certain numerical point must be reached in terms of organizational and community size, for SNSs to be useful. Also, older members, smaller economy and a low degree of formalization in associations might hamper the implementation of SNSs in associations. Using Norway as a critical case, this article contributes new knowledge about web communication in voluntary organizations, an increasingly important field of research internationally.

Adoption of social networking sites by Italian

Social networking sites (SNS) have becoming a mass phenomenon, positioning as one of the most popular online means of communication. So, they have appeared as new communication tools between people and organizations. Due to the growing importance of SNS and the many advantages offered to companies, the main objective of this research is to study the adoption and use of SNS by Italian users, on the basis of a technology acceptance model by adding the trust and perceived risk variables, as they are essential when uncertainty is present. Results support the positive relationships and influences between variables from an extended technology acceptance model. Some practical implications are exposed to explain the importance of the adoption of SNS by users for business sector.

User adoption of social networking sites: Eliciting uses and gratifications through a means–end approach

This research examines users’ motives for adopting and using social networking sites (SNSs), with the aim of providing a better understanding of the fundamental reasons behind SNS adoption behavior. To uncover the relationship between the attributes of SNSs and users’ perceptions of their consequences and values, this study integrates a means–end approach with uses and gratifications theory and thereby extends the technique to a communication media selection context. Laddering interviews identify users’ perceptions of five attributes, 10 consequences, and four values associated with SNS adoption (i.e., Facebook). The results show that belonging, hedonism, self-esteem, and reciprocity are the four main values users attain through SNS adoption. Furthermore, the chains associated with SNS adoption can be represented in a hierarchical value map. This study should help practitioners design online communication platforms that more closely fit their users’ needs and provide users with safer, more friendly, and thus more attractive environments.

Friend me: which factors influence top global brands participation in social network sites

PurposeThis study focuses on how brands participate in social network sites (SNSs) and investigates both the different strategies they adopt and the factors that influence these strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe activities of top brands in SNSs were investigated through a content analysis of brand web sites in three countries, measuring two primary dimensions: presence in SNSs and level of engagement which the brand hoped to establish with stakeholders. The study then built logistic regression models to understand which factors drive brands to adopt and use SNSs, using insights from previous studies related to internet innovation adoption cycles.FindingsThe study confirmed that SNS adoption follows a general path of Internet innovation adoption by brands. Industry markets exert influence, with technology and consumer intensive brands being more likely than all other industry segments to be present in SNSs and to participate at higher engagement levels, while brands targeting younger audiences also engage at higher levels than brands targeting generic audiences. The country in which the brand operates plays a significant role in a brand's likelihood of adopting SNSs: web sites in the USA are more likely to use SNSs than other countries, even after controlling for factors such as pre‐existing web operations or the headquarters being in the same country. It was also found that top brands operate in a global world, as shown by their preference for SNSs with global coverage compared to local SNS, even when the penetration rates of these local SNSs were higher.Originality/valueThe paper advances research on SNS adoption by brands from an organizational standpoint, at a time when the majority of the top global brands actively promote such services.

Understanding Workplace Adoption of Social Networking Sites: Employers’ perspective

Studies on social networking sites (SNSs) rarely touched on the acceptance of SNS use in theworkplace. This study, in turn, attempts to fill this gap by explaining the acceptance of SNSuse in the workplace by proposing a research model for the acceptance of SNS use, based onthe technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), in orderto explain the intention of employers to adopt SNS use in the workplace. Structural equationmodeling (SEM) was used to examine the extent to which the perception of employers on thebenefits/usefulness, subjective norm, risks, and the ease of use of SNSs affect the intention toadopt the use of SNSs in the workplace. Data was collected from 81 employers in the U.S.The findings show that both perceived usefulness and perceived subjective norm are the maindeterminants of the intention to adopt social networking site use in the workplace.

Social Networking Sites: Their Users and Social Implications - A Longitudinal Study

The rapid adoption of social networking sites (SNSs) raises important questions about the social implications of such usage. Drawing on unique longitudinal data, surveying a representative sample of Norwegian online users (N = 2,000, age 15–75 years) in 3 annual waves (2008, 2009, and 2010), this study found a significantly higher score among SNS users in comparison to nonusers in 3 out of 4 social capital dimensions: face-to-face interactions, number of acquaintances, and bridging capital. However, SNS-users, and in particular males, reported more loneliness than nonusers. Furthermore, cluster analyses identified 5 distinct types of SNS users: Sporadics, Lurkers, Socializers, Debaters, and Advanced. Results indicate that Socializers report higher levels of social capital compared to other user types.