Effects Of Social Influence Research Articles

The utility of smart government services apps solutions in the post-pandemic era

Purpose The main purpose of this study is to determine the antecedent factors of smart government service apps intention and its impact on actual use by extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in the Jordanian context. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the main purpose, a quantitative method was used to test collected data, and hypotheses testing through using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and smart partial least squares software. Findings The findings indicate that social media advertising has a positive effect on both social influence and peer influence. Furthermore, it demonstrated a significant effect of social influence on performance expectancy. In addition, there is a direct correlation between the government capacity, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and the intention to use e-government services. Lastly, the results mainly show that the actual use of e-government services is significantly and positively influenced by intention and self-isolation. Next, as expected, self-isolation moderated the relationship between intention to use and actual use of e-government services via the Sanad application, and hence the related hypothesis was supported. Originality/value This study provides practical recommendations for the policy-makers in the Jordanian e-government and Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) in Jordan.

Associations Between Body Image, Eating Behaviors, and Diet Quality Among Young Women in New Zealand: The Role of Social Media.

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between diet quality and body image disturbance among young women aged 18-24, a crucial period for establishing lifelong health behaviors. Given the increasing exposure to social media, which often promotes unrealistic beauty standards, this research aims to explore associations between eating behaviors, diet quality, and body image disturbance. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative focus group discussions with quantitative analysis. Focus groups (n = 19) explored themes of body image dissatisfaction. The Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ) was administered to 50 participants (young women aged 18-24) to quantitatively assess body image disturbance, while diet quality was evaluated using the Australian Recommended Food Scores (ARFS). The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) was also used to assess eating behaviors, including cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. A social influence questionnaire (SIQ) was administered to measure the effect of social influence. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between ARFS, BIDQ, and TFEQ-R18 scores. Results: Qualitative findings revealed persistent dissatisfaction with body shape, largely influenced by social media. Quantitatively, 65% of participants scored above the clinical threshold for body image disturbance (mean BIDQ score = 4.2, SD = 0.8). The correlation between ARFS and BIDQ scores was weak and not statistically significant (r = 0.057, p = 0.711). However, a significant positive correlation was observed between time spent on social media and body image disturbance (r = 0.58, p < 0.01). Additionally, TFEQ-R18 results indicated that 45% of participants displayed moderate levels of uncontrolled eating, and 36.5% demonstrated moderate levels of emotional eating. Conclusions: While social media is associated with body image concerns, its effect on eating behaviors and diet quality shows weak correlations, suggesting that other factors may mediate these outcomes. These results suggest the complexity of the associations between body image, eating behaviors, and diet quality, indicating that interventions should consider psychological drivers behind these concerns alongside social media usage.

Psychological mechanisms of group influence on individual behavior

The paper analyzes psychological mechanisms of group influence on individual behavior, including conformity, social suggestion, authority pressure, and imitation, which have a decisive influence on individual behavior formation in social groups. Special attention has been paid to these mechanisms’ transformation under the influence of digital media and new communication technologies in the context of globalization. Digital platforms influence on the political activity of young people has been studied, which emphasizes the increasing role of online communications in shaping group behavior. Group norms and expectations, often imposed through digital platforms, actively shape social identity and individuals’ behavior, increasing their susceptibility to group pressure and conformity. Leadership styles have also been found to significantly influence group dynamics by altering group members’ behavioral responses. Cross-cultural studies show the importance of contextualization, as responses to social pressure vary across cultures. There is a need for further research on the long-term effects of social influence and the development of methods to minimize its negative effects on individual behavior. The study results contribute to a deeper understanding of the social influence mechanisms in the context of globalization, noting the importance of an interdisciplinary approach.

Social influence and information quality on Generative AI use among business students

Despite the increasing utilisation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in educational settings, its influence on shaping students’ behaviour remains relatively under-researched. This study employs PLS-SEM to explore the relationships between social influence, information quality, and behavioural intentions regarding ChatGPT usage among business students. Drawing from data collected from 477 business students, the study unveils that both social influence and information quality significantly impact behavioural intentions. Moreover, information quality strengthens the influence of social influence on behavioural intentions. The multigroup analysis reveals that the effects of social influence and information quality on behavioural intentions differ between females and males. However, the moderating effect of information quality does not differ significantly between them. Furthermore, the effects observed in all hypothesised relationships do not differ significantly between first-year and second-year students. By empirically validating the proposed model for behavioural intentions regarding ChatGPT usage and identifying statistical differences among males and females, as well as between first-year and second-year students, this study contributes to filling existing knowledge gaps. Furthermore, the study offers potential avenues for future research and serves as a valuable resource for academics, professionals, and policymakers interested in understanding students' engagement with generative AI.

Factors influencing meta-banking adoption: an empirical study

Purpose This study aims to examine the main factors influencing customer meta-banking (metaverse banking) adoption intention based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the PLS-SEM modelling technique was used to analyse the quantitative data collected from a total of 407 participants who were purposefully chosen. Findings The findings revealed that performance expectation, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation have significant positive effects on customers’ perception of the value associated with adopting the metaverse. However, the effect of social influence was found to be statistically insignificant. The results further emphasised that technostress is an obstacle that negatively influences the perceived value. Lastly, perceived value is found to be a key facilitator of adoption intention as it shows a positive effect on it. Originality/value This study stands at the forefront of research on banking customers’ adoption intention of meta-banking. Going beyond the investigation of adoption intention, the research also critically assesses the applicability of UTAUT in the context of meta-banking. The results demonstrate that UTAUT is a viable theoretical framework for examining the dynamics of meta-banking. In particular, the findings indicate that UTAUT model provides a reliable lens for comprehending the intricacies of meta-banking adoption.

To post or not to Post: How minority opinion and posting frequency impact online review posting

Consumers are often exposed to prior reviews when considering posting themselves. We examine how finding one’s opinion in the minority (vs. majority) of previous ratings affects a consumer’s decision to post. Specifically, we contrast the posting decisions of frequent posters with those of less frequent posters. Results from seven experimental studies show that frequent posters prefer review environments in which their opinion belongs to the minority of previously posted ratings. We support these findings with additional evidence from secondary review data. This behavior sets them apart from infrequent posters, who are reluctant to share minority opinions. In addition, we show that this effect is driven by differences in how a minority post is perceived: As an opportunity to signal one’s reviewer identity or as socially risky. Based on these insights, we explore how rating platforms can motivate review posting, particularly among infrequent posters. Our findings extend previous research on social influence effects in online reviews and have implications for various stakeholders who rely on and aim to solicit reviews on rating platforms.

The Impact of Financial Influencers, Social Influencers, and FOMO Economy on the Decision-Making of Investment on Millennial Generation and Gen Z of Indonesia

This study aims to observe the impact of financial influencers, social influencers, and the FOMO economy moderated by financial behavior and financial literacy on the decision-making to invest in the millennial generation and Gen Z of Indonesia. This study used a Likert scale questionnaire to collect the data. There were 306 samples gathered. The data were analyzed using Smart PLS software with the PLS method. The result showed that the financial influencers and the FOMO economy significantly influenced investment decision-making for the Millennial and Generation Z generations. However, when financial influence as a variable when moderated either by financial literacy or by financial behavior, it would become less significant in influencing investment decision-making for the Millennial and Generation Z generations. In contrast, social influence was not significantly influencing investment decision-making for the Millennial and Generation Z generations. However, after the variable social influence moderated by financial literacy or financial behavior, the social influence effect had a significant impact on investment decision-making. On the other hand, the FOMO economy as a variable after being moderated by financial literacy or financial behavior has a significant impact on investment decision-making.

Examining the Intention to Adopt an Online Platform for Freight Forwarding Services in Thailand: A Modified Unified Theory for Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model Approach

The freight forwarding industry is poised for significant digital transformation through online platforms that can enhance process efficiency and transparency. Despite the potential benefits, the adoption of such platforms has been slower than anticipated, largely due to customer concerns and specific industry characteristics. This study examines the factors influencing the intention to adopt and the actual use of an online platform for freight forwarding services among business customers in Thailand. A modified Unified Theory for Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, incorporating perceived risk, serves as the theoretical framework. Survey data collected from 400 respondents, all holding managerial or higher positions and involved in the freight shipping process within Thai firms, are analyzed using a structural equation model (SEM). The results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions positively influence adoption intention, whereas perceived risk negatively impacts it. Additionally, firm size moderates the effect of social influence, with a stronger impact observed in larger enterprises. These findings offer practical insights for Thai freight forwarders to enhance customer acceptance and promote the adoption of online platforms for freight forwarding services, thereby improving efficiency in the logistics industry.

Independent effects of transcranial direct current stimulation and social influence on pain.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive neuromodulatory technique with the potential to provide pain relief. However, tDCS effects on pain are variable across existing studies, possibly related to differences in stimulation protocols and expectancy effects. We investigated the independent and joint effects of contralateral motor cortex tDCS (anodal vs cathodal) and socially induced expectations (analgesia vs hyperalgesia) about tDCS on thermal pain. We employed a double-blind, randomized 2 × 2 factorial cross-over design, with 5 sessions per participant on separate days. After calibration in Session 1, Sessions 2 to 5 crossed anodal or cathodal tDCS (20 minutes 2 mA) with socially induced analgesic or hyperalgesic expectations, with 6 to 7 days between the sessions. The social manipulation involved videos of previous "participants" (confederates) describing tDCS as inducing a low-pain state ("analgesic expectancy") or hypersensitivity to sensation ("hyperalgesic expectancy"). Anodal tDCS reduced pain compared with cathodal stimulation (F(1,19.9) = 19.53, P < 0.001, Cohen d = 0.86) and analgesic expectancy reduced pain compared with hyperalgesic expectancy (F(1,19.8) = 5.62, P = 0.027, Cohen d = 0.56). There was no significant interaction between tDCS and social expectations. Effects of social suggestions were related to expectations, whereas tDCS effects were unrelated to expectancies. The observed additive effects provide novel evidence that tDCS and socially induced expectations operate through independent processes. They extend clinical tDCS studies by showing tDCS effects on controlled nociceptive pain independent of expectancy effects. In addition, they show that social suggestions about neurostimulation effects can elicit potent placebo effects.

What Makes Investors Invest in Islamic Mutual Funds?

The study develops a model to explicate investor decision making process towards selection of Islamic mutual fund. Based on theory of reasoned action (TRA), we specifically investigate the effects of attitude, social influence and amount of information on the decision to invest in Islamic mutual fund. The model is evaluated using survey data from 126 potential investors for Islamic mutual funds. This study finds attitude, social influence and amount of information are significant predictors. This study supports the applicability of the TRA. This study also offers fresh new insights for the Islamic financial institutions. More specifically, the results suggest that managers should consider the factors tested in the present study for their future Islamic mutual fund products. Managerial implications and limitations are also noted.

The interplay of social influence and top management support on suppliers' behavioural intentions in e-procurement usage

The advancement of information technology has revolutionised most aspects of public procurement, including the way suppliers are involved in public procurement opportunities. This study explores the link between social influence and behavioural intention in the usage of the National e-Procurement System of Tanzania (NeST) among suppliers. The study also examines the moderating effect of top management support (TMS) in the relationship between social influence and behavioural intention. Based on cross-sectional data collected from 447 small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers in Dodoma and Dar es Salaam through structured questionnaires and analysed quantitatively using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the study confirms the positive relationship between social influence and behavioural intention in e-procurement usage. Additionally, the study confirms that TMS strengthens the relationship between social influence and behavioural intention. Specifically, suppliers with a high level of TMS experience a greater effect of social influence on their behavioural intentions compared to those with a low level of TMS. Therefore, both social influence and TMS play significant roles in amplifying behavioural intention. These insights provide crucial implications for practitioners and policymakers who are involved in e-procurement, and academics interested in public procurement.

INDONESIAN’S TOURIST SHOPPING JOURNEY (TSJ) DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This study aims to determine the effect of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating condition, pleasure, and arousal on the intention to use smartphones on the Tourist Shopping Journey (TSJ) on domestic tourists in Indonesia. There are two conditions in this study, namely during the Covid-19 pandemic and after. Data processing in this study used SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0. The results showed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the variables of facilitating condition and pleasure affected the intention to use smartphones when shopping on tourist trips. Meanwhile, in conditions after the Covid-19 pandemic, the influential variables are facilitating conditions and arousal.

A Survey of Graph Neural Networks for Social Recommender Systems

Social recommender systems (SocialRS) simultaneously leverage the user-to-item interactions as well as the user-to-user social relations for the task of generating item recommendations to users. Additionally exploiting social relations is clearly effective in understanding users’ tastes due to the effects of homophily and social influence. For this reason, SocialRS has increasingly attracted attention. In particular, with the advance of graph neural networks (GNN), many GNN-based SocialRS methods have been developed recently. Therefore, we conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature on GNN-based SocialRS. In this survey, we first identify 84 papers on GNN-based SocialRS after annotating 2,151 papers by following the PRISMA framework (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses). Then, we comprehensively review them in terms of their inputs and architectures to propose a novel taxonomy: (1) input taxonomy includes five groups of input type notations and seven groups of input representation notations; (2) architecture taxonomy includes eight groups of GNN encoder notations, two groups of decoder notations, and 12 groups of loss function notations. We classify the GNN-based SocialRS methods into several categories as per the taxonomy and describe their details. Furthermore, we summarize benchmark datasets and metrics widely used to evaluate the GNN-based SocialRS methods. Finally, we conclude this survey by presenting some future research directions. GitHub repository with the curated list of papers are available at https://github.com/claws-lab/awesome-GNN-social-recsys

From Friends to Feedback: Effect of Social Influence on Mobile Shopping in the Post-COVID Era

Although mobile shopping is a new norm after the pandemic, its proliferation is still not very mature in developing nations. Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, this research employs the SEM technique to examine the effect of mobile shopping frequency and repurchase intent among 198 young mobile shopping consumers in Pakistan. Our findings suggest that purchase frequency is a key variable in consumer behavior and plays a significant role in building mobile shopping repurchase intentions. Findings further suggest that effort expectancy, unlike the performance expectancy, also strongly affects the relationship between purchase frequency and repurchase intention as an intervening mechanism, while a strong interaction effect from the social influence is also noted. This research offers insightful implications for researchers and marketers in the realm of e-commerce and mobile shopping domains.

The Effect of Social Influence and Habit on Use Behavior with Behavioural Intention as an Intervening Variable in the Gojek Application User at the Medan Helvetia District

The Effect of Social Influence and Habit on Use Behavior with Behavioural Intention as an Intervening Variable in the Gojek Application User at the Medan Helvetia District

How the UTAUT motivates consumers' continuous use of green FinTech: the moderation effect of consumer social responsibility and long-term orientation

PurposeGreen financial technology (FinTech) has received attention for promoting green finance investment and sustainable development. However, how consumer social responsibility and long-term orientation influence the continuance intention of green FinTech users remains unknown in the literature. To fill this gap, consumer social responsibility and long-term orientation are combined with the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to develop a research model to investigate their moderating effects on the continuance intention of green FinTech users.Design/methodology/approachA random probability sampling method was adopted, and 377 valid responses were collected to verify the proposed model. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed for the data analysis.FindingsPerformance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions have significant positive impacts on the continuance intentions of green FinTech users. Surprisingly, consumer social responsibility enhances the effects of performance expectancy and social influence on continuance intention but negatively moderates the effect of facilitating conditions on continuance intention. Moreover, a long-term orientation can increase the impact of facilitating conditions on continuance intention but decrease the impact of performance expectancy on continuance intention.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a research model that reveals how consumer social responsibility and long-term orientation moderate the relationship between the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and the continuance intention of green FinTech users to fill a gap in the literature.

핀테크 이용자의 통합기술수용요인과 사용자특성이 지속사용의도에 미치는 영향

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Effort Expectancy, Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, and Facilitation Condition on Continuance Intention through Innovation Resistance and Trust, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology among FinTech users. Research design, data, and methodology: The data for this study were collected through surveys distributed to employees of related companies in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region, with 300 questionnaires distributed and 289 retrieved. After excluding 22 questionnaires due to insincere responses or missing data, a total of 267 valid questionnaires were used for statistical analysis. The analysis involved ensuring the normality of variables through descriptive statistics, verifying reliability with Cronbach's alpha values, confirming validity through exploratory factor analysis, and testing hypotheses with structural equation modeling. Results: The impact of Effort Expectancy on Innovation Resistance was rejected, while the impact of Performance Expectancy on Innovation Resistance was accepted. The effects of Social Influence on Innovation Resistance and Facilitation Condition on Innovation Resistance were both rejected. The impact of Effort Expectancy on Trust and the impact of Performance Expectancy on Trust were accepted. The effects of Social Influence on Trust were rejected, but the impact of Facilitation Condition on Trust was accepted. The influence of Innovation Resistance on Continuance Intention was rejected, while the impact of Trust on Continuance Intention was accepted. Implications: By analyzing the causes and effects of Innovation Resistance to FinTech services, this study presents a model for predicting Innovation Resistance that can be applied to various FinTech services. This is crucial for minimizing resistance and enhancing acceptance during the development of new FinTech services, providing a foundation for effective recommendations and marketing strategies for contact-less services based on the results of this study.

Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on continuance usage of electronic tax declaration platforms: extending classical UTAUT model

PurposeInvestigating antecedents that may affect the usage of electronic tax declaration platforms is not a new research topic. Nevertheless, investigating the antecedents that affect the continuance usage of these platforms beyond the COVID-19 pandemic is a relatively new research trend. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedent factors that directly influence electronic tax declaration platforms’ continuance usage in the post-pandemic era by integrating the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology Model with other related factors.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the main purpose of the study, an online questionnaire was used to gather data from 231 Jordanian taxpayers.FindingsThe findings revealed the positive and significant effects of performance expectancy, social influence, knowledge and trust in e-government services on continuance usage of electronic tax declaration platforms. Contrary to what is expected, effort expectancy is insignificant, and hence the related hypothesis (H2) was rejected.Originality/valueThe findings of current research provided theoretical and practical implications by using a well-established theoretical lens to investigate what factors affect the continuance usage of electronic tax declaration platforms within the context of a developing country, namely, Jordan.

Research on the Operation Effect and Optimisation Path of Publishers’ Short Videos in the Context of Media Convergences

Short video has not only reshaped the ecological pattern of media communication, but also profoundly affected the marketing method of publishing houses, and the combination of “publishing + short video” has become the standard of many publishing houses, showing strong market potential and innovative vitality. In this context, from the perspective of network science, we analyse the short video operation initiatives of publishers, focusing on the core aspects of account operation, content operation and user operation. By exploring the effects and strategies of short video operation of publishing houses, it is proposed that by enhancing the density and intensity of connections in the relational network, the social influence and dissemination effect of short video accounts of publishing houses can be effectively enhanced, the integrated development of publishing can be promoted, and new vitality and kinetic energy can be injected into the publishing industry.

Social influence and the choice of product upgrades: evidence from virtual product adoption in online games

PurposePrevious studies on social influence and virtual product adoption have mainly taken users’ purchase behavior as a dichotomous variable (i.e. purchasing or not). Given the prevalence of competing versions (basic vs upgraded) of a virtual product in online communities, this paper investigated the differences in the effect of social influence on users’ adoption of basic and upgraded choices of a virtual product. It also examined how the effect varies with users’ social status and user-level network density.Design/methodology/approachA natural experiment was conducted in an online game community. Two competing versions (basic vs upgraded) of a virtual product were provided for in-game purchase while a random set of users selected from 897,765 players received the notification of their friends’ adoption information. A competing-risk model was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsSocial influence exerts a stronger positive effect on users’ adoption of the upgraded virtual product than of the basic virtual product. Middle-status users have the greatest (least) susceptibility to social influence in adopting the upgraded (basic) virtual product than low- and high-status users. User’s network density enhances the effect of social influence on adoption of both virtual products, even more for the upgraded one.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the social influence and product adoption literature by disentangling the different effects of social influence on basic and upgraded versions of a virtual product. It also identifies the boundary conditions that social influence works for each version of the virtual product.