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Understanding the roles of cultural differences and socio-economic status in social media continuance intention

Meng-Hsiang Hsu (National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China)
Shih-Wei Tien (College of Communication, National Cheng Chi University, Taipei city, Taiwan, Republic of China)
Hsien-Cheng Lin (PhD Programs in Management, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China)
Chun-Ming Chang (Department of Tourism Information, Aletheia University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China)

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Article publication date: 2 March 2015

5260

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing upon the literature of Uses and Gratifications (U & G) Theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose that entertainment, information seeking, socialization, and self-presentation are the motivational factors affecting continuance intention of social media. This paper further investigates the moderating effects of cultural difference and socio-economic status on the link between these motivational factors and continuance intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected from the 493 active users of Facebook in five countries (Australia, Austria, Japan, Taiwan, and the USA) were used to test the proposed model. Partial least squares method was used to assess the relationships in the model and the subgroup analysis method was employed as well to examine the moderating roles of cultural difference and socio-economic status.

Findings

Information seeking exerts stronger effect on continuance intention for users from individualistic cultures, while socialization, and self-presentation has stronger influence on continuance intention for users from collective cultures. Entertainment has stronger influence on continuance for high educated users, whereas self-presentation has stronger influence on continuance intention for users with lower level of education. Finally, the effect of entertainment, information seeking on continuance intention is stronger for users with higher level of income, while self-presentation has stronger influence on continuance intention for users with lower level of income.

Originality/value

This study is one of first studies to extend the research context of U & G Theory from adoption of social media to continuance intention of social media. This study is also the first to investigate the moderating roles of cultural difference and socio-economic statuses in social media usage behavior simultaneously.

Keywords

Citation

Hsu, M.-H., Tien, S.-W., Lin, H.-C. and Chang, C.-M. (2015), "Understanding the roles of cultural differences and socio-economic status in social media continuance intention", Information Technology & People, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 224-241. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2014-0007

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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