Aaron M. French

An empirical analysis evaluating trust in social networking

With the increase in popularity and continued globalisation of social networking sites, it is important to define the theoretical boundaries of research in this area. While previous research has evaluated social networking trust based on the community perspective, the current study extend trust at two levels: community level trust and trust in connections made. Two data samples were used to ensure valid and reliable results on the findings. The first sample included a group of university students and the second data sample was randomly selected from a population of members within an active social networking site. The results from two samples establish a clear distinction between two levels of trust (i.e., trust in connections made and trust in the community). These results were applied to a previous study on social networking to provide an example of how these two levels can individually influence the research results.

An Empirical Study Evaluating Social Networking Continuance and Success

ABSTRACT Social networking site (SNS) use decisions have led to major economic and social transformations worldwide. While many organizations seek to use SNSs from a strategic perspective to reach their customer, it is important to understand what makes SNSs successful in order to use them for competitive purposes. The current research evaluates the influence of the social capital theory on SNS success measures. A model was developed and empirically tested using two data samples to ensure valid and reliable results for success of SNSs. The results display the importance of social capital in SNS success followed by practitioner and academic implications.

Developing a loyal community: an empirical analysis evaluating antecedents to loyalty in social networking

One of the most influential phenomena in information and communication technology ICT since the advent of the internet has been network effects. The benefits obtained from networking effects is exponentially significant due to the popularity of social networking and the abundance of information being collected through these networks. With the multitude of networks to choose from and relatively low switching costs, sustaining loyalty among the users has become a top priority of network administrators. Using structural equation modelling, a model was developed and tested identifying factors that influence loyalty in social networking. It was shown that trust community members that have connected together along with satisfaction in the network positively influence loyalty. Content quality and system quality are factors that positively influence a users satisfaction in the community. Academic and practical implications are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

Relationships between need-pull/technology-push and information security management and the moderating role of regulatory pressure

Information security management (ISM) has become more important than ever, as the expansion of corporate information systems and the use of networks continue to increase. Many organizations consider ISM an important part of organizational innovation and key to strategic and operational efficiency. Managers require a firm understanding of the behavioral aspect of ISM, particularly of how their firms’ internal and external characteristics affect the ISM process. This study draws on need-pull–technology-push (NP–TP) theories and employs data on information security users to investigate the NP and TP factors influencing the awareness, development, and performance stages of ISM. This study also examines the moderating role of regulatory pressure in those relationships. The research model is tested with data taken from a random sample of global organizations obtained through the Korea Composite Stock Price Index, the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotation, and the Korea Foreign Company Association. The results indicate that all NP–TP variables had positive effects on the ISM process (with the exception of perceived benefits). Moreover, regulatory pressure had positive effects as a moderator between ISM awareness and ISM development and performance.