Bela Florenthal

Applying uses and gratifications theory to students’ LinkedIn usage

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore what motivates college students to use LinkedIn and what inhibits them from fully adopting it. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach applying a “uses and gratifications” framework was used to identify the motives of and barriers faced by college students with respect to the LinkedIn usage. The study includes data collected from 30 upper-level, undergraduate business students. Findings – Four uses and gratifications categories emerged explaining why college students would be willing to use LinkedIn. Three categories – interpersonal communication, online identity and information – are similar to those identified for using social networks, such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo. Career development was found to be a category gratifying only LinkedIn users. Barriers to LinkedIn adoption included students’ ignorance of the network and the erroneous perception that a presence on LinkedIn should be initiated and/or developed only after graduation. Origi...

The Value of Interactive Assignments in the Online Learning Environment

The offerings of Web-based supplemental material for textbooks have been increasingly growing. When deciding to adopt a textbook, instructors examine the added value of the associated supplements, also called e-learning tools, to enhance students’ learning of course concepts. In this study, one such supplement, interactive assignments, is examined from students’ perspective. Two steams of literature, information technology and communication, provide the foundation to understanding students’ evaluation of the interactive assignments. The results of the study indicate that the motivational theory of uses and gratification contributes significantly to our understanding of students’ perceived value of, attitude toward, and satisfaction from completing e-learning assignments. Also contributing to our understanding are the concepts of results demonstrability and conformation of expectation, which have been adopted from the literature related to the technology acceptance model. Implications for publishers and instructors are provided.

Students’ Motivation to Participate via Mobile Technology in the Classroom: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

E-learning applications have been rapidly adopted by instructors inside and outside of the classroom. As a result, some researchers have started to assess their usefulness applying uses and gratifications (U&G) theory. This study expands the existing research trend exploring students’ motivation to use a mobile polling application in the classroom. Qualitative data were collected in a marketing research course, and U&G-based categories and themes were identified. An inductive analysis rendered five main motivational categories: (a) knowledge acquisition and learning; (b) expression of self and others; (c) interaction, engagement, and enjoyment; (d) convenience; and (e) annoyance. Five motivational themes emerged for knowledge acquisition and learning category, whereas for expression of self and others, four themes were identified. The other three categories, interaction, engagement, and enjoyment; convenience; and annoyance resulted in three motivational themes per category. A discussion on how the study findings compare to previous student response systems and e-learning research as well as a presentation of testable propositions conclude this article.

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of a Global Brand's Strategies on Micro-Blogging Sites: Sina Weibo vs. Twitter

Micro-blogging platforms have been used increasingly by multinational companies as a marketing tool. Global corporations utilize platforms such as Twitter and Weio, leading micro-blogging sites, and promote their brand equity and increase engagement with their customers. The question is whether they use these platforms strategically, localizing the content and the structure to meet the needs of their target population. This study uses case study content analysis to begin answering this question. Starbucks posts over a one-month period on Twitter in the U.S. and on Sina Weibo in China were analyzed using three existing validated frameworks: descriptive analysis, content classification, and content customization. The results indicate that Starbucks somewhat localizes its posts to its Chinese consumers, in terms of content, symbols, values, and offerings. In terms of descriptive analysis, the study found that Starbucks underutilizes its Sina Weibo site compared to its Twitter site; posts more community-related information on Sina Weibo than on Twitter; and provides more action-related information on Twitter than on Weibo. This paper goes on to suggest micro-blogging strategies for multinational companies in the Managerial Implications section and concludes with a discussion on the direction of future research for scholars in this field.

Matching E-tailing Strategies to Customers’ Behaviour: Three Levels of Interaction

Several frameworks have been suggested to describe the range of business strategies that companies may employ in the fast-evolving electronic marketplace. These have included descriptions of strategies such as the use of recommendation agents and e-customisation (Ansari et al., 2000; Ansari & Mela, 2003; Haubl & Murray, 2003). However, these frameworks have not distinguished between strategies that are specific to e-tailing and those which may be used in a more general business context, for example by manufacturers who have an online presence. This distinction is important because innovative and unique e-tailing modes of operation (exemplified by companies such as Priceline.com) have recently emerged to improve competitiveness in this volatile market (Kalyanam & McIntyre, 2002; Yadav & Varadarajan, 2005).