Christy M.K. Cheung

Online social networks: Why do students use facebook?

The growth and popularity of online social networks has created a new world of collaboration and communication. More than a billion individuals around the world are connected and networked together to create, collaborate, and contribute their knowledge and wisdom. Despite the importance of online social networks, there is relatively little theory-driven empirical research available to address this new type of communication and interaction phenomena. In this paper, we explored the factors that drive students to use online social networks (e.g., Facebook). Specifically, we conceptualized the use of online social networks as intentional social action and we examined the relative impact of social influence, social presence, and the five key values from the uses and gratification paradigm on We-Intention to use online social networks. An empirical study of Facebook users (n=182) revealed that We-Intention to use online social networks is strongly determined by social presence. Among the five values, social related factors had the most significant impact on the intention to use. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The impact of electronic word-of-mouth communication: A literature analysis and integrative model

The notion of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication has received considerable attention in both business and academic communities. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of eWOM communication. The scope of published studies on the impact of eWOM communication is large and fragmented and little effort has been made to integrate the findings of prior studies and evaluate the status of the research in this area. In this study, we conducted a systematic review of eWOM research. Building upon our literature analysis, we used the social communication framework to summarize and classify prior eWOM studies. We further identified key factors related to the major elements of the social communication literature and built an integrative framework explaining the impact of eWOM communication on consumer behavior. We believe that the framework will provide an important foundation for future eWOM research work.

What drives consumers to spread electronic word of mouth in online consumer-opinion platforms

The advance of the Internet facilitates consumers to share and exchange consumption-related advice through online consumer reviews. This relatively new form of word-of-mouth communication, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication, has only recently received significant managerial and academic attention. Many academic studies have looked at the effectiveness of positive eWOM communication, examining the process by which eWOM influences consumer purchasing decisions. eWOM behavior is primarily explained from the individual rational perspective that emphasizes a cost and benefit analysis. However, we felt there was a need for an extensive study that examines consumers motives for eWOM. In this paper, we focus on the factors that drive consumers to spread positive eWOM in online consumer-opinion platforms. Building on the social psychology literature, we identified a number of key motives of consumers eWOM intention and developed an associated model. We empirically tested the research model with a sample of 203 members of a consumer review community, OpenRice.com. The model explains 69% of the variance, with reputation, sense of belonging and enjoyment of helping other consumers significantly related to consumers eWOM intention. The results of this study provide important implications for research and practice. Highlights? In this study, we developed a model examining motives of consumers eWOM intention. ? We tested the model with a sample of 203 members of a consumer review community. ? The model explains 69 percent of the variance. ? Reputation, sense of belonging, and enjoyment of helping are significant factors.

Consumer's decision to shop online: The moderating role of positive informational social influence

While much of the current literature tends to focus on the direct effect of social influence on consumer online shopping behavior, our study drew heavily on social influence theory and argued for an alternative theory focusing on the moderating role of social influence. In particular, we explored how positive messages in online discussion forums may affect consumers decisions to shop online. We used a laboratory experiment in which the treatment group was required to read positive messages about online shopping experience in an online discussion forum. Positive social influence was found to reinforce the relationship between beliefs about and attitude toward online shopping, as well as the relationship between attitude and intention to shop. We believe our alternative theory provides new insight into the complex processes through which social influence is brought to bear on consumers online shopping decisions. Implications of our work are discussed.

User switching of information technology: A theoretical synthesis and empirical test

As competing technological choices emerge in the marketplace, an inevitable consequence is user switching from one IT product or service to another. However, we know very little of this phenomenon or the key drivers of user switching. We examined the reasons for IT switching by proposing a model that synthesized and extended current theories of IT acceptance and customer satisfaction. We believed that IT switching was driven by user dissatisfaction with an incumbent product or service and the fact that the customer was aware of the availability of a potentially superior product or service. Further, to explain differential switching patterns across an adopter population, we posited personal innovativeness as an individual difference variable that moderated the effect of user dissatisfaction and relative advantage of a new IT on users switching intention. Our model was empirically validated using a longitudinal survey of web browser switching among student subjects. We hope that our study will generate researchers interest in an understudied area of research and that the model will serve as a starting point for furthering our understanding of IT switching.

Predicting the continued use of Internet-based learning technologies: the role of habit

The proliferation and advance of Internet-based technologies create expanded opportunities for educators to provide students with better learning experiences. Although current studies focus mostly on the learning processes and learning outcomes, this article examines the students usage behaviour with Internet-based learning technologies across time. A research model of continued usage of Internet-based learning technologies was developed by extending the information systems (IS) continuance model. Specifically, the research model attempted to explain the fact that frequently performed behaviours tend to be automatic over time, and habit was posited as a moderating effect on determining students continued use of the Internet-based learning technologies. The proposed research model was empirically validated using a longitudinal survey of the use of Internet-based learning technologies among student subjects. The research model explained 20% of the variance in IS continuance usage and 50% of the variance in IS continuance intention. Habit was found significantly moderating the relationship between IS continuance intention and IS continuance usage. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of results for research and practice.

Understanding the continuance intention of knowledge sharing in online communities of practice through the post-knowledge-sharing evaluation processes

Web 2.0 creates a new world of collaboration. Many online communities of practice have provided a virtual Internet platform for members to create, collaborate, and contribute their expertise and knowledge. To date, we still do not fully understand how members evaluate their knowledge‐sharing experiences, and how these evaluations affect their decisions to continue sharing knowledge in online communities of practice. In this study, we examined why members continue to share knowledge in online communities of practice, through theorizing and empirically validating the factors and emergent mechanisms (post‐knowledge‐sharing evaluation processes) that drive continuance. Specifically, we theorized that members make judgments about their knowledge‐sharing behaviors by comparing their normative expectations of reciprocity and capability of helping other members with their actual experiences. We empirically tested our research model using an online survey of members of an online community of practice. Our results showed that when members found that they receive the reciprocity they expected, they will feel satisfied. Likewise, when they found that they can help other members as they expected, they will feel satisfied and their knowledge self‐efficacy will also be enhanced. Both satisfaction and knowledge self‐efficacy further affect their intention to continue sharing knowledge in an online community of practice. We expect this study will generate interest among researchers in this important area of research, and that the model proposed in this article will serve as a starting point for furthering our limited understanding of continuance behaviors in online communities of practice.

Examining the moderating effect of inconsistent reviews and its gender differences on consumers' online shopping decision

This study examines the role of inconsistent reviews in online shopping decision.We examine its moderating effect and gender differences in a trust-based model.Cognitive trust affects emotional trust, which further leads to purchase intention.Emotional trust affects purchase intention more in the inconsistent review context.The moderating effect of inconsistent reviews is stronger for female consumers. The prevalence of social media has provided consumers with many opportunities to post online reviews on a wide range of products on the Internet. In this study, we attempt to investigate the moderating effect of inconsistent reviews (i.e., a mix of positive and negative reviews) on consumers purchase decision. We further examine whether the effect will differ from female to male consumers.We explain the moderating effect and its gender differences based on the theory of reasoned action, trust literature, and information processing literature. The research hypotheses are empirically tested in a laboratory experiment using structural equation modeling approach. Our findings show that consumers cognitive trust to online retailers affects emotional trust, which further leads to purchase intention. When consumers are exposed to inconsistent reviews, the influence of emotional trust on purchase intention is significantly stronger. Moreover, the moderating effect of inconsistent reviews is stronger for female consumers than for male consumers. We expect that this study can enrich the understanding of how inconsistent reviews play a role in consumers online shopping decision. Online retailers may apply our findings and leverage the influence of online consumer reviews in social media. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Why users keep answering questions in online question answering communities: A theoretical and empirical investigation

Abstract This study theorized and validated a model of knowledge sharing continuance in a special type of online community, the online question answering (Q&A) community, in which knowledge exchange is reflected mainly by asking and answering specific questions. We created a model that integrated knowledge sharing factors and knowledge self-efficacy into the expectation confirmation theory. The hypotheses derived from this model were empirically validated using an online survey conducted among users of a famous online Q&A community in China, “Yahoo! Answers China”. The results suggested that users’ intention to continue sharing knowledge (i.e., answering questions) was directly influenced by users’ ex-post feelings as consisting of two dimensions: satisfaction, and knowledge self-efficacy. Based on the obtained results, we also found that knowledge self-efficacy and confirmation mediated the relationship between benefits and satisfaction.

Perceived critical mass and collective intention in social media-supported small group communication

Abstract The increasing popularity of Web 2.0 has dramatically changed the way in which people communicate with others in their daily life or work. However, the use of social media is fundamentally different from that of traditional information technologies. Specifically, it requires collective efforts and interdependence between two or more people, and thus the usage behavior is no longer an individuals own decision or plan. Built on critical mass theory and social influence processes, this study tries to make an attempt to understand the determinants of collective intention (we-intention), which represents ones perception of a group of people acting as a unit. Instant messaging, one of the most popular social media platforms, has been chosen for investigation, and findings from a survey showed that perceived critical mass influenced we-intention both directly and indirectly through group norm and social identity. Recognizing the importance and relevance of collective intention will advance current understanding beyond individual intention-based models which are widely adopted in prior IS research. This study may be limited by having not included other alternative social technologies, but we leave this work for future research.