Trisha T. C. Lin

Factors affecting the adoption of social network sites: examining four adopter categories of Singapore's working adults

Adapted from Chang et al.s (2006) models, this study examines factors that influence adoption and non-adoption of social network sites (SNS) in adopters (Continuers, Discontinuers) and non-adopters (Potentials, Resistors). Chi-square and t-test were used to analyze the survey data of Singapores working adults and Internet users (N =222). The findings reveal innovation characteristics (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity) and perceived popularity differ significantly in three pairs of adopter categories. Results show Continuers and Potentials are concerned more about image than Discontinuers and Resistors, while technology cluster differs between adopter vs. non-adopter and Continuers vs. Discontinuers. Moreover, the study suggests younger people tend to adopt SNSs, females continue to use SNSs more, and potential SNS users are more innovative. Lastly, a regression model to forecast the adoption of SNSs is proposed in which age, compatibility, technology cluster, and perceived popularity are predictors.

The development of mobile broadcasting TV: a socio-technical comparison of Singapore and Taiwan

Among studies on emerging mobile broadcasting TV, theories for cross-country comparisons have seldom been applied. This paper investigates market trials of mobile broadcasting TV in Singapore and Taiwan. It uses a socio-technical perspective to examine complex relations between the co-evolving subsystems of industry/market, policy, and technology. This paper advances the understanding of how this mobile technology will evolve by interviewing key stakeholders in industry players and regulators. After Taiwan announced its mobile TV policy in December 2009, Singapore has remained indecisive. The findings show that Singapore is likely to choose the DVB-H standard and adopt the subscription model, while Taiwan will adopt DVB-H and MediaFLO and apply a hybrid model. Industry pull is found to be the driving force in developing mobile broadcasting TV, while policy delays this technology-ready mobile service. The cultural factor is considered as the underlying shaping power of the three subsystems and subtly affects technological development.

Towards an understanding of intention to use mobile videos: Impression management, perceived facilitation, and social norms:

Due to prevalent use of phablets and 3G/4G cellular networks, watching mobile videos has become increasingly popular worldwide. This study identifies multilevel psychosocial factors predicting individual intention to use mobile audiovisual services. The national telephone survey obtained a random sample of 503 respondents. The findings show variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB; i.e., attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) and social norms are key predictors for mobile video consumption. In the research model, impression management is significantly associated with attitude, subjective norm, and individual social norms while perceived government and operator facilitation are associated with collective social norms. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis reveals that the extended TPB model accounts for 62% variance of intention to use mobile videos.

Tweeting Social Support Messages After a Non-Celebrity's Death: The Case of the Philippines' #Fallen44

Nowadays, social networking sites have provided an accessible means to convey social support to grievers who mourn for the dead. To explore how Twitter is used to convey social support after a non-celebritys death, this study conducted a content analysis of 1,557 Twitter posts bearing the hashtag #Fallen44--a reference to the death of 44 elite Philippine policemen during a terrorist manhunt. Using a hybrid coding approach, the findings show that Twitter users conveyed social support by sending informational (56.28%) and emotional (39.76%) support messages. Informational support was mostly expressed by posting or sharing pictures and news articles relevant to the Fallen44, while emotional support was mostly conveyed by paying tribute, showing sympathy, and offering prayers for them. Moreover, a small proportion (3.96%) of tweets did not convey social support but reflected humor or anger or were spam messages. This study is one of the first to provide empirical support for the use of Twitter to convey social support after a non-celebritys death in an Asian setting. Practical and theoretical implications for online social support are discussed.

Prospect of mobile TV broadcasting in China: socio-technical analysis of CMMB's development

Drawn from extensive document analysis and interviews with stakeholders, this socio-technical study examines the shaping powers of the subsystems (technology, policy/government, and market/industry) of China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB). After the Beijing Olympics, the first commercialized mobile TV expanded its infrastructure and business operations faster than other 3G and mobile TV broadcasting, covering 346 cities by November 2010. The findings show that CMMB, which is the leader in Chinese mobile TV development, is policy/government-driven and technologically ready. However, multiple technological standards and discrepancies between regulatory bodies slowed down its initial rollout. In the market/industry subsystem, content/services scarcity, undesirable pricing schemes, and low brand awareness are the inhibitors that curbed CMMBs diffusion. However, its strategic collaboration with China Mobile allowed it to quickly increase its user base and sale of CMMB-enabled handsets. Moreover, the socio-technical approach is a useful framework to investigate the forces that shape emerging technological trajectory holistically.

Professional intervention and organizational incorporation: examining journalistic use of microblogs in two Chinese newsrooms

Existing research has widely accounted the influence of microblogs on traditional news production, but less attention has been paid to how microblogs are socially constructed in newsrooms. Taking the social constructivist approach, this study explored the professional and organizational construction of journalistic use of microblogs. We conducted 33 in-depth interviews with news workers at two local newspapers in China and a textual analysis of their microblog posts. We found that Chinese news workers heavily stressed professional values and journalistic authority, which set limits to information appropriation and self-expression on microblogs. Production culture, organization policy, and organization culture were also found to shape journalistic use of microblogs. The highly censored press environment restricted both organizational and individual use of microblogs, but sometimes motivated news workers to seek extra value on microblogs.

Competitive pressure and arousing television news : a cross-cultural study.

In many scholarly writings about journalism, the idea can be found that competitive pressure urges journalists to make news more arousing. This hypothesis was tested in two cultural settings: the Western European culture and the Chinese-dominated culture. A total of 3028 TV news stories from seven different markets, or 12 different news programs, were analyzed on the presence of arousing news characteristics. High competitive pressure at the market level appeared to contribute to the prevalence of arousing news, but this effect was more pronounced in the Chinese-dominated culture than in the Western European culture. Effects of high competitive pressure at the station level were only observed in the Western European culture.

Organizing and reframing technological determinism

Technological determinism (TD) has been critiqued as reductionist, ahistorical, and simplistic. This article, however, presents its complexity by showing four of its typologies according to the axes of objective/subjective dimensions and regulation/radical change sociologies based on Burrell and Morgan’s Four paradigms for the analysis of social theory. Through a survey of the literature and theoretical arguments about new media and their possible consequences on political, economic, and cultural systems, the article shows how TD and social determinism constitute a continuum, rather than a dichotomy, of theories about the relationship of technology and society. It recommends the revisiting of Burrell and Morgan’s concepts and their utility in organizing other communication theories.

Predicting Intention to Take Protective Measures During Haze: The Roles of Efficacy, Threat, Media Trust, and Affective Attitude

The annual Southeast Asian haze pollution raises public health concerns in this region. Based on a modified extended parallel process model, this study examines efficacy (self-efficacy and response efficacy) and perceived threat (susceptibility and severity) and incorporates new constructs of media trust and affective attitude. Results from a Web survey of 410 undergraduate students in Singapore show that response efficacy to seek haze-related information mediates the association between perceived self-efficacy and intention to take protective measures during haze. Moreover, self-efficacy is negatively associated with affective attitude (e.g., fear and worry) toward haze-related health problems. Next, perceived severity and perceived susceptibility are positively associated with response efficacy and affective attitude. Affective attitude toward haze is a stronger predictor than response efficacy for behavioral intention. Finally, trust in new media is positively associated with young Singaporeans’ affective attitude, which positively affects their behavioral intention to take protective measures.

Content characteristics of IPTV: analysis of sensationalism, localism, and interactivity

This study combined observation and content analysis to examine professional Internet Protocol television (IPTV) content in terms of sensationalism, localism, and interactivity. Observational results found these videos were sensational, localized, and somewhat interactive. Content analysis showed that IPTV was different from traditional TV content in that it used more sensational sex and celebrity stories, used more tabloid packaging, and appealed more to emotions through vivid storytelling techniques, in both entertainment and news content. In addition, localism was reflected in the selection of geographically and culturally proximate stories. The ‘local hook’ was more important in news than in entertainment. This case utilized some interactive features and social media for redistributing and for promoting selected content, but it still lacked two-way user interactivity. Implications are discussed.