The interplay between users’ intraorganizational social media use and social capital

The wide acceptance of social media by the public has caused companies try to use intraorganizational social media to increase employee work performance. However, simply implementing a platform is insufficient for success. Companies must encourage employees to use social media for work-related purposes. This study divided the use of intraorganizational social media into social- and work-related use and proposed a model based on the theory of social capital to explore the effects of social-related use on work-related use. The model was tested using a survey of users of intraorganizational microblog systems in China. The results indicate the relationships among two types of intraorganizational use and the dimensions of social capital, and that social-related use fosters work-related use directly and indirectly by enhancing social capital. These results facilitate an understanding of the value of social activities conducted using intraorganizational social media in organizations.     

How behaviors on social network sites and online social capital influence social commerce intentions

Following the fast growth of social network sites (SNSs) such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook in the cyber world, social commerce has become an important emerging issue in these SNS. The study aims to comprehend the antecedents for SNS users’ social commerce intentions (SCI). This study applied SNS behavior and social capital theory to investigate how these factors influence SCI. Each of the three constructs was further decomposed into two first-order constructs, participating and browsing for SNS behavior, bonding and bridging social capital for social capital, and giving and receiving for SCI. The results, which were based on 970 effective samples of Facebook users, supported several findings. Both SNS behavior and social capital affect SCI, while the relationship between SNS behavior and SCI is partially mediated by the bonding and bridging social capital. In addition, browsing and participating behaviors have significantly positive relationships with bonding and bridging social capitals, respectively. All of the relationships between first-order constructs tested significant, with the single exception that browsing of SNS behavior did not lead to the giving of SCI. This study also applied post hoc analysis for better understanding SCI on SNSs. The results showed that browsing of SNS behavior has a stronger impact than participating of SNS behavior on either bonding or bridging social capital. In addition, bridging social capital has a stronger influence than bonding social capital on the giving intention of social commerce. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are also discussed to provide several future research directions and suggestions for scholars and SNS operators, respectively.     

The roles of media capabilities of smartphone-based SNS in developing social capital

Smartphone-based social networking service (SNS) is widely used as a key social platform that promotes users to build and maintain interpersonal relationships. However, little is known about the main characteristics of smartphone-based SNS that strengthen social relationships. By combining studies of mediated-communication namely, media richness and social presence with the social capital theory, this study proposes that the advanced media capabilities of smartphone-based SNS enable users to develop bridging and bonding social capital. Moreover, the study suggests that advanced media richness increases social presence referring to the feeling of being connected with others in virtual environments. As a key outcome of social capital in the context of smartphone-based SNS use, user satisfaction is considered. The results indicate that first, media richness and social presence, which represent media capabilities of smartphone-based SNS, greatly increase bridging and bonding social capital. Second, media richness enhances social presence in the context of smartphone-based SNS use. Finally, bridging and bonding social capital are key determinants of user satisfaction with smartphone-based SNS. Discussion and implications on the results are presented.     

Investigating the influence of age,social capital affinity,and flow on positive outcomes reported by e-commerce site users

This study investigated the role of social capital affinity (the sense of community and likeness felt for people online) and the experience of flow (concentrated engagement in/enjoyment of an activity) as antecedents to a variety of positive outcomes associated with the use of e-commerce sites. Also, based on socio-emotional selectivity theory, the current study assessed the influence of age on social capital affinity and flow. As a subset of data from a telephone sample of Internet users in the USA, 282 e-commerce users responded to questions about site satisfaction, perceived focused and incidental knowledge-gains, and affirmation, in addition to flow and social capital affinity. As predicted by socio-emotional selectivity theory, there was a negative relationship between age and social capital affinity and flow. Flow, for its part, mediated the effects of age and social capital affinity on perceived focused and incidental knowledge-gain, satisfaction and affirmation among participants reporting e-commerce use. Finally, the current results indicated that satisfaction and perceived incidental learning predicted participant affirmation for their chosen e-commerce site.     

Understanding civic engagement behaviour on Facebook from a social capital theory perspective

This paper applies the social capital theory to construct a model for investigating the factors that influence online civic engagement behaviour on Facebook. While there is promising evidence that people are making concerted efforts to adopt Facebook to address social issues, research on their civic behaviour from a social capital viewpoint in the social media context remains limited. This study introduces new insights into how Facebook is shaping the landscape of civic engagement by examining three dimensions of social capital – social interaction ties (structural), trust (relational), and shared languages and vision (cognitive). The study contends that these dimensions will influence individuals’ online civic engagement behaviour on Facebook. We also argue that social interaction ties can engender trust, and shared languages and vision among its members, and that shared languages and vision can increase trust among Facebook members. Empirical data collected from 1233 Facebook users provide support for the proposed model. The results help in identifying the motivation underlying the online civic engagement behaviour of individuals in a public virtual community. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.     

The role of perceived social capital and flow experience in building users’ continuance intention to social networking sites in China

The long-term development of social networking sites (SNSs) relies on their users’ continuance of use. This paper tested the role of perceived social capital and flow experience in driving users to continue using SNSs based on the expectation–confirmation model of information systems continuance. Using data from online surveys of social networking sites users in China, the proposed model was tested by using the Partial Least Squares (PLSs) technique. The results show that perceived bridging and bonding social capital have different role in building users’ satisfaction and continuance intention: perceived bridging social capital has remarkable influence on users’ satisfaction and continuance intention, but perceived bonding social capital has none. Flow experience has influence on users’ satisfaction but none on continuance intention. In addition, gender has impact on users’ continuance intention.     

The role of attachment style in building social capital from a social networking site: The interplay of anxiety and avoidance

Drawing on attachment theory, the present study examines the attachment styles of individuals relative to two ways of building social capital – bonding social capital and bridging social capital. In trying to relate attachment theory to the use of SNS, the present study argues that bonding social capital is reflected in the use of SNS for forming attachment bonds from trust-based strong ties, while bridging social capital is reflected in the use of SNS for causal affiliations among more socially distant people. The conceptual model was validated through an online survey completed by 368 Facebook users. Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated several results. First, avoidance attachment was significant and negatively predictive of both bonding social and bridging social capital. Second, both bonding social capital and bridging social capital reported by respondents appeared to be greatest under conditions of low anxiety attachment coupled with low avoidance attachment. Third, levels of Facebook usage were significant and independently predictive of bridging social capital.     

Perceived bridging and bonding social capital on Twitter: Differentiating between followers and followees

The present study investigates the influence of Twitter use and the number of followers and followees on perceived bridging and bonding online social capital. Data from a convenience sample of Twitter users (N = 264) indicate that bonding social capital is associated with the number of followers whereas bridging social capital is influenced by the number of followees. Thus, the directed friendship model on Twitter affects different forms of social capital differently. In addition, the study found a negative curvilinear effect of the number of followees on bridging and the number of followers on bonding online social capital. This indicates that the number of followees/followers has positive effects on online bridging/bonding social capital, but only to a certain point. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results in light of theoretical considerations and of implications for future research on the effects of Twitter on social capital.     

The effects of helping,self-expression,and enjoyment on social capital in social media: the moderating effect of avoidance attachment in the tourism context

ABSTRACT

A majority of senior Internet users maintains persistent social connections with others through social media (SM), such as Facebook and Twitter. This research explores the impacts of helping, self-expression, and enjoyment on bonding social capital and bridging social capital which in turn influence SM involvement; it also explores the moderating effect of avoidance attachment among senior SM users. The results show that helping, self-expression, and enjoyment have significant impacts on bonding social capital and bridging social capital. Also, bonding social capital and bridging social capital have significant effects on SM involvement. Furthermore, relationships between helping and bonding social capital, between self-expression and bonding social capital, and between self-expression and bridging social capital are stronger for seniors with high avoidance attachment. Conversely, the relationships between enjoyment and bonding social capital as well as between enjoyment and bridging social capital are stronger for seniors with low avoidance attachment. Accordingly, the results of this study provide theoretical contributions to the literature of behaviour and information technology. In addition, some implications of the research and various strategies for practitioners and marketers that can be used to better increase users’ involvement in SM for tourism-related activities are discussed.     

Examining online citizenship behaviours in social network sites: a social capital perspective

As users have flocked to social network sites (SNSs), these sites have gained tremendous scale and concomitant social influence. This growth has come at the cost of social disruption caused by the posting of abusive comments and rumours that turn out to be false. To combat these negative phenomena, this study proposes SNS citizenship behaviour and examines it from the perspective of social capital theory. This study further examines how the key characteristics of SNS in terms of the concept of customer value affect social capital development in an SNS context. The test results explain that the structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions of social capital have significant direct and indirect effects on the SNS citizenship behaviour. These findings also explain that four key characteristics (exploration, communication support, playfulness, and responsiveness) of SNS affect the three dimensions of social capital. This study contributes to the literature in its establishment of the concept of SNS citizenship behaviour and examines it from the social capital theory perspective. Its findings have practical implications through its guidance on how to develop SNS features and manage these sites for the citizenship behaviour of their users, which are achievements for the harmonious and effective functioning of SNS.     

Exploring the relationship between perceptions of social capital and enacted support online

Online social networking sites enable users to connect with large, heterogeneous groups of people. While extant research suggests individuals benefit psychologically from the perception that they are well connected, little is known about the nature of tangible resources embedded in these online networks. In this study 49 participants sent 588 requests for instrumental help to their Facebook friends to determine the accessibility of networked resources and online social capital. Almost 80% of these modest requests went unanswered, and perceived bridging and bonding capital did not explain enacted support. However, people who occupied socially prestigious positions were the most likely to benefit from their friend's help. These results suggest that expansive mediated networks may yield limited instrumental benefits.     

The role of social media in shaping first-generation high school students' college aspirations: A social capital lens

Using survey data collected from a sample of high school students in the United States (N = 504), this study examined how different types of social capital associated with parents, close friends, and Facebook Friends were related to students' confidence about their knowledge of the college application process and their expectations about succeeding in college. We found that social media use plays a significant role only for first-generation students – students whose parents did not graduate from college. For first-generation students, finding information about college through social media was associated with higher levels of efficacy about college application procedures. Having access via social media to a broader network of people who could actively answer questions and provide informational support was positively related with first-generation students' expectations about their ability to be successful in college, but was not the case for non first-generations.     

Exploring sustained participation in firm-hosted communities in China: the effects of social capital and active degree

Firm-hosted online communities are user-centred, and their efficacy depends on the users’ sustained participation. This study investigated the impact of social capital on users’ continued usage intention. Specifically, since very little work has been done to explore the antecedents of social capital, we tested the role of operator-related and individual-related factors in cultivating social capital by proposing an integrated research model to fill this gap. Furthermore, to gain deeper insights into continuance intention, we postulate that active degree moderates the relationship between social capital and users’ continued usage intention. Our model is empirically examined using survey data collected from 373 members of a well-known firm-hosted online community in China. The results reveal that the firm’s reaction, offline activities, interaction support, seeking reputation and perceived enjoyment are the significant antecedents of social capital. Additionally, social tie and shared vision exert a stronger effect on continued usage intention for active users, whereas identification has a higher influence on continued usage intention for inactive users. Finally, this study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and provides possible directions for future research.     

Developing social capital through professionally oriented social network sites

To date, research on social network sites (SNSs) has primarily focused on Facebook. Professionally oriented social network sites (P-SNSs), such as LinkedIn, have been under-researched in the information systems discipline. Additionally, little is known about the effects of important elements of SNSs (such as one's profile) on social capital formation. As such, the main objective of this research is to propose and validate a model that explains the process by which individuals develop and accrue social capital through P-SNS use. This model draws upon social capital theory and social network analysis and is validated through a survey of 377 LinkedIn users. Our results find that (1) P-SNS users’ actions (perceived profile disclosure, active participation, and passive consumption) have significant positive effects on perceived social connectedness; (2) perceived social connectedness on P-SNSs has a significant positive effect on perceived networking value on these sites; (3) perceived profile disclosure and passive consumption have significant positive effects on network size; (4) active participation does not have any effect on network size, and (5) network size does not have a significant effect on perceived networking value. Overall, this investigation advances our understanding of how social capital is formed in P-SNSs. Additionally, this is the first study in the P-SNS context that investigates the role of the user profile in the social capital formation process, along with user actions of active participation and passive consumption. From a practical perspective, this study has implications for different audiences, such as job seekers, recruiters, and P-SNS providers, assisting them in playing a more effective role in the social capital formation process on P-SNSs.     

Facebook or Renren? A comparative study of social networking site use and social capital among Chinese international students in the United States

Social networking sites (SNSs) are important tools for college students to maintain and develop social capital. Yet, few studies on the social implications of using SNSs have focused on international students and their use of different social media platforms for social capital. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the implications of using host country and home country SNSs for social capital among Chinese international students in the United States. A survey of Chinese international students at a large public university (N = 210) reveals that both Facebook and Renren use are positively associated with bridging social capital but not with bonding social capital. Facebook use has a stronger relationship with bridging social capital than does Renren use. Yet, only Renren use has a significant and positive relationship with maintaining home country social capital. These results have practical implications for international students to develop different types of social capital through different social media platforms.     

Knowledge transfer in IT offshoring relationships: the roles of social capital,efficacy and outcome expectations

Information technology (IT) development in global organisations relies heavily on the transfer of tacit and complex knowledge from onshore units to offshore subsidiaries. A central concern of such organisations is the development of social capital, which is known to facilitate the smooth transfer of knowledge. However, only a few studies in IS research have explicitly examined the role of social capital for knowledge transfer in an IT offshoring context. In this paper, we argue that such knowledge transfer mechanisms can be understood better by considering social capital in concert with knowledge senders' efficacy and outcome expectations, two of the potentially key motivational drivers of knowledge transfer. We develop our arguments through a qualitative case study of a large German multinational company. German IT developers in this firm provided in‐depth accounts of their experience with offshore colleagues in an Indian captive subsidiary unit. Drawing on our analysis, we develop a model that depicts the influence of social capital, efficacy and outcome expectations on onshore IT developers' ability and willingness to transfer knowledge to offshore colleagues. Through the model, we also explain how social capital, efficacy and outcome expectations are interrelated and generate three interlocked, self‐reinforcing circles of knowledge transfer success in IT offshoring relationships.     

Keeping the user in the cloud: a cognitive social capital antecedent to use continuance and trust-commitment in personal cloud storage services

While personal cloud storage services are popular, providers experience difficulty retaining users. Two explanations of user continuance intention, being use continuance theory and trust-commitment theory, emerge from prior literature. However, there is no unifying theoretical lens to reconcile these two explanations. We use a cognitive social capital explanation to unify these two literature streams. We apply our research model to 237 cloud storage users. We find that the cognitive social capital lens significantly predicts both use continuance intention and trust-commitment in personal cloud storage services. Implications for cloud service providers are offered.     

Does social capital affect SNS usage? A look at the roles of subjective well-being and social identity

This study views social capital as a precursor of SNS (Social Network Service) use, which departs from the previous thoughts that considered social capital as the outcome of SNS activities. Drawing upon the theoretical premises regarding network-based social capital, this study examines the roles of subjective well-being and social identity in terms of their moderating as well as mediating influences on SNS use. This study sought to sub-categorize social capital and SNS use with a view to providing more refined theoretical and practical implications. The study’s main objectives are three-fold: First, the study verifies whether social capital, categorized into bridging and bonding capital, influences one’s SNS use as measured by qualitative use and quantitative use. Second, the study aims to confirm whether subjective well-being mediates between social capital and SNS use. Third, it examines whether social identity moderates the relationship between social capital and SNS use.The study result indicates that bridging capital only had a significant impact on qualitative use. However, subjective well-being did not mediate the relationship between social capital and SNS use. Finally, the cognitive identity caused significant difference in the effect of social capital on quantitative SNS use, whereas cognitive and affective identities caused significant differences in regards to the effects of bridging capital on qualitative SNS use.     

Exploring the interaction effects of social capital

Most social capital studies either treat the three dimensions of social capital as parallel or hypothesize that causal relationships exist among them. We attempt to further explore the interaction effects between paired dimensions of social capital. In the context of information system development (ISD) projects, we propose direct and interaction effects of different dimensions of social capital on process and product performance. A survey of system developers indicates that all three proposed interaction effects on process performance are significant but with different patterns. Only one (structural and relational) interaction effect is found to have an effect on product performance. Academic and practical implications are discussed.     

Age differences in online social networking – A study of user profiles and the social capital divide among teenagers and older users in MySpace

The aim of this research was to investigate age differences and similarities in the use of the social networking website MySpace, to explore potential differences in social capital among older people (users over 60 years of age) compared to teenagers (users between 13 and 19 years of age). We used locally developed web crawlers to collect data from MySpace’s user profile pages, and to quantify any differences that exist in the networks of friends of older people and teenagers. Content analysis was applied to investigate differences in social activities between the two age groups on MySpace, and the way they represent themselves on their profile pages. Our findings show a social capital divide: teenagers have larger networks of friends compared to older users of MySpace. On the other hand, we found that the majority of teenage users’ friends are in their own age range (age ± 2 years), whilst older people’s networks of friends tend to have a more diverse age distribution. In addition, our results show that teenagers tend to make more use of different media (e.g. video, music) within MySpace and use more self-references and negative emotions when describing themselves on their profile compared to older people.