Measuring the effect of immediacy on consumer engagement behaviours in social media settings

This thesis presents evidence of how immediacy affects consumer engagement behaviour in a social media setting. It answers the research question: Does immediacy influence consumer engagement behaviours with brands on Facebook? This research context is important and timely because of the rapidly increasing usage of social media by consumers and the resultant unexplored marketing challenges faced by brand managers. This thesis is informed by Social Impact Theory (SIT) (Latané, 1981), which proposes that immediacy is a determinant of influence in off-line environments. This study focuses upon three forms of immediacy, physical, social and temporal, that are identified within prior literature. This thesis measures the effect and develops SIT to account for immediacy as a social influence determinant of social media behaviour. The thesis follows a mixed method approach using focus groups and experimental design to measure the impact of each form of immediacy on four types of engagement behaviour: page liking, content liking, content sharing and content commenting. A series of three focus groups and three experimental studies were conducted with a total of 312 student participants who were presented with Facebook pages (created specifically for this study). Each Facebook page treatment was modified so that it contained either a high, low or neutral levels of each of the three types of immediacy identified in the literature and the subsequent change in participant engagement behaviour was measured. The results show that social immediacy significantly affects brand engagement intentions in terms of page liking, content liking and content sharing, whereas physical immediacy significantly affected page liking and content liking intentions. Temporal immediacy did not show any effects on the engagement intentions being measured in this thesis. This thesis presents three original contributions to knowledge. First, it makes a theoretical contribution by measuring the effects of three types of immediacy as social impact factors on engagement behaviours in social media. Second, it makes a contextual contribution by exploring how immediacy is perceived in the context of Fan pages, and by identifying other factors that can moderate the social impact of immediacy on consumer behaviour. Finally, this thesis measures the effects of product involvement, Facebook intensity usage and gender as moderators of social impact in social media settings

Online consumer engagement: understanding the antecedents and outcomes

2012 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Given the adoption rates of social media and specifically social networking sites among consumers and companies alike, practitioners and academics need to understand the role of social media within a company's marketing efforts. Specifically, understanding the consumer behavior process of how consumers perceive features on a company's social media page and how these features may lead to loyalty and ultimately consumers' repurchase intentions is critical to justify marketing efforts to upper management. This study focused on this process by situating online consumer engagement between consumers' perceptions about features on a company's social media page and loyalty and (re)purchase intent. Because online consumer engagement is an emerging construct within the marketing literature, the purpose of this study was not only to test the framework of online consumer engagement but also to explore the concept of online consumer engagement within a marketing context. The study refined the definition of online consumer engagement as an attempt to align the industry and academic definitions of the construct. The social networking site, Facebook, was utilized to test the online consumer engagement framework. Specifically, the study examined whether and how perceived Facebook company page features (i.e., perceived information quality, perceived enjoyment, and perceived interactivity) predicted online consumer engagement, and further investigated whether and how online consumer engagement with companies on Facebook related to loyalty and ultimately (re)purchase intent. First, focus groups were conducted to get a better understanding of the "liking" behavior on Facebook and to refine the survey questionnaire. Next, 233 online surveys were collected from U.S. adult Facebook users who "like" companies on Facebook to test the online consumer engagement framework. Hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that perceived Facebook characteristics (i.e., perceived information quality, perceived enjoyment, and perceived interactivity) influence online consumer engagement, which influences loyalty and ultimately (re)purchase intent. Results also revealed that online consumer engagement is a multidimensional construct that encompasses both cognitive/affective and participative dimensions. This study provides the first steps in understanding the role that online consumer engagement plays within a mediated environment that includes both consumers and companies. Implications both academically and for the industry are discussed, and directions for future research endeavors are presented

The Role of Social Media as a Constraint Negotiation Resource: Implication for Collegiate Women\u27s Sporting Event Attendance

Clemson University has experienced low attendance rates at women\u27s sporting events over the past few years. Undergraduate students are possibly limited in their intention to attend these events by various constraints (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural). Although these constraints can reduce students\u27 intention to attend women\u27s sporting events, the negotiation process can reduce and possibly overcome the impact of these barriers through various resources and strategies. Social media is one popular negotiation tool that provides equal opportunity for many potential users and is not limited by time or location. This study framed social media as a constraint negotiation resource, exploring its influence on the intention to attend women\u27s sporting events at Clemson University. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to explore how Clemson University could reduce the influence of the constraints and increase attendance at women\u27s sporting events through the use of social media using a conceptual framework based on Hubbard and Mannell\u27s (2001) independence model. Data was collected through an online survey of a stratified sample of 2,000 undergraduate students enrolled at Clemson University in the Fall 2015 Semester. The findings supported the conceptual framework of the independence model. Motivation, constraints and constraint negotiation significantly explained the intention to attend women\u27s sporting events. The study found students were constrained by the behavior and the attitude of others. In essence, students tend to prefer attending sporting events with a high attendance. However, this study also found sporting event related posts and comments shared by users on social media have the potential to increase students\u27 intention to attend women\u27s sporting events. It may be concluded from this study that social media may play an important role in addressing and mitigating the constraints resulting from other students\u27 behaviors and attitudes; that is, undergraduate student intention to attend a women\u27s sporting event is influenced more by event-related posts and comments on social media than by their peers\u27 decision. The findings from this study could contribute to a better understanding of the attitude toward and the intention to attend women\u27s sporting events, thereby increasing Clemson University\u27s school awareness, campus excitement and student involvement as well as equalizing its focus and attention on men\u27s and women\u27s sports, an integral part of the mission of Title IX

Predicting Intention to Participate in Socially Responsible Collective Action in Social Networking Website Groups

he present study uses the belief-desire-intention (BDI) model to predict group members’ intentions (“we-intention”) to participate in using a social networking site (SNS) for collective action. Participants reported their beliefs about social influence processes, including their beliefs about subjective norms, group norms, and social identity; they also reported their beliefs about using an SNS for a charitable collective action, which was perceived as corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study applied an integrated research framework in the context of the Facebook group “KolorujeMY,” a group with an interest in supporting social causes in Poland. Our structural equation modeling results indicate that social identity has a positive and direct effect on we-intention to use SNS for collective action and that perceived CSR also had a positive and significant impact on we-intention. Similarly, we found that desire has a positive and significant effect on we-intention to use SNS for collective action. Our results also indicate that desire partially mediates the relationship between social influence beliefs and we-intention. Overall, this study provides insight into the understanding of the impact of social influence processes, the role of desire, and perceived CSR beliefs in terms of predicting we-intentions in a social networking environment

Developing design process model and measuring acceptance of polytechnic cooperative e-retail website

Research on the process model of e-retail web design using Content Management System (CMS) remains scarce. CMS is one way of developing website quickly, with less cost and usage of IT expertise. Researchers mostly focus on identifying the significant relationship towards particular website especially on web design and suggest for practical implementation. Previous studies on web development are on the architecture of CMS while the use of CMS attracts little interest among researchers. Only a number of researchers concentrate on the process development of e-retail website especially using CMS. To fill the practical gap, this research proposed a process model of e-retail website through SDLC and extended the model with the introduction of internet marketing. It was tested in the development of a e-retail website. Each stage is discussed in details along the way of the web development. After the website was successfully developed, this research examined the acceptance of e-retail website by measuring consumers’ behavioural intention and actual usage using Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). In addressing the theoretical gap, this research provides an empirical test of three forms of self-efficacy (Computer Self-efficacy, Internet Self-efficacy, and Online Shopping Self-efficacy) and anxiety (Computer Anxiety, Internet Anxiety, and Online Shopping Anxiety) towards behavioural intention to shop online. The research subjects were 91,830 polytechnic students from 33 polytechnics in Malaysia. A total of 357 fulltime polytechnic students from five polytechnics in Malaysia have been involved in this research. From a list of students’ name, self-administered survey questionnaires were distributed at response rate of 77.8%. Correlation and Multiple Regression were used to test the significant relationship while Hierarchical Regression was used to test the moderator of gender. The research reveals that Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Condition and Online shopping Self-Efficacy are found to have significant effect on students Behavioural Intention to use polytechnic co-operative eretail business. E-retailer needs to encourage the potential customer to make on-line purchasing because it is no longer a norm against the use of the Internet and computer. The process model is readily transferable to another website so that it describes as sufficient for use. The future research shall apply the extended UTAUT in different subject (adult) and the process model shall extend until the Return on Investment (ROI)

Explaining users’ intentions to continue participating in Web 2.0 communities: The case of Facebook in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Traditional communications media has been transformed and reshaped with the introduction of the Internet and its technologies. The Internet has massively evolved over time, and the World Wide Web or otherwise referred to as Web 1.0 has developed to what is so called Web 2.0. The explosive diffusion of this global system has fostered the emergence of Web-based communities supported by the existence of globally connected individuals. As both the number of World Wide Web virtual community sites and users has expanded and grown quickly, these communities have become a subject of study to researchers of multiple disciplines. However, sustaining a successful operation of any Web 2.0 community depends on the continuous participation of its own users. It is massively important to maintain committed members in terms of continuous participation. Yet, their level of participation might vary depending on one‘s personal, social, situational, and cultural influences that eventually affect their intentions and behaviour on whether to continue or discontinue participating in that community. Facebook as a particular Web 2.0 community has been used as an exemplary case study in this research reflecting the drivers of its continuous usage in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Moreover, very few studies on Web 2.0 communities covered the Middle East area and more specifically there is almost absence of research in Jordan on how users of Facebook along with their cultural and behavioural influences would continue using this Web 2.0 community or not. Therefore, this study tackles this issue to investigate the influences affecting the continuous participation in these communities This research develops a conceptual framework that can be used as an instrument to guide empirical work in the field of Web 2.0 communities. The empirical context of the research is random Facebook users in Jordan, where data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Results and findings show that Personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control has shown to be all significant and highly influential on affecting users‘ intentions to continue participating on Facebook, perceived behavioural control (i.e. facilitating conditions, controllability) ranked the highest in its significance towards examining users’ intentions to continue participating on Facebook. Followed by the subjective norms (i.e. critical mass, compliance, and informational influences), then ranked the personal attitude (i.e. satisfaction, compatibility). Results have proved that most Facebook users in Jordan do participate on this site in the first place to deliver epistemic value elements, not with a much difference came the social value after, then ranked the hedonic third. The utilitarian value proved to be insignificant by all means, therefore, users intend to continue participating on Facebook despite of the perceived value elements to be delivered. Interestingly, analysis have proved the insignificance of the three cultural dimensions (i.e. masculinity vs. Femininity, individualism vs. Collectivism, and long-term vs. Short-term orientation), therefore, it has not been considered moderating in the framework of this research. Furthermore, the study concludes with specific implications for relevant theories, and useful findings on the individual, organizational, and the societal levels. Additionally, researchers in similar areas can find this work useful as a way to approach new streams in studying participation in Web 2.0 communities

Reshaping traditional marketing mix to include social media participation: evidence from Italian firms

Purpose - Due to the emergent use of social media for marketing purposes, and the limited number of studies focusing on the use of social media by firms, the purpose of this paper is to explore the inclusion of social networks in the traditional marketing mix models. Methodology- A sample of 20 small and large Italian liquor producers was used and their Facebook profiles were content analyzed. Findings - Results provide evidence about the emerging shift from the use of social media for communication purposes through static advertising (characterized by pictures and slogans), to its use as an interactive channel that can influence consumers’ purchasing behaviour through multimedia tools (i.e. games and interactive applications able to solicit users’ interest), by emphasizing the extent to which a higher level of participation by a firm involves a higher level of consumer interaction. Findings also suggest that the firm’s participation should be considered as a new element of the traditional marketing mix model and as an additional tool for efficient market sizing and sensing. Originality/Value - The study offers findings on actual usage of Facebook as part of marketing mix strategies based on large and small enterprises operating in the Food and Beverage sector, where a dearth of studies is observed. The study enhances and advances the social media and marketing literatures