The driving factors of continuance online shopping: Gender differences in behaviour among students in Saudi Arabia

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure student gender differences with regard to continuance online shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. The 234-respondent sample consists of 61.5% women and 38.5% men. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and subjective norms are determinants of online shopping continuance in Saudi Arabia. Both male and female groups are equivalent. The structural weights are also largely equivalent, but the regression paths from subjective norms to enjoyment and subjective norms to continuance intention (in the men sample) and perceived usefulness to continuous intention (in the women sample) are not supported. The model was operationally generalized across the whole of Saudi Arabia. This research moves beyond online shopping intentions and includes factors affecting online shopping continuance. The research model explains 71% of the intention to continue shopping online. This research suggests that online strategies cannot ignore either the direct or indirect gender differences on continuance intentions in Saudi Arabia. The model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia

The Effects of Gender On The Adoption of Social Media: An Empirical Investigation

This study develops a research model to gain a deeper understanding on gender comparison relating to social media continuance/usage. The theoretical background for our research model is based on the diffusion of innovation and the technology acceptance models. We collected 290 datasets from college students that are enrolled in a large university located in North America. The statistical techniques to analyze our datasets are confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results of our data analysis show that females have stronger and significant perception of ease of use, compatibility, relative advantage, and risk when using social media compared to males. Also, our results show that males have a stronger perception of satisfaction and information quality when using social media compared to females

What drives consumers' e-loyalty to airlines web site? Conceptual framework and managerial implications

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure continuance intentions of online shopping for airlines web sites. The sample respondent 465online users in Saudi Arabia. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, social pressure, and loyalty incentives are determinants of online flight booking continuance in Saudi Arabia. This research moves beyond online booking intentions and includes factors affecting online booking continuance. The research model explains 53% of the intention to continue booking using airlines web sites

Development and validation of the Scale of Motives for Using Social Networking Sites (SMU-SNS) for adolescents and youths

Over the past decade, the Uses and Gratifications theory has driven research on the motives behind social media use. The three most commonly explored motives have been: maintaining relationships, seeking information, and entertainment. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Scale of Motives for Using Social Networking Sites (SMU-SNS), a measure to assess a wider range of motives for using Social Networking Sites than have previously been researched. A multi-method design with different samples of high-school and university students was used. First, to develop the pool of items, a literature review and a focus group study (n = 48, age range = 16–21) was conducted. Second, to reduce and refine the pool of items a pilot study (n = 168, age range = 14–24) was performed. Third, a validation study (n = 1102, age range = 13–25) was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the SMU-SNS. Cross-validation using EFA and CFA resulted in a final version comprising 27 items distributed in nine factors (Dating, New Friendships, Academic Purposes, Social Connectedness, Following and Monitoring Others, Entertainment, seeking Social Recognition, Self-expression, and seeking Information). Internal consistency was excellent and evidence of measurement invariance across gender and age was largely achieved. The SMU-SNS scores significantly correlated with other relevant variables, including age, gender, certain personality traits, social support, loneliness, and life satisfaction. Overall, findings supported the SMU-SNS as a valid and reliable measure to assess youth’s motives for using Social Networking Sites. Psychometric and general implications are discussed.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadMinisterio de Educación y Formación Profesiona

Modeling of Causes of Sina Weibo Continuance Intention with Mediation of Gender Effects

Sina Weibo is a Twitter-like social networking site and one of the most popular microblogging services in China. This study aims to examine the factors that influence the intentions of users to continue using this site. This paper synthesizes the expectation confirmation model (ECM), constructs of habit and perceived critical mass, and the gender effect to construct a theoretical model to explain and predict these user intentions. The model is then tested via an online survey of 498 Sina Weibo users and partial least squares (PLS) modeling. The results indicate that the continuance intention of users is directly predicted by their perceived usefulness of the service (β=0.299), their satisfaction (β=0.208), and their habits (β=0.389), which jointly explain 65.9% of the variance in intention. In addition to the effects of these predictors on the continuance intentions of Sina Weibo users, an assessment of the moderating effect of gender suggests that habit plays a more important role for females than for males in continuance intention, but perceived usefulness seems to be more important for males than for females. The implications of these findings are then discussed

An Examination of the Demographic Antecedents and Job Outcomes of Participation in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups formed in the workplace that focus on providing mutual support for members and that educate the organization about its members’ culture, identity, or experiences. The study’s purpose was to examine demographic antecedents and job outcomes associated with ERG participation. Specifically, this study examined gender identity and professional tenure as demographic antecedents of ERG participation and the relationship between ERG participation and employee outcomes, including job embeddedness and organizational commitment. Participants included 154 individuals employed at a technology company in the Northwestern United States who completed a survey regarding their personal characteristics and participation in ERGs as well as their commitment to and embeddedness within the organization. Results showed that female employees were more likely to become members of an ERG and to participate frequently. Additionally, frequent participation in ERG activities was associated with a stronger affective bond with the organization. Results also showed that professional tenure was not related to ERG membership or frequency of ERG participation. Finally, no relationship was found between frequent ERG participation and job embeddedness. Based on the findings of study, it is recommended that ERGs are properly funded and managed to allow for consistent participation by all employees and that organizations focus on intersectionality in their promotion of ERG events

The factors that contribute to the continuous usage of broadband technologies among youth in rural areas: A case of northern region of Malaysia

Despite the benefits of broadband technology in education and healthcare services, its usage in the rural areas is still low and Malaysia is not excluded. This situation leads to raising the question of long-term usage of the technology. Presently, there are less empirical study on the continuous usage of broadband technology among the youths particularly school children in the rural areas of Malaysia. The objective of this study is to determine the contributing factors for continuous usage of broadband technology among youths in the rural areas. Therefore, a research model was proposed consisting of eight contributing factors for continuous usage of broadband technology. Moreover, the study used quantitative approach by distributing 450 questionnaires to respondents in the northern region of Malaysia. However, only 393 questionnaires were returned which represent 87.33% response rate. The data collected were analyzed using a Structural Equation Model to investigate the relationship between contributing factors. The results showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, compatibility, facilitating condition, service quality, user behavioural intention and user satisfaction are the significant contributing factors that must be in place to ensure the continuous usage of broadband among youth in the rural areas. Hence, this study contributes to the body of knowledge in Community Informatics by providing a framework for achieving long-term use of broadband technology among youths in the rural areas, through the integration of Information System Continuance Post Acceptance and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology models. The factors identified may contribute as input to the government policy formulations and service providers to ensure continuous demand for broadband from the evidence extracted from this study. Continuous usage of broadband technology in the rural areas would have positive contributions on the academic performance, literacy among youths, bridging the digital divide in broadband usage, increase home business and national productivity

MOTIVATIONS FOR SOCIAL NETWORK SITE (SNS) GAMING: A USES AND GRATIFICATION & FLOW PERSPECTIVE

The penetration of the internet, smart-phones and tablets has witnessed tremendous increase in the number of people playing online games in the past few years. Social networking site (SNS) games are a subset of digital games. They are platform based, multiplayer and reveal the real identity of the player. These games are hosted on social networks such as Facebook, where in people play with many other players online. The risks associated with social network gaming are addiction, theft, fraud, loneliness, anxiety, aggression, poor academic performance, cognition distortion etc. This study aims to understand the user motivations to continue to play social networking games and spread a word of mouth for these games. To understand this phenomenon, Uses and Gratification theory (U&G) along with flow and immersion have been considered as the antecedents. A total of 242 respondents comprising of 125 participants who play social networking games and 117 participants who do not play social networking games completed the survey. This aided in understanding the participants’ motivations and inhibitions towards playing social networking games. The present findings indicate that gratifications, flow and immersion are significantly related to the continuance motivation, which in turn is significantly related to word of mouth

The role of utilitarian and hedonic aspects in the continuance intention to use social mobile apps

The purpose of this research is to understand the main factors that determine users’ continuance intention to use social mobile Apps, considering two utilitarian (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use) variables and a hedonic (i.e., perceived enjoyment) variable. As social mobile Apps may be utilitarian or hedonic, we aim to evaluate possible differences in the significance of the aforementioned antecedent factors in utilitarian Apps (i.e., TripAdvisor) and hedonic Apps (i.e., Instagram). The data were collected from an international sample of users; the Partial Least Squares method was applied to analyze the research model, using SMARTPLS 3.0. To analyze the moderating effects, a multi-group PLS analysis was carried out to compare the differences between the path relationships in the two Apps. The results show that continuance intention to use is explained by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, satisfaction and user experience (control variable), and the impact of utilitarian variables is generally greater for utilitarian Apps, whereas the impact of perceived enjoyment is higher for hedonic Apps. This study contributes to the general body of knowledge about mobile Apps by providing a comprehensive theoretical foundation and practical implications that illuminate the continuance use of social mobile Apps

Understanding the role of social situations on continuance participation intention in online communities: an empirical perspective

In recent years, the mushrooming development of Online Communities (OCs) has ushered a new paradigm of research for organizational sustainability in IS. In essence, the growth and survival of an online community relies predominantly on the continuous participation of its members. Given that the emergence of OCs may decay or even diminish due to the lack of consistent involvement of members, it is of paramount importance to fathom how to retain and entice members of OCs in terms of their continuous participation in the online platform. Extant studies have focused mostly on personal belief constructs and subjective norm constructs to study users' continuous behavior. However, the important role of social situations has not been sufficiently explored and investigated in IS, particularly in the emerging context of OCs. Drawing on the Triandis model, this study proposes a research model incorporating social situations as the moderator on the continuance participation intention in OCs. We collected data from two large OCs to examine whether congruence exists between situation perceptions and situation reactions. The empirical results show that social situations play an important role in determining the strength of the relationships between affect, social factors, and perceived consequences and the continuance intention in OCs