eWOM & Referrals in Social Network Services

If a few decades ago the development of the Internet was instrumental in the interconnection between markets, nowadays the services provided by Web 2.0, such as social network sites (SNS) are the cutting edge. A proof of this trend is the exponential growth of social network users. The main objective of this work is to explore the mechanisms that promote the transmission and reception (WOM and referrals) of online opinions, in the context of the SNS, by buyers of travel services. The research includes some research lines: technology acceptance model (TAM), Social Identification Theory and Word-of-Mouth communication in virtual environment (eWOM). Based on these theories an explicative model has been proposed applying SEM analysis to a sample of SNS users’ of tourist service buyers. The results support the majority of the hypotheses and some relevant practical and theoretical implications have been pointed out for tourist managers

Exposure to the News Networks Through Social Media Sites and Their Reflections on Spreading Rumors among Students – Field Study

The scientific study aimed to identify rumors in the students society in the age of social media sites and confrontation mechanisms. The research community included a sample of experts who use new media. Descriptive and statistical approaches (interviews and questionnaires) are used to analyze and understand rumors through social media sites and how to confront them. The study came up with results, the most important of them are as follows: 62% of the research community believes that students (young people) use of news networks via social media sites affects the spread of rumors, while 63% of the research community considers that the quality of social media sites used by young people helps spread rumors, and 43% of the research community agree that technology users are predominantly young people, which helps spread the rumor. Finally, the study recommended that news sites pay attention to the method of dealing with crises, investigate accuracy and credibility, and increase the effective communication between the leaders and students institutions

A model of using social media for collaborative learning to enhance learners’ performance on learning

Social media has been always described as the channel through which knowledge is transmitted between communities and learners. This social media has been utilized by colleges in a way to encourage collaborative learning and social interaction. This study explores the use of social media in the process of collaborative learning through learning Quran and Hadith. Through this investigation, different factors enhancing collaborative learning in learning Quran and Hadith in the context of using social media are going to be examined. 340 respondents participated in this study. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data obtained. Upon analysis and structural model validities, the study resulted in a model used for measuring the influences of the different variables. The study reported direct and indirect significant impacts of these variables on collaborative learning through the use of social media which might lead to a better performance by learner

Consumer behavıor in the age of social media : the sample of Sakarya University

06.03.2018 tarihli ve 30352 sayılı Resmi Gazetede yayımlanan “Yükseköğretim Kanunu İle Bazı Kanun Ve Kanun Hükmünde Kararnamelerde Değişiklik Yapılması Hakkında Kanun” ile 18.06.2018 tarihli “Lisansüstü Tezlerin Elektronik Ortamda Toplanması, Düzenlenmesi ve Erişime Açılmasına İlişkin Yönerge” gereğince tam metin erişime açılmıştır.Sosyal medya çağı olarak adlandırılan bu zaman diliminde, bireylerin yaşamını şekillendiren ve kullanıcıların karşılıklı etkileşimde bulunmalarına imkan tanıyan çevrimiçi platformlar oldukça popüler hale gelmektedir. Sosyal platformlar, haber ya da bilgi kaynağı olarak bireyler üzerinde büyük bir etkiye sahipken, bunun yanı sıra eğlence, sosyal paylaşım ve içerik oluşturma bağlamında da pazarlama stratejilerini bir dönüşüme uğratmaktadırlar. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışma, bireylerin günlük hayatlarının vazgeçilmez bir parçası haline gelen sosyal medya platformlarını ele alarak, tüketicilerin satın alma süreçlerindeki davranış değişikliklerini birçok yolla ölçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. İletişim olanakları tarafından haberleşme ve paylaşım ağına dahil olma fırsatı, sosyal medya sitelerini yeni bir pazarlama neslinin aracı haline getirmektedir. Bireyleri etkisi altına alarak zamanlarının büyük bölümünü ayırdıkları sosyal ağlar, bu yolla, şirketlerin de ilgisini çekmektedirler. Şirketler, sahip oldukları ürün ya da markalarını, müşterilerine karşı dikkat çekmek amacıyla sosyal medya platformlarını aktif bir şekilde kullanmaktadırlar. Araştırma, sosyal medya platformlarının genç tüketiciler için etkili bir araç olduğu fikrini dayanarak, üniversite öğrencilerinin algılarını keşfetmeyi planlamaktadır. Mevcut çalışma ayrıca dijital dönüşümün güçlü kaynakları olan sosyal medya platformlarının, bireyler üzerindeki etki düzeylerini ortaya çıkarmayı hedeflemektedir. Bu bağlamda, bu tez, hipotezleri yeni medya çalışmalarına odaklanan İletişim Fakültesi öğrencilerine uygulanan nicel bir strateji ile test etmektedir. Çalışma kapsamında, 11 demografik ve 27 sosyal ağdan oluşan 38 maddelik ölçek ile geliştirilen anket, 300 öğrenciyi kapsayan bir örneklem grubunu uygulanmıştır. SPSS programının katkısı ile anketten elde edilen veriler, varyans analizi, LSD Çoklu Karşılaştırma Testi ve Bağımsız Örneklem t Testi ve Pearson Moment Korelasyon Katsayısı ile incelenerek, tablolar ile yorumlanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçları, sosyal medyada farkındalığını hissettiren marka, ürün ya da hizmetlerin, tüketiciler tarafından tercih edilmesinin daha mümkün olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca, bulgular, örneklem kapsamında ele alınan bireylerin, satın alma süreçlerinde sosyal medya platformlarından olabildiğince yararlanma eğiliminde olduklarını göstermektedir. Bu nedenle, araştırma, sosyal medya platformlarının günlük yaşam pratiği haline geldiği günümüzde, bireylerin davranışlarına olan tutumlarına önemli katkılar sağladığı görülmektedir.During this time period called social media age, online platforms that shape the lives of individuals and allow users to interact are becoming very popular. While social platforms have a great impact on individuals as news or information sources, they also transform marketing strategies in the context of entertainment, social sharing and content creation. In this context, this study aims to measure the behavioral changes in the purchasing processes of consumers in many ways by addressing the social media platforms that become an indispensable part of the daily lives of individuals. The opportunity to be included in the communication and sharing network by communication facilities makes social media sites the tool of a new generation of marketing. In this way, the social networks, which take the majority of their time under the influence of individuals, attract the interest of companies. Companies actively use social media platforms to attract attention to their products, brands or customers. The research plans to explore the perceptions of university students based on the idea that social media platforms are an effective tool for young consumers. The present study also aims to reveal the impact levels of social media platforms, which are the strong sources of digital transformation, on individuals. In this context, this thesis tests the hypotheses with a quantitative strategy applied to students of the Faculty of Communication who focuses on new media studies. In the scope of the study, a questionnaire was developed with 38 items consisting of 11 demographics and 27 social networks and a sample group of 300 students was applied. The data obtained from the survey with the contribution of SPSS program were analyzed by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), LSD Multiple Comparison Test and Independent Sample t Test and Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient. The results of the research show that it is more possible to choose brands, products or services that are aware of the social media. In addition, the findings show that the individuals considered within the scope of the sample tend to use social media platforms as much as possible in their purchasing processes. For this reason, research shows that social media platforms have become a daily life practice and they contribute significantly to the attitudes of individuals to their behavior

Web 2.0 technologies for learning: the current landscape – opportunities, challenges and tensions

This is the first report from research commissioned by Becta into Web 2.0 technologies for learning at Key Stages 3 and 4. This report describes findings from an additional literature review of the then current landscape concerning learner use of Web 2.0 technologies and the implications for teachers, schools, local authorities and policy makers

The behavioural intention to use Facebook among Malaysian public universities as technology alternative tool for e-learning: the mediating role of end user satisfaction

Nowadays, Facebook is one of the most popular Social Networking Sites (SNS) among the tertiary education students. This site is seen to be used as technology alternative to support the main Learning Management System (LMS) that is provided by the university. However, the real situation nowadays, the students prefer to use Facebook compares to LMS as their e-Learning tool for communicating and sharing knowledge among them. Two well-known models are integrated in this study which is Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and End User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS) for better understanding the vital factors that stimulate students' Behavioural Intention (BI) in using Facebook as e-Learning tool. The sample size comprised of 472 students in Malaysia's Public Universities taken through the quota sampling technique. Thus, the total of 411 usable questionnaires was used for further analysis. Based on data analysis by utilizing PLS SEM method, the results supported the hypothesized of direct effects relationship between all four core factors of UTAUT (Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence and Facilitating Conditions) and EUCS on BI. Meanwhile, EUCS mediated the relationship between all four core factors of UTAUT on BI. These findings also supported the view that the integration between satisfaction and acceptance models increases the exploratory power on the users' behaviour of interest in using information technology. Lastly, theoretical, methodological and practical implications are discussed

Youth and Digital Media: From Credibility to Information Quality

Building upon a process-and context-oriented information quality framework, this paper seeks to map and explore what we know about the ways in which young users of age 18 and under search for information online, how they evaluate information, and how their related practices of content creation, levels of new literacies, general digital media usage, and social patterns affect these activities. A review of selected literature at the intersection of digital media, youth, and information quality -- primarily works from library and information science, sociology, education, and selected ethnographic studies -- reveals patterns in youth's information-seeking behavior, but also highlights the importance of contextual and demographic factors both for search and evaluation. Looking at the phenomenon from an information-learning and educational perspective, the literature shows that youth develop competencies for personal goals that sometimes do not transfer to school, and are sometimes not appropriate for school. Thus far, educational initiatives to educate youth about search, evaluation, or creation have depended greatly on the local circumstances for their success or failure

Stuck on Social Media: Predicting Young Adults’ Intentions to Limit Social Media Use

Concerns of social media overuse warrant examinations of factors influencing the use of these technologies. While studies have characterized people’s adoption and use of social media, few have examined factors that would drive individuals to limit their use. This study uses an extended theory of planned behavior to predict intentions to limit social media use. A survey of 216 college students asked participants to report their intensity of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat use, as well as attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control on intentions to limit social media use. Findings indicate that the standard theory of planned behavior constructs successfully predicted participants intentions to limit social media use, while intensity of use was mediated by social norms. The study suggests that participants’ emotional connectedness toward social media is an antecedent of certain variables, such as perceived social norms, which in turn predicts their intent to limit use of these media. 

Understanding work-related social media use: An extension of theory of planned behavior.

This study examines the motives of employees to engage in work related social media use - i.e. the use of personal social media accounts to communicate about work-related issues. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to explain this behavior. Because social media can enable users to express their identities, social identity expressiveness and self-identity expressiveness were added to the TPB model. Through an online questionnaire, using purposive sampling technique, 514 Dutch employees were asked about their social media use and motivation to do so. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test our hypotheses. Results indicate that these identity constructs enhance the predictive ability of the TPB. As such, workrelation social media use is likely to take place spontaneously rather than deliberately and consciously planned