Social Network Sites: Antecedents of User Adoption and Usage

The use of social networking websites has become a current international phenomenon. Popular websites include MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster. Their rapid widespread use warrants a better understanding. However, there has been little empirical research studying the factors that determine the use of this hedonic computer-mediated communication technology This study contributes to our understanding of the antecedents that influence adoption and use of social networking websites by examining the effect of the perceptions of playfulness, critical mass, trust, and normative pressure on the use of social networking sites.. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the patterns of inter-correlations among the constructs and to empirically test the hypotheses. Each of the antecedents has a significant direct effect on intent to use social networking websites, with playfulness and critical mass the strongest indicators. Intent to use and playfulness had a significant direct effect on actual usage

An Exploratory Study of Consumer Adoption of Online Shopping: Mediating Effect of Online Purchase Intention

An exploratory study was conducted to investigate consumer adoption of online purchase using a survey data set. Based upon the theory of innovation and self-efficacy theory, risk aversion, online proficiency, shopping convenience, and product choice variety were proposed to influence consumer intention to shop online, which, in turn, affects online purchases. Results of regression analyses revealed that all but shopping convenience were significant predictors of consumer intention to purchase online. In addition, consumer intention directly determines consumer purchases online. Finally, consumer intention to purchase online mediates the relationship of risk aversion, shopping convenience, and product choice variety to online shopping. Research and managerial implications of the findings were discussed

An Empirical Comparison of Consumer Innovation Adoption Models: Implications for Subsistence Marketplaces

So called “pro-poor” innovations may improve consumer wellbeing in subsistence marketplaces. However, there is little research that integrates the area with the vast literature on innovation adoption. Using a questionnaire where respondents were asked to provide their evaluations about a mobile banking innovation, this research fills this gap by providing empirical evidence of the applicability of existing innovation adoption models in subsistence marketplaces. The study was conducted in Bangladesh among a geographically dispersed sample. The data collected allowed an empirical comparison of models in a subsistence context. The research reveals the most useful models in this context to be the Value Based Adoption Model and the Consumer Acceptance of Technology model. In light of these findings and further examination of the model comparison results the research also shows that consumers in subsistence marketplaces are not just motivated by functionality and economic needs. If organizations cannot enhance the hedonic attributes of a pro-poor innovation, and reduce the internal/external constraints related to adoption of that pro-poor innovation, then adoption intention by consumers will be lower

Competing in an emerging market: antecedents and consequences of market orientation and the role of environmental factors

Adoption of market orientation is an investment decision involved with benefit and cost considerations. How environmental factors influence the adoption of market orientation has received scant attention in the literature. This study fills the void by investigating the environmental antecedents to market orientation. In addition, the research explores the role market orientation and customer satisfaction play for firms operating in an emerging market in search of growth and prosperity. Based on data collected from India, one of the BRIC nations and an important emerging market, results show that turbulent and dynamic market conditions foster an adoption of market orientation, which leads to high levels of customer satisfaction, and in turn leads to customer loyalty. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed

The role of social influence on adoption of high tech innovations: The moderating effect of public/private consumption

As technological innovations have become an integral part of the world economy in recent decades, predicting acceptance of those products has become a major goal of many researchers in academia and industry. The main objective of this study is to examine the role of social influence and the moderating effect of a product's public/private status on consumers' intended adoption of high-tech innovations. The results indicate that both social influence and adoption attitude have positive effects on consumer intention to adopt an innovation. Specifically, the effect of social influence on adoption intention is fully mediated by consumer attitude. Further, the relationship between social influence and adoption intention is stronger when an innovation is publicly consumed rather than privately consumed. Implications and future research directions are discussed.Social influence Adoption High tech innovations Public/private consumption