Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Shim, Jung P.

Committee Member

Templeton, Gary

Committee Member

Marett, Kent

Committee Member

Ponder, Nicole

Committee Member

Otondo, Robert

Date of Degree

12-11-2009

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Business Information Systems

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

College of Business

Department

Department of Management and Information Systems

Abstract

Developments such as the ubiquity of electronic networks and the breadth of digital platforms beyond simple forums have lead to major economic and social transformations worldwide (Agarwal et al, 2008). This research will explore developments in the area of social networking using Internet technology in order to determine factors that lead to success. Despite considerable growth among the number of online communities available, very few are successful at retaining members and continued usage by its members (Ma & Agarwal, 2007). The purpose of this dissertation is to determine factors leading to a successful social networking site (SNS). Through the unification of the IS success model and social capital theory, a new model is develop called the SNS success model. The result of this study support eight hypotheses with one hypothesis unsupported. It was shown that content quality, system quality, and trust positively affect social capital and user satisfaction. User satisfaction positively affects continued use intention. Social capital was shown to support user satisfaction but the relationship with continued use intention was non-significant. Further investigation demonstrated that the relationship between social capital and continued use intention was fully mediated by user satisfaction. This study contributes to knowledge by developing a model displaying success factors for SNS success. Further, it demonstrates the relationship between social capital and continued use intention through the mediation of user satisfaction. This study serves as a foundation of research in the emerging area of SNSs. It also has practical implications for practitioners to help SNS administrators understand factors that influence usage. Recommendations for future research and practical implications for SNS administrators are also discussed.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/17110

Comments

SNS Success Model||Social Capital||Social Network Sites||IS success

Download

Share

COinS