Modelling factors of social media usage by B2B salespersons: an emerging market study

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratan Kumar ◽  
Vibhava Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to extend and contribute to the evolving phenomenon of social media usage by business-to-business (B2B) salespersons. It draws on the interactional psychology model and extended technology acceptance model to explore the said phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based quantitative study was carried out. Responses were gathered through a self-administered and structured questionnaire, from 218 B2B salespersons who were pooled in using purposive and snowball sampling. The final data set was subjected to partial least squares-based structural equation modelling using WarpPLS 7.0. Findings This study found that individual factors, namely, salesperson’s social media competence and sales capabilities; organizational factors, namely, organizational commitment and organizational competence; and social factors, namely, image, result demonstrability and subjective norms, contribute positively and significantly towards social media usage by B2B salespeople. The study also found that the impact of individual factors on intention to use social media was partially mediated by its perceived usefulness, while in the case of organizational and social factors, the impact was fully mediated by its perceived ease of use. Research limitations/implications This study provides a valuable addition to the existing literature on sales and social media; however, the contextualization cannot be ignored. Practical implications This study enables firms to understand various factors affecting salespeople’ perception of social media and to make them appreciate its usage in improving sales performance and customer satisfaction. Originality/value It is the first study that models the factors of salespeople’s usage of social media in their job at three levels, namely, individual, organizational and social, and establishes the link between B2B salespersons’ perceived usefulness of social media, sales capabilities, social media competence and intention to use social media.

When did fun become so much work

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 966-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Loiacono ◽  
Scott McCoy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Technologies ◽  
Online Persona ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the negative impact the invasive nature of social media technologies (SMTs) can have on a user’s continued intention to use it. Design/methodology/approach In order to understand the impact technology invasiveness (TI) has on people’s continued SMT behavior, a research model and corresponding survey were developed based on a comprehensive literature review and data collected from actual SMT users. Findings The authors found perceived usefulness has a large impact on user’s attitudes. Additionally, social networking (SN) has a significant and direct impact on both attitude toward the use of the SMT and its continued use. Another interesting finding is how strongly SN increases a user’s TI. The negative impact technology has on users’ lives comes from the need users feel to continue to update and manage their online persona. Practical implications Social media tools are becoming part of the workplace environment. If not careful, companies may introduce increased pressures on their workers to constantly be “connected” to SMTs. In order to obtain the advantages of SMT usage, companies would be wise to set expectation standards that alleviate some of this pressure. Social implications This growth in social media would lead one to assume that all is well with SMTs and their usage is similar to other web-based technologies. However, there are some negative effects of SMT that warrant society and companies pausing to rethink the focus on these technologies. Originality/value Previous research has looked at IT from system success and acceptance. In this paper, we investigate the negative impact the invasive nature of SMTs can have on a user’s continued intention to use it.

Private club members’ perceptions of social media

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
MiRan Kim ◽  
Ronald Cichy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Online Social Media ◽  
Usage Behavior ◽  
Perceived Enjoyment ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

Purpose Private club members belong to an organization where people with common interests, experiences, backgrounds and professions meet for social and recreational purposes. This study aims to examine the relationships among private club members’ perceptions of social media regarding perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, attitude toward social media involvement and behavioral intention toward social media usage. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted among private club members across the USA (n = 571). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings of this study center on the perceptions of club members and their beliefs and attitudes associated with their social media usage behavior. This study extends the social media literature by supporting previous studies that suggest a causal flow from perceived ease of use to intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment) based on a motivational model. Research limitations/implications This study is meaningful for revealing the perceptions of private club members and their beliefs and attitudes associated with their social media usage behavior. It is untested whether this study’s model applies to other hospitality businesses. Future research could examine other segments and add other variables such as perceived security and trust. Practical implications This study can provide private club managers, and the members of the clubs that they lead, with a better understanding of online social media. Originality/value This study is one of a few empirical online social media studies in the area of the private club industry. This study seeks to provide baselines regarding social media perceptions and usage in the hospitality literature by providing a comprehensive model.

Social media as tool for facilitating knowledge creation and innovation in small and medium enterprises

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Papa ◽  
Gabriele Santoro ◽  
Lia Tirabeni ◽  
Filippo Monge
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of social media usage on four knowledge creation processes, namely socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation, and innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach A sample of 96 SMEs has been used to gather data through a standardised questionnaire and test the hypotheses through OLS regression models. Findings The results indicate that social media influence positively three out of four knowledge creation processes and that they help to foster the innovation process. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, the study contributes to literature considering a specific digital tool and its effect on knowledge creation and innovation. In fact, a few studies have considered the impact of social media usage on other variables, such as ROI and productivity, but never on knowledge creation and innovation through a quantitative study. From a managerial perspective, the research suggests managers to implement and involve social media within business and innovation processes.

Determinants of continuance intention to use mobile self-scanning applications in retail

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Ferreira ◽  
Graça Miranda Silva ◽  
Álvaro Lopes Dias
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Continuance Intention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Direct

PurposeRetailers are increasingly using self-service technologies to improve customer experience and reduce costs. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that could explain the level of continuance intention of mobile self-scanning applications in retail. Based on previous theoretical streams, the present study integrates technology readiness (TR) and service quality into the technology acceptance model.Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected through an online survey of 217 users of a mobile self-scanning application of a large supermarket chain operating in Portugal, the study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that the continuance usage of the self-scanning apps is directly driven by users' satisfaction and perceived usefulness. Findings also show that TR has a positive and significant impact on ease of use and perceived usefulness. Ease of use has a positive impact on users' satisfaction and perceived usefulness but has no direct effect on the continuance intention to use the application. Perceived quality has a positive direct effect on satisfaction and a positive indirect effect on continuance intention. Finally, need for interaction has a negative effect on TR.Originality/valueThis work contributes to a better understanding of the emerging market for mobile self-scanning applications in retail applications, particularly relevant in a digital transition context.

How academic leaders facilitate knowledge sharing: a case of universities in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 777-798
Author(s):  
Man Fung Lo ◽  
Feng Tian
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hong Kong Higher Education

PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the factors of two sub-processes – knowledge donating and knowledge collecting – of knowledge sharing in Hong Kong higher education context. This study examines the individual factors, organizational factors and technology factor of knowledge sharing. Individual factors include enjoyment in helping others and knowledge self-efficacy while organizational factors refer to the top management support, organizational rewards and organizational culture. The use of technology system is proposed to be the technology factor.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature review, this study develops a structural model representing the impact of six latent variables on knowledge donating and knowledge collecting processes Data from a questionnaire survey of 166 respondents from academics from Hong Kong higher education sector was used to analyze the model. PLS-SEM was adopted in this study.FindingsThe result of the data analysis suggests enjoyment in helping others has a positive impact on both knowledge donating and knowledge collecting. For organizational factors, a trust and collaborative culture enhance both the sub-processes. The technology factor only contributes to the knowledge donating process. Several practical implications are provided to high education leaders, for instance, by establishing a trust and collaborative environment, academics are more eager to donate and collect knowledge.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights for researchers to further understand how individual, organizational and technology factors affect two sub-processes of knowledge sharing. On the practical side, this study validated several critical factors to successful knowledge donation and knowledge collection.

Relationships among absorptive capacity, creativity and job performance: the moderating role of social media usage

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huseyin Ince ◽  
Salih Zeki Imamoglu ◽  
Hulya Turkcan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeThis paper investigates the impact of absorptive capacity (ACAP) on creativity and the effect of creativity on job performance. Further, the study investigates the moderating role of social media usage on the ACAP–creativity link and the creativity–job performance link. Accordingly, drawing on the ACAP perspective and social exchange theory (SET), the study develops a conceptual model and tests the proposed relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe paper empirically tests the developed model using 512 survey responses from research and development (R&D) employees. Data were factor analyzed, and path estimates were determined using structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results reveal that (1) individual ACAP is positively related to creativity; (2) creativity is positively associated with job performance and (3) social media usage positively moderates the relationship between individual ACAP and creativity.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the ACAP and creativity literature by establishing a comprehensive and empirically grounded framework that enlightens the relationships between ACAP, creativity, job performance and the moderating role of social media usage.

Team social media usage and intra-team competition and cooperation: a social information processing perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuqin Zhang ◽  
Qian Huang ◽  
Hefu Liu ◽  
Youying Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Social Information Processing ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Cooperation ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Cooperation And Competition ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to explore how team task-related social media usage (TSMU) and social-related social media usage (SSMU) affect employees' perceptions of intra-team cooperation and competition and further individual creativity.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a questionnaire survey on enterprises in China that have implemented social media and obtained 348 useable questionnaires from 55 work teams.FindingsThe results revealed that employees' perceptions of intra-team cooperation and competition can promote employees' creativity. Employees' cooperation perception can be significantly positively affected by TSMU and SSMU, whereas employees' competition perception can be significantly positively affected by TSMU. Regarding congruence, the results indicated that the more balanced between TSMU and SSMU, the stronger the competition perception.Practical implicationsManagers should pay critical attention to the role of team social media usage (SMU) in shaping employees' perceptions of their team environments. They should realize the different outcomes and the joint effects of the different types of SMU.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the social media literature by explaining the impact of team SMU on employees' perceptions and evaluations of team environments based on the social information processing theory. The study presents the relationships among team SMU, employees' perceptions of cooperation and competition and employee creativity. Moreover, this study expands research on the trade-off of SMU by exploring the impact of balanced and imbalanced SMU in a work team.

Perceived value of social media in students’ participation in social movement

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 244-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shohana Akter ◽  
Md. Anwarul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Reform Movement ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tam Model ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the use of social media (SM) and its influence for increasing students’ participation in the quota reform movement at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach The revised technology acceptance model (TAM) was used to formulate this research’s hypotheses. A survey was administered to obtain data about students’ intention to use SM. The survey consisted of a set of questions based upon the revised TAM model. A total of 498 surveys were distributed and 304 students responded to it; hence, response rate was of 61.04%. A regression and single way ANOVA were conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that most of the students use SM for academic purposes and to get connected with friends. Among the social networking tools, Facebook is the most widely used by the respondents. Findings supported that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of SM affect student’s intention to increase participation in the quota reform movement. There were no significant relationships between gender and politics with the use of SM. Research limitations/implications A sample of students from Dhaka University was taken and the sample size was small. As a result, the findings of this study cannot be generalized in other settings. SM has a positive effect in the societies where change happens through collective actions. Originality/value Why and how students use SM has been widely discussed over the available literature, but students’ intention to use for it for social movements has not been studied. This study has made an effort to empirically examine the use of SM in the context of the quota reform movement in Bangladesh.

Examining the antecedents of persuasive eWOM messages in social media

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 746-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shasha Teng ◽  
Kok Wei Khong ◽  
Wei Wei Goh ◽  
Alain Yee Loong Chong
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Source Credibility ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Information Acceptance

Purpose – Numerous electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of persuasive eWOM messages. Despite the impact of eWOM messages in decision-making processes, few researches have directly tested potential antecedents of persuasive eWOM messages among message recipients in social media context. The purpose of this paper is to critically discuss and examine the determinants of persuasive eWOM messages when message recipients intend to accept and use eWOM messages. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed extant literature of eWOM and proposed hypotheses regarding persuasive eWOM messages in social media context. A survey of 78 respondents was conducted and the data were analysed using SmartPLS. Findings – This study found that argument quality, source credibility, source attractiveness, source perception and source style are critical antecedents of persuasive eWOM messages. The PLS results suggested that source credibility (trustworthiness), source perception (usefulness, social ties) and source style (visual cues, number) are main characteristics of credible eWOM messages in relation to users’ intention to accept and use online reviews. The variance of information acceptance and intention to use were also explained in the findings. Practical implications – This paper identified critical antecedents of persuasive eWOM messages and suggested eWOM messages as a credible source. An integrated conceptual framework was developed to illustrate comprehensive antecedents of persuasive eWOM messages, and the relationships between these messages, information acceptance and intention to use. Originality/value – The significance of the study is to identify the effectiveness of eWOM messages and its impact on intention to accept and use these messages. Moreover, this study will provide insightful guidelines for marketers with practical implications in approaching emerging markets via eWOM initiatives.

The impact of communication channels on mobile banking adoption

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huong Thi Thanh Tran ◽  
James Corner
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Communication Channels ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Mobile Banking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the distinct effects of different communication channels, particularly interpersonal networks, social media, and mass media on customer beliefs and usage intention in a mobile banking (MB) context. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches with an exploratory sequential research design in two major phases: focus groups; and a large-scale survey among 183 New Zealand young adults. Findings – The most significant influential factor of usage intention was perceived usefulness, followed by perceived credibility and perceived costs. Face-to-face communication with bank staff and close acquaintances was perceived as the most reliable and persuasive sources of banking-related information. Moreover, mass channels were considered to be more important and trustworthy than social media in the MB sector. The research results revealed that the current status of MB diffusion in New Zealand is in the latter stages (Late Majority and Laggards) of the innovation diffusion cycle. Practical implications – In light of the research findings, bank marketers can make the right decisions on marketing actions to promote MB effectively as well as develop appropriate communication policies to speed up the consumer decision process. Researchers and allied industries (e.g. mobile commercial services) could also gain benefits from applying these results to understand the impact of communication channels on consumer perceptions and behaviours towards new technology acceptance. Originality/value – The research outcomes have served to broaden the knowledge into the distinguishing influences of major communication channels on customers’ beliefs and intention to adopt new banking services.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document