The role of online social networks in university students’ environmentally responsible behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirreza Rezaei ◽  
Saba Ahmadi ◽  
Hamid Karimi

Purpose This study aims to determine the effect of online social networks on university students’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). This research aimed to develop and test a behavioral model in the context of online social networks, where students’ attitudes, knowledge and behavior influence their ERB. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quasi-experiment with a pretest-posttest design and a random parallelization control group. The research used a questionnaire to assess ERB, environmental attitudes and environmental knowledge. The researcher randomly assigned 120 students to an experimental and a control group of equal size. Both groups initially completed a pretest. The experimental group was trained in environmental issues over four months (an academic semester) via an online social network. Findings The findings indicated that the social network had a significant effect on motivating ERB. Additionally, it improved environmental attitudes. According to the results, online social networks such as Facebook can significantly aid in teaching and learning environmental issues in formal academic settings. Originality/value Online social networks facilitated significant cognitive progress in environmental education. The primary objective is to educate students about ERB.

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72
Author(s):  
Ariksrikiana Ariksrikiana ◽  
Suwirman Nuryadin ◽  
Sunaryo Sunaryo

This study aims to determine the effect of knowledge on environmental issues and personality (introverts) towards environmentally responsible behavior. The method used in this study is an ex-post-facto study. This study was conducted at SMAN 1 Bekasi, with 40 respondents Students.Research and development has been applied by involving 40 people as sample,each for treatment and control group Instrumet for measuring people knowleage has been developed in true-false format with reability research results revealed that there was significant difference of people knowleage between post and pre-test in treatment group between treatment and control group gain-scores. These indicated that instructional package was able to improve effectively people knowleage abaut natural reasource conservasion.sasi culture has been proven to be one of traditional heritages which influence people way of live howto harmonioussly with nature.it has been also strengthened by a intergrating it with ecological concepts in an intsructional package this product could be disseminated for young generation as what expected by sustainable development, The results of the study show that there is an influence of environmental issues on the personality of environmentally responsible behavior. The conclusion that knowledge of environmental issues is not alone affects the environmentally responsible but also depends on the personality (introvert and extrovert) hali it can also be seen in the findings.


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 536-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaista Wasiuzzaman ◽  
Siavash Edalat

Purpose – The vast amount of information available via online social networks (OSN) makes it a very good avenue for understanding human behavior. One of the human characteristics of interest to financial practitioners is an individual’s financial risk tolerance. The purpose of this paper is to look at the relationship between an individual’s OSN behavior and his/her financial risk tolerance. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses data collected from a sample of 220 university students and the backward variables selection ordinary least squares regression analysis technique to achieve its objective. Findings – The results of the study find that the frequency of logging on to social network sites indicates an individual who has higher financial risk tolerance. Additionally, the increasing use of social networks for social connection is found to be associated with lower financial risk tolerance. The results are mostly consistent when the sample is split based on prior financial knowledge. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study which documents the possibility of understanding an individual’s financial risk tolerance via his/her social network activity. This provides investment/financial consultants with more avenues for gathering information in order to understand their current or potential clients hence providing better services.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yıldırım Yılmaz ◽  
Elham Anasori

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of individuals' mindfulness and enjoyment of nature on environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) through mediating effect of sustainable attitude (SA).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from residents of Antalya through convenience sampling. Four hundred and five residents participated in the study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsMindfulness was found effective for sustainable attitude of residents, but it has no significant direct effect to ERB. There is an indirect-only mediation effect of SA between mindfulness and ERB. Enjoyment of nature affects the sustainable attitude and ERB significantly and positively. The findings show that SA also offers a complementary mediation between enjoyment of nature and ERB.Research limitations/implicationsThe study closes the void by investigating the psychological aspects of individuals among residents of a tourist hub to create sustainable attitude, acts and responsible behavior toward environment. In particular, as the predicting role of mindfulness on ERB was not significant, further studies needed to investigate the effects of mindfulness on the environmental behavior and attitude.Practical implicationsDestination management organizations can consider more focusing on the environmentally responsible behavior of residents, which can play a pivotal role in attaining sustainable tourism development in destinations. By this regard, increasing the sustainable attitude and enjoyment of nature of residents through applying various campaigns would help policies and strategies aiming the conservation of the environment in the destination.Originality/valueSearching the impact of mindfulness on the SA and ERB and finding the indirect-only mediation effect of SA between mindfulness, ERB are novel contributions of this paper.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaldo Mario Litterio ◽  
Esteban Alberto Nantes ◽  
Juan Manuel Larrosa ◽  
Liliana Julia Gómez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use the practical application of tools provided by social network theory for the detection of potential influencers from the point of view of marketing within online communities. It proposes a method to detect significant actors based on centrality metrics. Design/methodology/approach A matrix is proposed for the classification of the individuals that integrate a social network based on the combination of eigenvector centrality and betweenness centrality. The model is tested on a Facebook fan page for a sporting event. NodeXL is used to extract and analyze information. Semantic analysis and agent-based simulation are used to test the model. Findings The proposed model is effective in detecting actors with the potential to efficiently spread a message in relation to the rest of the community, which is achieved from their position within the network. Social network analysis (SNA) and the proposed model, in particular, are useful to detect subgroups of components with particular characteristics that are not evident from other analysis methods. Originality/value This paper approaches the application of SNA to online social communities from an empirical and experimental perspective. Its originality lies in combining information from two individual metrics to understand the phenomenon of influence. Online social networks are gaining relevance and the literature that exists in relation to this subject is still fragmented and incipient. This paper contributes to a better understanding of this phenomenon of networks and the development of better tools to manage it through the proposal of a novel method.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Palacios-Marqués ◽  
Simona Popa ◽  
María Pilar Alguacil Mari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of online social networks and competency-based management on innovation capability. Design/methodology/approach The paper is theory-confirming. Theoretical relationships were tested using an empirical study of 289 firms from the Spanish biotechnology and telecommunications industries. Findings Results confirm that online social network use for internal cognitive processes (e.g. reading, searching and storing information) and external cognitive processes (e.g. sharing and co-creating knowledge) positively affects knowledge transfer. This knowledge helps firms to achieve superior competency in R&D to succeed in innovation programs. Research Limitations/implications All survey respondents were from Spain, which may limit the generalizability of findings. A longitudinal approach was not used. However, doing so would make it possible to explore time lags between online social network use, competency-based management and innovation. Practical Implications This paper highlights the potential as well as the limitations of online social networks and competency-based management in promoting innovation capability. Businesses must consciously manage the assimilation and use of online social networks to benefit from them. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by identifying effects on innovation capability at the meso-level (i.e. online social networks). Findings highlight the need for a shift in focus away from collaborating and interacting in online social networks (micro-level) and organizational contexts (macro-level) so as to improve innovation capability.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Preko ◽  
Anthony Nkrumah Agyabeng ◽  
James Kwame Mensah

PurposeThe literature has acknowledged that good health is a crucial component of well-being. This study explores the country-specific understanding of slum dwellers' occupational activities and their environmental behavior.Design/methodology/approachUsing the environmentally responsible behavior model, the study utilized exploratory qualitative approach to purposely sample 35 respondents, who responded to health-related behaviors through in-depth interviews.FindingsFindings show that respondents are engaged in diverse socio-economic occupational activities such as selling of cooked and uncooked food in polythene bags, selling of sachet water and burning the waste generated from these activities in the slum environment. In addition, the study found specific occupational activities of masons, carpenters, tilers, salon beauticians, scrap dealers and unhygienic waste disposal in the slums. Finally, this study uncovered divided opinions in terms of respondents' environmental responsibility and awareness of environmental ramifications. Therefore, issues such as health hazards, unhealthy environment and soil deterioration are common at the slum dwellings.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings and the conclusion drawn cannot be generalized to represent the entire population of slum dwellers in Ghana due to the qualitative methodology employed.Practical implicationsThis study revealed a country-specific understanding of the environmentally responsible behavior of slum dwellers based on their occupational activities, which can inform health policies.Originality/valueThe outcome of this study advanced contextual culturally specific understanding, concerning health-related behavior of slum dwellers, which is important to policymakers and practitioners in contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Suárez Vázquez ◽  
Manuel Chica Serrano

PurposeThis paper aims to fill a gap in the existing literature by answering the following question: is the effect of envy on people's intention to share information the same in offline settings and on online social networks?Design/methodology/approachTwo studies demonstrate (1) how envy that results from upward social comparisons affects people's intention to share information and (2) the difference between online and offline settings.FindingsThe likelihood of sharing information susceptible of triggering envy is lower in online social networks than in an offline scenario.Research limitations/implicationsIn digital environments, feelings of envy depend on the number of social comparisons that the individual is exposed to.Practical implicationsThis research recommends (1) incorporating tools that allow online social network users to feel part of their network's successes, (2) promoting offline diffusion of information and (3) encouraging people to play an active role when using online social networks.Social implicationsBenefits can be derived from offering tools that permit receivers to take advantage of the selective self-presentation of other users. Such tools could have positive consequences for the welfare of online social network users.Originality/valueTo date, the literature has paid no attention to envy as an engine of information sharing. This aspect is especially relevant when discussing platforms whose main goal is precisely information sharing and that offer fertile ground for upward social comparisons.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia Rostami ◽  
Elaheh Hosseini ◽  
Mohammad Karim Saberi

Purpose The study aims to survey information-seeking behavior of the Iranian medical faculty members and to identify the reasons and obstacles of their usage via the internet, scientific databases and online social networks. Design/methodology/approach In this cross-sectional study, a structured questionnaire used to collect data. The research population includes faculty members of four faculties of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, including health, nursing – midwifery, paramedicine and rehabilitation. SPSS software was used to analyze data in descriptive and analytical levels. Findings Low internet speed, network traffic and lack of time were the main barriers and difficulties. Gender was significantly related with familiarity with databases, problems and barriers to accessing information, barriers to using social network, as well as purpose and motivation of using social network. Search for educational and research resources and use of social network to increase their general information were the main goals of participants to using the internet and databases. A negative significant relationship was observed between usage of social network with age (r = −0.204, P = 0.047) and experience (r = −0.239, P = 0.019). Originality/value The usage of faculty members of various digital resources is growing ever more. This study examines the use of faculty members of the internet, scientific databases and online social networks simultaneously.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Hui-Ye Chiu ◽  
Chien-Chou Chen ◽  
Yuh-Jzer Joung ◽  
Shymin Chen

Purpose – Most studies on tie strength have focused on its definition, calculation and applications, but have not paid much attention to how tie strength can help analyse online social networks. Because ties play different roles in a network depending on their strength, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between tie strength and network behaviours. Design/methodology/approach – The authors propose a simple metric for tie strength measurement and then apply it to an online social network extracted from a blog network. These networks are massive in size and have technology for efficient data collection, thereby presenting the possibility of measuring tie strength objectively. From the results several key social network properties are studied to see how tie strength may be used as a metric to explain certain characteristics in social networks. Findings – The online networks exhibit all the structural properties of an actual social network, not only in following the power law but also with regard to the distribution of tie strength. The authors noted a strong association between tie strength and reciprocity, and tie strength and transitivity in online social networks. Originality/value – This paper highlights the importance of analysing online social networks from a tie strength perspective. The results have important implications for the development of efficient search mechanisms and appropriate group leaders in virtual communities.


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