Exploring the key drivers of internet behaviour among the youth of emerging markets. The case of Ghana
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2018-0005 |
| Published date | 05 November 2018 |
| Date | 05 November 2018 |
| Pages | 486-509 |
| Author | Robert Kwame Dzogbenuku,Desmond Kwadjo Kumi |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Exploring the key drivers of
internet behaviour among the
youth of emerging markets
The case of Ghana
Robert Kwame Dzogbenuku
Department of Marketing, Central University, Accra, Ghana, and
Desmond Kwadjo Kumi
Dalmon Limited, Accra, Ghana
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study is to investigatethe impact of internet on the e-lifestyle of the youth of
emergingmarkets (EMs) in contemporary digital world using Ghanaianyouth as a case study.
Design/methodology/approach –Survey data were obtainedfrom students of five leading universities
in Accra, the nation’s capital, between Februaryand June 2017. Of the 300 questionnaires administered, 276
were usable representing92 per cent collection rate. Respondentswere randomly approached and oriented on
the object of the study and asked to complete the instrument voluntarilyusing the face-to-face approach at
student events.Both the exploratory factor analysis (EFA)and the structural equation modelling procedureof
partial leastsquare (PLS-SEM) were used to analyse thedata.
Findings –From the study, drivers of the e-lifestyle of youthin EMs were listed in order of importance:
socio-importance, interest, entertainment, necessity, novelty, academic, transaction and concern needs.
Surprisingly,the quest for academic information does not motivate the youth to surf the internetcompared to
aspirationto satisfy social, interest and entertainment-drivenneeds.
Research limitations/implications –E-lifestyle addiction compels the youth to surf the internet via
mobile phones, computers and otherdevices for e-lifestyle satisfaction, requiring internet service providers,
marketers and academics to developinnovative e-lifestyle products to stimulate continuous internetusage of
internetby the youth.
Practical implications –This study provides practical insight forinternet service providers, web and
application developers and members of the academic community to consciously develop internet-based
productsthat direct the youth towards fulfillinge-lifestyle motivation.
Social implications –The convergence of the youth on the internet will in no doubt impact social
behaviour,thereby influencing lifestyles.
Originality/value –As very little work has been doneon youth e-lifestyle in EMs, this study serves as a
pioneeringwork in EMs using Ghanaian youth as a case study. Ironically, students of EMs spend lesstime on
the internet doing academic concerns compared to social activities. Additionally, the importance of
transaction(payments) needs as a driver of internet use among the youth has been emphasisedin this study.
Keywords Emerging markets, Ghana, Youth, Internet behaviour, e-lifestyle,
SEM partial least square
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Lifestyle is dynamic; hence, with rapid internet connectivity increment, many people, in
particular the youth, are compelledto adopt digitised lifestyle to suit their digital needs. The
internet can be described as one of the wonders of the twenty-first century because of its
GKMC
67,8/9
486
Received13 January 2018
Revised28 March 2018
22May 2018
24July 2018
Accepted24 July 2018
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.67 No. 8/9, 2018
pp. 486-509
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-01-2018-0005
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm
ubiquitous utilisation. Each day, the phenomenon alters and supports the lifestyle of
individuals and corporate entities worldwide with its additive tendencies (Hinson et al.,
2007), persuading usersto be hooked-on for hours to satisfy digital aspirations. It providesa
one-stop information hub for people with digital lifestyle and digital needs to obtain
information on varied topics worldwide within seconds. Today, the availability of digitised
mobile devices connected to the internetin most emerging markets (EMs) has overtaken the
provision of essential amenities like electricity, clean drinking water and basic education
(Karmakar and Sahib, 2017); as such, the internet is preferred to traditional sources of
information becauseof speed and convenience for social engagement.
Cropanzano and Michell (2005) define the socialexchange theory (SET) as an influential
conceptual paradigm in human behaviour which helps to understand how relationships
evolve over time regarding trust, loyaltyand mutual commitment of people. SET promotes
interpersonal relational valuethrough effective communication among individuals, families
and corporate stakeholders to emphasise the value of constant interaction in building and
sustaining long-lasting social behaviour (Lambe et al., 2001). SET further underscores
interdependence of people to generate high-quality bonding irrespective of circumstances
and person or entity (Cropnanzano and Mitchell, 2005;Cook and Rice, 2003). Therefore, our
dependence on the internet for digital and timely information that stimulates social gain in
our contemporary digitalage cannot be overemphasised.
Internetworldstats.com (2017), published by Nelson Online, reveals that as at March
2017, more than 3.7 billionpeople worldwide were connected to the internetwith a little over
353 million users being Africans. Internet advertisement reached $2.6bn in 2010 (Iab.net,
2011) growing by 4.1 per cent over 2010 highlighting its dominance and acceptance by
users. Furthermore, internet penetration on the African continent grew by 23 per cent,
pushing Ghana’s adoption rate to 28 per cent, indicative of high appreciation of the World
Wide Web. Ghana’s quest to leverage on information communication technology (ICT) for
national developmentstarted in the early 1990s. The country liberalised its telecom sector to
attract leading multinationals from Malaysia and South Africa to compete along service
quality and pricing (Dzogbenuku, 2013).Subsequently, fibre-optic cable and the state of the
art digital infrastructure were installed to facilitate high-quality voice-data service
seamlessly and for efficient communication (Dzogbenuku, 2013). In the field of marketing
communication, the internet is crucial for online business and for social media interaction
(Koshksaray and Farahani,2015).
Today, corporate–customer interactions are powered by internet availability for
impeccable service deliveryusing self-service technology (SST) without human intervention
(Hsin et al., 2016; McCabe, 2014). It permits tech-savvy individuals, especially theyouth, to
be digitally hooked online to satisfy social, economic and academic aspirations in line with
the SET theory. Regrettably, a scan through literature on youth internet behaviour reveals
that existing studies largely focussed on western contexts (Koshksaray et al.,2015).
Available text on youth digital or e-lifestyle and e-culture (Wilson, 2007;Kann et al.,2007)
emphasise youth behaviour in EMs. Yet, efficient internet adoption will significantly
influence personal, social and academic lifestyle. Furthermore, the internet promotes
constant interactionamong peers and relations in line with SET theory to improveacademic
and social life to ultimately increase revenue streams of internet service providers (ISPs) to
benefit key stakeholders.
Notable studies on internet life of Ghanaians focused on travel agents (Law, 2004),
universities (Adika, 2003;Hinson, 2005;Hinson and Amidu, 2006;Scott and Bruce,
1994), exporters (Hinson and Abor, 2005;Buasti and Hinson, 2005)andlawyers(Hinson
et al., 2007). Of these, two publications: Internet and youth health information
Key drivers of
internet
behaviour
487
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