Factors affecting information sharing in social networking sites amongst university students. Application of the knowledge-sharing model to social networking sites
| Published date | 08 June 2015 |
| Pages | 290-309 |
| Date | 08 June 2015 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-01-2015-0022 |
| Author | Junga Kim,Chunsik Lee,Troy Elias |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval |
Factors affecting information
sharing in social networking
sites amongst university students
Application of the knowledge-sharing
model to social networking sites
Junga Kim and Chunsik Lee
Department of Communication, University of North Florida,
Jacksonville, Florida, USA, and
Troy Elias
School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon,
Eugene, Oregon, USA
Abstract
Purpose –Drawing upon the knowledge sharing model, the purpose of this paper is to identify
personal and environmental antecedents to information sharing on social networking sites (SNSs) and
examines the interaction effects between the two factors.
Design/methodology/approach –Data were collected via online survey with college students.
Hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to test hypotheses and examine research questions.
Findings –With regard to environmental factors, the more users perceive their audience to be a
collection of weak ties, the more likely they are to share information on SNSs, independent of the size of
their networks. Personal factors such as information self-efficacy, positive social outcome expectations,
and sharing enjoyment feelings were found to be significant predictors of sharing activities.
In addition, a significant interaction effect was found such that the effects of social outcome
expectations on sharing activities on SNSs are manifested to a greater extent when users perceive their
audience as weak ties rather than strong ties.
Originality/value –This study extends the knowledge sharing model literature by applying it to the
SNS context and advances SNS research by taking into consideration both environmental factors and
personal factors and their interactions.
Keywords Social networking sites, Knowledge sharing model, Social cognitive theory,
Tie of strength
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Within the US users of social networking sites (SNSs) represent roughly 70 per cent of
those online (Duggan et al., 2015), underscoring the increasing role of SNSs as a
mainstay of our daily media consumption. A benefit of SNSs is that users can quickly
learn about important news stories, issues and events through their contacts as well as
from official news entities. A recent Pew Research study, for instance, reported that
about half of US online users get news from SNSs, which amounts to approximately
30 per cent of all US adults (Mitchell et al., 2013). In addition SNSs are the second largest
traffic sources for top news web sites and are increasingly approaching the level of
search engines, the number one web traffic sources (McGee, 2014). These industry
statistics suggest that SNSs have evolved from fundamental networking tools into a
major source of news and information.
Online Information Review
Vol. 39 No. 3, 2015
pp. 290-309
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-01-2015-0022
Received 16 January 2015
First revision approved
16 March 2015
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
290
OIR
39,3
One factor that may have contributed to this information environment is users’
voluntary information sharing on SNSs. Generally SNSs provide sharing features,
which promote the dissemination of ideas, opinions, reactions, interests, activities
and other forms of user-generated content for other users to consume. SNS users, in so
doing, enrich and contribute SNS content. Given the rapid growth in popularity of SNSs
as an information source, users’motivations for information sharing on SNSs warrant
further investigations.
A large number of studies on online information sharing have focused on electronic
word-of-mouth with a primary emphasis on information about brands, products or
services (King et al., 2014). Literature on general information sharing including news
and entertainment on SNSs has been limited. A few studies have investigated the
antecedents of news sharing on SNSs and identified information seeking, socialising
and status seeking as motivational antecedents (Lee and Ma, 2012). However,
individual SNS users’motivation and sharing behaviours may also be defined and
influenced by environmental factors (Bandura, 1989). These may include the size of
social networks and the strength of ties among one’s social networks. Environmental
factors may vary across SNS users. Research examining the roles of both personal and
environmental factors in information sharing on SNSs is scarce. To fill this gap the
present study draws upon the knowledge-sharing model and its parent theory, social
cognitive theory, which provides a tripartite model of personal and environm ental
factors and individual behaviour (Bandura, 1986).
The knowledge-sharing model has been utilised to elucidate sharing behaviours in
contexts such as business organisations (Law and Ngai, 2008; Wah et al., 2005) and
virtual communities (Chiu et al., 2006; Hsu et al., 2007). Although the knowledge-sharing
model provides a promising framework for information sharing behaviours on SNSs, it
has been underutilised as a theoretical framework for studying information sharing
activities in the context of SNSs. Information sharing is a highly contextual
phenomenon (Talja and Hansen, 2006; Wilson, 2010). Motivational drivers thus vary
depending on the context in which information sharing is to occur. Thus, recognising
the differences between the organisational contexts and SNSs, the present study
attempts to identify key factors explaining the variance of information sharing
behaviours in the SNS context. In addition this study investigates the interaction
effects of personal factors and environmental factors on information sharing on SNSs.
This investigation will help improve understanding of the nature of information
sharing behaviours and the types and characteristics of information shared on SNSs.
Literature review
The knowledge-sharing model in different contexts
User-generated content creation and dissemination on SNSs, in many ways, is
analogous to knowledge sharing behaviour (Law and Ngai, 2008). For instance,
knowledge sharing has been defined as a voluntary behaviour wherein an individual
shares his or her acquired knowledge with others (Helmstadter, 2003). This process
presumes social interactions between knowledge contributors and receivers, across a
variety of contexts. Prior studies identified and highlighted the influence of different
types of factors in contexts that include professional organisations (e.g. Cabrera et al.,
2006; Lin, 2007; Wah et al., 2005) and physical (e.g. Wellman and Wortley, 1990) or
virtual communities (e.g. Chiu et al., 2006; Hsu et al., 2007).
Existing knowledge sharing literature has identified both personal and environmental
factors to knowledge sharing in organisational settings. A line of research focusing on
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