Linking social networks to utilitarian benefits through counter-knowledge
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-12-2014-0307 |
| Date | 13 April 2015 |
| Pages | 179-196 |
| Published date | 13 April 2015 |
| Author | Noelia Sánchez-Casado,Juan Gabriel Cegarra-Navarro,Eva Tomaseti-Solano |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval |
Linking social networks to
utilitarian benefits through
counter-knowledge
Noelia Sánchez-Casado, Juan Gabriel Cegarra-Navarro and
Eva Tomaseti-Solano
Department of Business Economics, Technical University of Cartagena,
Cartagena, Spain
Abstract
Purpose –Social networking sites (SNS) enable users to create their own public profiles within a web
site. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people spreading misleading
information or rumours (i.e. counter-knowledge) about friends and other people thanks to social media
platforms. The purpose of this paper is to identify the role played by social networks in the process
of creating counter-knowledge, focusing on the counter-knowledge that users develop in the context of
SNS and its effect on utilitarian benefits.
Design/methodology/approach –This study analyses these effects through an empirical
investigation of 236 users of SNSs. The methodology involves the construction and analysis of a
structural equation model from a review of relevant literature.
Findings –The results confirm that, although the context of SNSs is a variable that will lead to
positive effects on counter-knowledge, the relationship between counter-knowledge and utilitarian
benefits becomes statistically insignificant. The results also showed that the content on social
networks may lead to higher levels of utilitarian benefits. This either amplifies or helps to encourage
cooperation among users and providers of rumours, beliefs and assumptions about what they
think is the truth.
Originality/value –From a user perspective, few, if any, studies of SNS have considered the
relationship between the information collected and generated by SNS and counter-knowledge.
Therefore, the results of this study lead the authors to advise managers of SNSs considering that
most but not all the content on SNSs is associated with the spread of rumours, misinformation and
unverified claims.
Keywords Social media, Social networking sites, Counter-knowledge, Utilitarian benefits
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Social networking sites (SNS) have emerged as a tool with which users can establish
and maintain relationships with their relatives, friends and other agents
(Hennig-Thurau et al., 2010). SNS are defined as applications that enable users to
connect by creating personal information profiles, and also provide specific profiles of
organisations where users can build and maintain relationships with each other
(Zaglia, 2013). From this perspective users are able to learn from each other, generate
new ideas and get important feedback from SNS (Dholakia et al., 2004). In this regard
Walton and Hepworth’s (2011) study provides evidence that an individual progresses
from a novice to an expert user during their learning journey. This means that in the
context of SNS, users establish relationships over a period of time that allow
Online Information Review
Vol. 39 No. 2, 2015
pp. 179-196
©Emerald Group Publis hing Limited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-12-2014-0307
Received 19 December 2014
Second revision approved
8February2015
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
The data for this research were derived from a research programme supported by the Spanish
Ministry of Education (REF: ECO2011-28641-C02-02) and the R&D Project for Excellence,
Andalusian Ministry of Education (REF: SEJ-6081).
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Linking social
networks to
utilitarian
benefits
information exchange but, rather than being mere recipients of information, they use
SNS to recommend products and services to others (Loureiro et al., 2014) or express
and disseminate their experiences and opinions about friends, relatives or news
(De Valck et al., 2009), creating new knowledge in the process.
Although reviews and comments in SNS become first reference points for users
(e.g. consumers) when they search for information on products ( Jalilvand and Samiei,
2012), it should be noted here that all so-called “knowledge”generated from SNS is not
necessarily good knowledge. Rumours, as well as gossip, unsupported explanations
and justifications shared on SNS are some examples that illustrate users’ability to
create inappropriate or false beliefs via SNS. Regarding this, poorly written blogs can
have obvious detrimental effects on writing skills (Rector, 2008), while misinformation
and the absence of relevant knowledge can hinder effective buying decisions
(Lewandowsky et al., 2012). Counter-knowledge is created when people develop
inappropriate or incorrect interpretations of certain events or sequences of facts
(Thompson, 2008). Hence, as Koller and Alpar (2008) noted, wikis, blogs and web 2.0
technologies are nowhere near as reliable as printed media and users may create
counter-knowledge as a consequence of these unreliable or inaccurate sources. The
above examples illustrate users’capacity to create counter-knowledge by using
digital social media platforms and high-tech gadgets such as tablets and smart phones
(Hirose and Sonehara, 2008).
However, as acknowledged in previous literature, counter-knowledge generated via
SNS is not always necessarily bad (Yerkovich, 1977; Baumeister et al., 2004; Cegarra
et al., 2014a). For example Yerkovich (1977) and Baumeister et al. (2004) argue that
gossip is useful for conveying information to others, for social influence and for
entertainment. Such anecdotes may also be useful to explain how our culture and
society operate (Dunbar, 1996; Fox, 2001). In fact Baumeister et al. (2004) suggest that
knowledge, even if it is untrue, can help. For example people can learn a lot about
users (e.g. colleagues) who are spreading or starting the gossip, and that in itself is
good knowledge (Baumeister et al., 2004). Gossiping can also strengthen team work,
empathy and bonds between co-workers (Baumeister et al., 2004) and that can lead to
understanding reality by sifting through all the facts and drawing up a good plan
that team members can carry out successfully to overcome erroneous or inaccurate
information (Kurbanoglu, 2003; Kurbanoglu et al., 2006).
The considerations outlined above lead us to argue that the content on social
networks is simultaneously a hindrance stressor (which has negative effects) and a
challenge stressor (which has positive effects). In other words while on some occasions,
the content on social networks is an important trigger that contributes to positive
performance, on other occasions, this content may have negative consequences,
inducing incorrect assumptions about how to meet people’s needs and how to improve
social relationships. This study explores the following questions: does the availability
of information that arises from SNS necessarily mean the creation of counter-
knowledge? How can users gain positive utilitarian benefits from using information
that arises from SNS? These research questions are empirically examined by using a
data set consisting of undergraduate students. The rest of the paper is structured as
follows. The next section describes in detail the theoretical frameworks that characterise
counter-knowledge and SNS. Following that, the research model and its associated
hypotheses are presented. Next, the methodology used for sample selection and data
collection is discussed and data analysis and results are examined. Finally, the paper
concludes with a discussion of research findings, limitations and closing remarks.
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