Understanding microblog continuance usage intention: an integrated model
| Published date | 21 November 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-03-2016-0025 |
| Date | 21 November 2016 |
| Pages | 772-792 |
| Author | Keliang Zhang,Qingfei Min,Zhenhua Liu,Zilong Liu |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management |
Understanding microblog
continuance usage intention: an
integrated model
Keliang Zhang and Qingfei Min
Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China, and
Zhenhua Liu and Zilong Liu
Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian, China
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors affecting users’continuous microblog
usage intention. In recent years, the number of microblog users has gradually declined. This research
can reveal microblog users’needs and provide the improvement direction of microblog services.
Design/methodology/approach –By integrating Wixom and Todd’s theoretical framework, the
Uses and Gratifications Theory and the DeLone and McLean Information System Success Model, a
conceptual model is proposed. In this model, gratification is defined as a kind of behavioral attitude,
and satisfaction is viewed as an object-based attitude. The survey data were collected online and
analyzed using the partial least squares method.
Findings –The results suggest that users’continuance intention (behavioral intention) is jointly
determined by users’gratification (behavioral-based attitude) and their habitual microblog usage
behavior. Likewise, gratification is positively affected by satisfaction (object-based attitude) which is a
joint function of system quality and information quality (object-based beliefs).
Originality/value –In this research, Wixom and Todd’s principle is applied as the basic theoretical
framework; gratification is viewed as a behavior attitude and user satisfaction is identified as an
object-based attitude. This research model is a new lens for continuance usage research.
Keywords Continuance intention, Social media, Structural equation modeling, Microblog,
Behavioral-based attitude, Object-based attitude
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Microblog services, also called mini-blogs or microblogs, have become an established
category within the general group of social media. Their services provide a new
platform for people to share and consume information and knowledge. Unlike other
social media, microblogs allow users to publish 140-character messages. Microblog
posts require less time and effort to write than “traditional”blog posts. Moreover,
microblog users are allowed to choose who they want to follow without fir st requesting
permission. In China there are many microblog services sponsored by different
providers. By the end of 2012, according to the 33rd report of the China Internet
Network Information Center (CNNIC), the number of microblog users was more than
three billion (CNNIC, 2013). However, this number fell to 2.04 billion in 2015 (CNNIC,
2015). Is this an indicator of decline? Will microblog in China meet the same fate as
RenRen, a social network site in China that customers are losing interest in? In order to
avoid rejection by users, microblog providers in China have been taking proactive
measures to keep users’interest up, such as updating new functions, redesigning
Aslib Journal of Information
Management
Vol. 68 No. 6, 2016
pp. 772-792
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2050-3806
DOI 10.1108/AJIM-03-2016-0025
Received 2 March 2016
Revised 22 September 2016
Accepted 5 October 2016
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2050-3806.htm
This work was supported by the grant of National Natural Science Foundation of China
(Nos 71301021 and 71431002).
772
AJIM
68,6
interfaces and inviting popular stars to launch microblogs. However, there are still
some problems that microblog providers need to resolve: How can microblog providers
keep users’interest up more effectively? Which characteristics of microblog do users
pay attention to? To answer these questions, this research proposed an integrated
model to investigate the process of the microblog system and how information
characteristics’impact continuance usage.
There have been a number of past studies that have paid attention to the continued
usage of microblog services. Most of these studies are based on either the user
satisfaction literature (Barnes and Böhringer, 2011; Zhao and Lu, 2012) or the
technology acceptance literature (Liang et al., 2011; Agrifoglio et al., 2012). In user
satisfaction literatures, system and information characteristics are the core elements,
and they are potentially useful for system design. However, the user satisfaction
literature has limited ability to predict system usage. In contrast, the technology-based
accepted literature predicts usage by linking behaviors to attitudes and beliefs (called
behavioral beliefs and attitudes) (Wixom and Todd, 2005). To achieve accurate
predictions, Wixom and Todd believed that the technology acceptance literature an d
the parallel user satisfaction stream should be integrated.
From this integration perspective, this research proposes a theoretical model by
integrating the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) Theory and the Updated DeLone and
McLean Information System Success (D&M) Model. The U&G theory has been used to
explain continued usage of something already chosen (Stafford et al., 2004; Ku et al.,
2013; Mäntymäki and Kai, 2014). This theory posits that media consumption is
purposive, and that users actively seek to fulfill their needs via a variety of uses
(Katz et al., 1974). In our research, gratification is defined as a kind of behavioral
attitude that can directly influence continuance usage intention. Moreover, the D&M
model provides a guideline to investigate system usage from a quality perspective
(information quality and system quality). These qualities can present the information
and system characteristics. Integrating these two theories can enable us to better
understand the impact of quality on continued usage of microblog services.
The rest of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 presents the theoretical
background. In Section 3, the research model and hypotheses are proposed. Section 4
discusses methodology and data collection,followed by analysis and results in Section5.
Discussion, contributions, limitations and future research are presented in Section 6.
2. Theoretical background
2.1 Wixom and Todd’s model
Wixom and Todd (2005) proposed an integrated research model (see Figure 1).
This model distinguished object-based belief and attitude from behavioral belief and
attitude. Object-based belief is concerned with the characteristics of the target IS, such
as system quality and information quality (Wixom and Todd, 2005; Chen et al., 2013;
Xu et al., 2013). Object-based attitude is affective reaction to a system (or an object) in IS
research streams, which is usually represented by user satisfaction (Chen et al., 2013;
Xu et al., 2013; Zhang, 2013). Behavioral belief is defined as an individual’s belief about
the outcomes associated with performing a behavior. Behavioral attitude is defined as
the attitude toward performing a behavior (Wixom and Todd, 2005).
On the basis of user satisfaction literature, Wixom and Todd (2005) developed an
integrated model that represented a causal chain from the key characteristics of system
to beliefs and expectation about usage. They asserted that object-based beliefs
(information quality and system quality) shape object-based attitudes about
773
Microblog
continuance
usage
intention
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