the adoption of social network sites for expressive participation in internet social movements: a...

The Adoption of Social Network Sites for

Expressive Participation in Internet Social

Movements: A Proposed Model

Dr. Juan D Borrero

University of Huelva, Spain

Dr. Shumaila Yousafzai

Cardiff University, UK

18th IBIMA Conferenceon Innovation and Sustainable Economic

Competitive Advantage: From Regional Development to World Economies

Istanbul, Turkey 10 May 2012

IntroductionWhat puzzles?

1. Understanding the socio-psychological processes involved in the adoption and use of SNSs for expressive participation in Internet Social Movements.

2. Whether these uses turn results in a host of traditional or offline civic participatory behaviours.

Proposing a model

Social MovementsDefinition

Study Definition of social movement

Diani (1992)

Networks of informal interaction between a plurality of individuals, groups and organizations, engaged in a political or cultural conflict on the basis of a shared collective identity.

Rucht (1999)

An action system comprised of mobilised networks of individuals, groups and organizations which, based on a shared collective identity, attempt to achieve or prevent social change, predominantly by means of collective protest.

Tarrow (2005)

Social networks that engage in sustained collective actions, have a common purpose and challenge the interests and beliefs of those with power.

Why are we interested in Internet Social Movements?

Social Networking SitesSNSs function

1. SNSs allow the dissemination of information regarding movement identity.

2. SNSs serve as instruments of mobilisation.

3. SNSs are relatively autonomous sites of interaction and dialog.

Our Objective

How Internet users accept and use SNSs in the context of expressive participation in Internet Social Movements

Research Questions

1. Why and how members of SNSs accept and use Internet for expressive participation in ISMs?

2. What are the drivers and outcomes of their intentions?

3. Do individuals that use SNSs to express social participation in ISMs differ from other individuals that use offline modes of expression?

Theoretical perspectiveFunction of the Internet in Social Movements

1. How the Internet facilitates the existing action forms making it possible to reach more people, more easily, and

2. the creation of new e-tools for activism.

Theoretical perspectiveTheories

collective mobilisation - collective identity – network - diffusion

A Proposed Model of the use of SNS for Expressive Participation in Internet Social Movements

BehavioralIntention

PerceivedUsefulness

ExpressiveParticipation in

social movementson SNS

Offline civicParticipation

PerceivedEasy of Use

Number ofUsers

Community Environment

Drivers of use SNSs Consecuences of use SNSs

A Proposed Model of the use of SNS for Expressive Participation in Internet Social Movements

BehavioralIntention

PerceivedUsefulness

ExpressiveParticipation in

social movementson SNS

Offline civicParticipation

PerceivedEasy of Use

Number ofUsers

Community Environment

Determinants of use and acceptation the SNSs for expressive participation in ISMs

APPROACH 1 TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL (TAM)

P1Intention to use SNSs for expressive social participation in ISMs will significantly predict its actual use

P3Perceived Ease of Use of SNSs will positively influence the Intention to use SNSs for expressive social participation in ISMs and their Perceived Usefulness of SNSs

P2Perceived Usefulness of SNSs will positively influence the intention to use SNSs for expressive social participation in ISMs

Determinants of use and acceptation the SNSs for expressive participation in ISMs

APPROACH 2 COMMUNITIES AND EXTERNALITIES

P4Community environment will positively predict PEU among online communitiy participants to express social participation in ISMs

P5Perceived number of users will positively influence PU to use SNSs to express civic participation in ISMs

Determinants of use and acceptation the SNSs for expressive participation in ISMs

APPROACH 3 ONLINE AND TRADITIONAL SOCIAL PARTICIPATION

P6Increased SNSs expressive participation in ISMs will be positively related to offline civic participation

Discussion

Technology adoption trust. The research in technology

acceptation is not mature in the sphere of activists.

Factors: psychological, social and externalities.

Social Networking Site is a source of information that antecedes such expressive behaviour.

Further research

testing of the hypotheses longitudinal design including other aspects in the

model, and a new perspective, which is

more in line with social web, viral marketing and consumer behaviour

Conclusions for practitioners

We offer some reflections on the creation and development of ISMs.

These suggestions are especially relevant for SMOs’ leaders and pioneers of e-movements.

Conclusions for researchers

ISMs might be a fruitful and dynamic area for empirical research.

Is the technology simply a channel that can be manipulated in various ways by the user, or does the specific type of technology actually influence specific types of outcomes? Research on technology has always asked the question whether the technology is instrumental.

Multimethod approaches and generalizable results.

Social network analysis.

Summary of specific research questions

Under what conditions can activists use new ICTs to: increase participation and commitment by

facilitating the aggregation of small contributions or action?

successfully bypass regulatory regimes? When successful, are the benefits of these (temporary) evasions significantly different than the benefits of offline evasions?

create messy hybrid organizational forms, combining hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures as fit their needs?

Under what conditions do new ICTs: promote more rapid and intense mobilization

efforts? enable more sustained activity? promote non-traditional movement

organization? reinforce traditional SMOs?

Thank you very much for your attention

For more information:

jdiego@uhu.es

yousafzaiS@cardiff.ac.uk

The Adoption of Social Network Sites for Expressive Participation in Internet Social Movements: A Proposed Model

Dr. Juan D Borrero

University of Huelva, Spain

Dr. Shumaila Yousafzai

Cardiff University, UK