Authors:
Rodney L. Stump
1
and
Wen Gong
2
Affiliations:
1
Towson University, United States
;
2
Howard University, United States
Keyword(s):
Social Networking Sites, National Adoption Rates, Culture.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Cloud Computing
;
Collaboration and e-Services
;
Data Communication Networking
;
e-Business
;
Enterprise Information Systems
;
Internationalization and Social, Ethical and Cultural Factors
;
Platforms and Applications
;
Social Networks
;
Sustainable e-Business
;
Telecommunications
Abstract:
This study investigates the impact of the several dimensions of Hofstede’s cultural framework on the
adoption rates of social networking sites (SNS) across 30 countries, while controlling for a country’s
median age, its urban population level and mobile internet penetration. Hierarchical regressions are
conducted. Our findings reveal that three cultural dimensions, i.e., masculinity/femininity, uncertainty
avoidance and long-term orientation, significantly impact nations’ adoption levels of SNS above and
beyond the effects of median age and urban population level. While there is a growing body of literature
that examines the influence of national culture on the adoption and use of a variety of high-tech innovations
and services mediated by these technologies, our study is among the first to specifically relate cultural
perspectives to country adoption levels of social networking sites using an array of cultural dimensions. We
provide a theoretical framework and supporting empirical e
vidence to underscore the importance of
understanding how culture impacts consumers’ SNS adoption behavior across countries. Implications from
our findings, limitations and directions for future research are provided.
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