Why do they Use Social Networking Site: Social Capital and Transaction Cost Perspectives

Abstract

Our research tends to investigate what factors affecting consumers’ acceptance of social networking site and the impact of the bonding social capital and switching cost on their attitude toward using the weblog service, which may be accumulated by community interaction and during the ex-post transaction process. Our research model integrates constructs from three literature foundations; first is a set of constructs percevied social influence and perceived usefulness from theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model. Second is two types of social network ties from social psychology. Last one is the switching cost from transaction cost theory. Results showed that social network ties and switching cost play a mediating role in the relationship between perceived self-disclosure and attitude toward using social networking site, which in turn to affect intention to continually use social networking site. Perceived social influence is an antecedent of perceived usefulness which is successful in determining the attitude of using social networking site. Finally, the article concludes with implications for web-based service providers, and additional extended research suggestions relevant to the online social capital and consumer loyalty are also provided.