The behavior of young people at the beginning of their career through LinkedIn

Abstract

Purpose: The primary purpose of this article is to understand the behavior of young people at the beginning of their careers, in the context of Covid-19, considering the intention to continue using the services of the professional social network LinkedIn. Originality/value: This article expands the scope of studying a user group from acceptance in the continuance intention (continuous use) of LinkedIn, analyzing a series of positive and negative factors regarding the processes. Design/methodology/approach: We carried out a descriptive quantitative approach. The authors collected data from a survey (n = 386). To test the hypotheses, the researchers applied the technique of structural equation modeling (SEM), with estimation and partial least squares, and a moderating effect with the technological optimism construct for the predictive variables of the intention to continue using. Findings: The results indicated that all direct and indirect relationships were accepted, except a moderation (H7d) which was rejected, considering that users less optimistic about the technology may feel positively overwhelmed regarding the service’s perceived usefulness. LinkedIn’s variety of services can lead users to continue using the platform. The platform’s objective is to facilitate collective self-presentation, keeping professional relationships active. The results also indicated that the sample respondents are more likely to be actively and semi-passively involved on LinkedIn.