Investigating Factors Affecting Users’ SNSs Continuous Intention: A Sequential Mediation Model of Social Interaction and Trust

Purpose - This study is aimed to examine the features of SNSs (privacy concerns, reputation, and enjoyment) that influence SNSs users’ continuous intention to adopt SNSs users’ decisions. Design/Methodology/Approach - To this end, this paper theorizes and examines the effects of the features of SNSs with the role of mediating variables (social interaction and/or trust) that influence consumers’ behavioral intents to adopt SNSs activities. This research utilizes the uses and gratifications theory as a basic theoretical foundation. This study was conducted on a sample of 213 active SNSs users in South Korea. The sequential mediating analysis was conducted using the PROCESS Macro model 6. Findings - The empirical results show that the direct effects of both privacy concerns and enjoyment on users’ SNSs continuous intention were significant. The indirect of social interaction and/or trust between SNSs reputation and users’ SNSs continuous intention was proven significant as well. However, all other hypotheses were not significant. The findings of the study reveal that social interaction and/or trust in a social network community mediate the link between SNSs reputation and users’ SNSs continuous intention. Another important finding of this study indicates that both privacy concerns and enjoyment in a social network community significantly impact the users’ SNSs continuous intention. Research Implications - The major implication of this study is understanding the mediating role of users’ social needs. Although some studies have affirmed that fulfilling SNSs users’ social needs is a necessary antecedent to users’ adoption of such services, the current study reveals that social gratification alone is not sufficient to trigger users’ revisit behaviors. KCI Citation Count: 0