r. rudó

Master Thesis

The influence of cultural values on the adoption of privacy threatening features in social networksthreatening features in social networks

A first approach measuring culture and information technology user acceptance in the environment of social network sitesacceptance, in the environment of social network sites

Rosa Rudó MaunéAdvisor: Ph.D Francesc Miralles TornerNovember 11th 2011November 11th, 2011

Agenda

• Introduction

• Motivation

• Key aspects of the Literature Review• Key aspects of the Literature Review

• Research Question

• Hypotheses and Model

• Research Design

• Results

• Discussion• Discussion

• Conclusions and Further Steps

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Introduction

• Social network sites (SNS), such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc., offer broad functionalities: sharing photos, telephone numbers, etc.

• Some of these functionalities have personal information uploaded• Some of these functionalities have personal information uploaded from the users.

• A voluntary or an involuntary disclosure of personal information is d t th f i th t i f tdue to the usage of privacy threatening features:– Those features need personal information to be used.

• The usage of these privacy threatening features can harm users.The usage of these privacy threatening features can harm users.– For instance:

• A teacher from Georgia was fired (Abc2 2009, Kypost 2009).This is not an isolated case there are some more cases (BBC 2010– This is not an isolated case, there are some more cases (BBC 2010, FacebookNoticias 2009).

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Motivation

• There is social anxiety about the harm that privacy threatening features can cause, it can be seen in:

Government warnings– Government warnings.– Newspapers.

• However, it is not enough as can be seen in the news.

Th f h t h b d d h t ill b d i thi• Therefore, what has been done and what will be done in this knowledge area is relevant for society in order to minimize damage.

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Key aspects of the Literature Review (1/3)

• Privacy threatening features can be studied from the perspective of IT user acceptance theories since these theories study the factorsIT user acceptance theories, since these theories study the factors that allow a technology to be adopted.

• According to Leidner and Kayworth (2006), culture influences the user acceptance of IT.

• The main research areas of this research project are:– User acceptance theories of Information Technologies (IT).– Culture.

IT UserAcceptanceCulture influences

Leidner & Kayworth2006

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• Schwartz’s model (Schwartz 1992):– 10 values: Self-direction, Stimulation, Conformity, etc., , y,

• Hofstede’s framework (Hofstede 1980):– Dorfman and Howell (1988) individual level.– Constructs: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism,

Masculinity, and Long- versus Short- term Orientation.– Bagchi et al. (2003) studied the Hofstede’s constructs that have more

influence on IT user acceptance.– Hwang (2004) Open Cultural Orientation.Hwang (2004) Open Cultural Orientation.

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• Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen 1985).– Constructs: Attitude toward the Behavior, Subjetive Norm and

Perceived Behavioral Control.• Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis 1986)Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis 1986).

– Constructs: Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use.• Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)

(Venkatesh et al. 2003).– Constructs: Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social

Influence and Faciltating Conditions.

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Research Question

IT UserCulture influences

AcceptanceCulture Leidner & Kayworth2006

• e-commerce (Gefen & Straub 2000)e commerce (Gefen & Straub 2000)• Internet banking (Tan & Teo 2000)• 3G mobile communications (Wu et al. 2007)

D i di id l’ l l l i fl hDo individual’s cultural values influence the adoption of privacy threatening features in

i l k ?social networks?

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Hypotheses and Model

IndividualismPerceived UsefulnessUsefulness

H4+H1+ H7+

Power Distance

Open Cultural

Orientation

Perceived Ease of Use

Behavioral Intention Use

H2‐ H5+ H8+ H10+

Orientation

H3‐ H6‐ H9+

Uncertainty Avoidance

Social Influence

CULTURE: Open Cultural Orientation(Hwang 2004)

IT USER ACCEPTANCE: Simplified UTAUT(Venkatesh et al. 2003)

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Research Design (1/2)

• Social Network Site Facebook (750 m of active users in July• Social Network Site Facebook (750 m. of active users in July 2011 (Facebook 2011).

• Qualitative versus quantitative approach:– Quantitative approach, since it is going to offer more accurate results

of the proposed objectives (Easterby-Smith et al. 2008).of the proposed objectives (Easterby Smith et al. 2008).

• According to the quantitative approach and the objective of the h th ibl tiresearch, the possible options are:

– Multiple regression.– Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).q g ( )

• Covariance-based SEM.• Partial Least Squares (PLS).

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Research Design (2/2)

• Implementation of the research method (PLS):– Data Collection Questionnaire– Data Collection Questionnaire.

• The questionnaire was based on the literature review and improved with workshops, focus groups, etc. in order to achieve content validity.

– Sampling:• 66 students from La Salle (Ramon Llull University) International

students of Business management bachelorstudents of Business management bachelor.– 62 with Facebook profile.– 4 with no Facebook profile.

• 87 students from Cracow University of Economics National students87 students from Cracow University of Economics National students of Business management bachelor.

– 61 with Facebook profile (1 with patterns in the response).– 26 with no Facebook profile.

• Number of samples > 30 They are enough to use PLS.

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Results - Introduction

• Developed with smartPLS tool• Developed with smartPLS tool. – http://www.smartpls.de

• Steps:– Bootstrapping:

• 500 bootstrap re-sample as recommended Chin (1998)500 bootstrap re sample as recommended Chin (1998).• Estimates t-values of the model Significance level.

– Measurement model:• Convergent validity: Average Variance Extracted (AVE)• Convergent validity: Average Variance Extracted (AVE).• Discriminant validity: loadings of CFA and Fornell-Lackers Criterion.• Reliability: Cronbach’s Alpha and Composite reliability

St t l d l– Structural model:• Path coefficients (~ regression coefficients).• Explained variance (R2).

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Results of La Salle, URL, sample

Percei edIndividualism

PerceivedUsefulness

H4+H1+ H7+-0.274* 0.506*** 0.281*

P Open Perceived B h i l UPower Distance

Open Cultural

Orientation

PerceivedEase of

Use

BehavioralIntention

UseR2=0.337

H2-

H3-

H5+

H6

H8+

H9+

H10+0.192(ns) 0.475*** 0.058(ns) 0.580***

UncertaintyAvoidance

Social Influence

H3- H6- H9+-0.125(ns) -0.260(ns) 0.307**

No significantitem

Lack of reliability &convergent validity

Avoidance Influence

“ns”: no significance, * 10% significant level, ** 5% significant level, *** 1% significant level

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Results of Cracow University of Economics sample

PerceivedLack of

IndividualismPerceivedUsefulness

H4+H1+ H7+0.190(ns) 0.087(ns) 0.289*

reliability

P Open Perceived B h i l UPower Distance

Open Cultural

Orientation

Perceived Ease of

Use

BehavioralIntention

UseR2=0.372

H2-

H3-

H5+

H6-

H8+

H9+

H10+0.257(ns) 0.072(ns) 0.183(ns) 0.554***

UncertaintyAvoidance

Social Influence

H3 H6- H9+0.270** -0.172(ns) -0.131(ns)

Lack of

Lack of reliability &convergent validity

Avoidance Influencereliability

“ns”: no significance, * 10% significant level, ** 5% significant level, *** 1% significant level

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Discussion

• La Salle (URL) sample:– H4 H5 and H7 are supported– H4, H5 and H7 are supported.– H1 is not supported.

• Cracow University of Economics sample:– Lack of statistical validity and reliability.

• English comprehension difficulties.• Non-validated questionnaire with this sample.

• Regarding the measurement tool:– Culture constructs:

• New socio-technological environment related to initial design (1980).• Focused on professional employees of a multinational company.

– IT user acceptance constructs:IT user acceptance constructs:• Social Influence is not as relevant as it used to be.• Perceived Ease of Use does not matter for today’s higher education

students.students.

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Limitations

• Method limitations:• Method limitations:– Cultural models lack a comprehensive understanding.– Limited possibility of an in-depth analysis of the relationship between

constructs.

• Design research limitations:es g esea c tat o s– Trust and Attitude were not considered.– Only one SNS: Facebook.

A f i th t i f t id d– A few privacy threatening features are considered.– Privacy threatening features can be used consciously and

unconsciously.– Only students behavior is studied.– Results cannot be generalized.

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Conclusions and Further Steps

• Conclusions about the research:– A questionnaire that measures students culture is proposed– A questionnaire that measures students culture is proposed.– IT Acceptance models have been improved and tested by introducing

individual cultural attributes in SNS environment.C l i b t th t th i• Conclusions about the master thesis:– A comprehensive understanding of SEM methods have been

acquired.– A formal research methodology approach has been applied to a

quantitative design.

• A starting point for further research:– Improving the study of culture at individual level in social media

i tenvironment.– Improving the models of IT user acceptance in social media

environment.

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Questions and Comments

Rosa Rudó MaunéI I tit t L S llInnova Institute - La Salle

Ramon Llull UniversityBarcelona (Spain)

E-mail:E mail:[email protected]