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Web-based Social Network Sites for working people in China: an empirical study

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Dissertation(414.99 KB)

Date

2011

Authors

Supervisor

Wang, William Yu Chung

Item type

Thesis

Degree name

Master of Business

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

The rapid development of Internet technology has revolutionized the traditional methods of communication within the global socio-cultural context. Among all Internet developing countries, China, the nation with one of the world’s largest economy and markets, is benefiting from the fastest rate of growth of Internet users. China is also experiencing the enormous transformation in all fields of communication led by the advancement of Internet technology. Social Network Services (SNS), as a newly developed virtual network system, plays an increasingly important part as the online platform for users from different areas of life to communicate and socialize within a virtual community. SNS provides new e-commerce opportunities for both multinational and domestic businesses. Most of these opportunities come from the wealth earned from direct and indirect advertisement as well as other forms of commercial promotions. However, as SNS has only attracts academic attentions recently, the number of previous relevant studies on this topic is too few to satiate the needs of SNS service providers and the academic researchers. Still, my research will need to rely on the previous studies but to include studies in similar directions, like those papers conducted on relevant e-commerce topic. After I have examined a number of selected referenced studies, I have concluded my research approach targets on the variables of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of usefulness, perceived risk, trust, familiarity, centrality, and national culture and their relationship with SNS user’s use intention. The research is expected to examine and analyze the influences that alter the degree of use intention in order to provide a clarified explanation for future academics and SNS marketers. By doing so, the expectation of the result of my research is to provide a much clarified and summarized outlines for future businesses that interested in the investment and development of SNS related services in the complex Chinese market. By referring to future business, the result of this research is expected to assist the new foreign businesses who have insufficient information and experience to operate in the unfamiliar Chinese markets where the user intention of SNS does not match some of the Western reports. However, the domestic and experienced foreign businesses could also find usefulness out of the results.

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Keywords

Internet, SNS, Use Intention, China

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Permanent link

https://hdl.handle.net/10292/4128

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Masters Dissertations