Globalization is today’s reality, thus businesses need to compete in a global environment and the implications of this environment create pressing needs to further investigation of how different cultures react to different technologies. Online social networks usage is increasing day by day and it could become a valuable tool for Human Resource Professionals. However, it is important that we first understand whether the use of this system is accepted in the professional context. System acceptance and usage is increasingly viewed as an important element for the measurement of information systems success (DeLone & McLean, 1992).
A vast body of research has been conducted on the acceptance and use of information technology. The most researched model has been the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by Davis (1989). This model states that a high perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will yield through the intention to use an actual usage of a new technology.
The work of Davis (1989) has been replicated and the results have proven that the model holds for different technologies, persons, settings and times (Straub, Keil &
Brenner, 1997). However, as technologies have evolved new studies continue to be conducted in order to see if the model still holds for these newer technologies.
Background of the Study
The past studies that have been conducted on the use of online social networks as a tool in the Human Resource field have been limited to specific geographic areas. For example, Vicknair, Elkersh, Yancey and Budden (2010) conducted a research on this topic in the United States, while Henderson and Bowley (2010) also conducted a study
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on the use of social media for a recruitment campaign in New Zealand. However, no comparison has been done to gain a global insight on the topic.
These social network websites were created with the purpose of socializing, sharing pictures with friends, updating statuses and writing messages on other people’s wall. Online networks add an important social factor to the equation, because different cultures will have different perceptions on privacy issues, on sharing information online and on the virtual socialization; this as a result will have its effect on how these cultures accept this newer technology.
Furthermore, it is important to evaluate online social networks technologies in the workplace setting, and how these come in as tools to assist in the staffing activities of organizations. More and more companies today are using Facebook, one of the most popular social networking sites today, for staffing activities. Some use it for attracting new, particularly college-aged, recruits, in which they allow people to post questions on the company’s Facebook profile and the company also updates information on new positions and internship opportunities (White, 2007).
A study conducted by Careerbuilder.com, a very popular job site in the United States, found that “Nearly two in five companies (37 percent) use social networking sites to research job candidates. Of the employers who do not research candidates on social media, 15 percent said their company prohibits the practice. Eleven percent report they do not currently use social media to screen, but plan to start”
(Careerbuilder.com, 2012).
Statement of the Problem
An understanding of the acceptance of the online social networks in the workplace is important. These social networks could become a tool in the performance of staffing
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activities within an organization. Online social networks offer benefits such as low costs for both screening and reaching candidates because one can have access to a candidate’s profile without having to pay any fees; besides, advertisements can also be paid to promote one’s company’s available positions. Massive reach of candidates is also another benefit for HR practitioners since the number of people using social networks is very high. Finally, it is also a rapid communication medium, some people today check their profiles more than their email accounts.
So far, there is little knowledge on how this new technology is being utilized by HR professionals, as well as the differences on its use by different cultures. A better understanding on this issue could provide HR professionals with a clearer perspective on how to help themselves with this new tool or even gain awareness of the use of this technology to perform staffing activities in the organization.
Rationale
Previous studies have been done on the use of the online social networks in the human resource field. However, these studies haven’t applied the Technology Acceptance Model to understand the acceptance of this new technology. It is important that a model such as TAM is used because this model provides more structure to the study. By utilizing a model that has been used many times before, we can confirm that the use of newer technology is still affected by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and subjective norms.
Today, social networking sites have taken an important place in peoples’ lives, according to Facebook’s “About” section on their website, by March 2012 it had over 900 million active users (Facebook.com, 2013), which made it the largest existing
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social network, and also why the focus of this research will be on this particular network.
A study on the acceptance of technology and the moderating effects of culture was conducted by Srite and Karahanna (2006). This study considered both personal computers and personal digital assistants as the target technologies. However, this study was conducted on an international students sample, which doesn’t allow it to generalize the results to an industrial sample. The study also attempted to analyze the effect of culture. However, even though the students used in this study came from different countries, the fact that they were all living in a foreign country could affect their views on their culture of origin because they have already gone through an adaptation process to the host culture.
This study gained a better understanding of the acceptance of the online social networks in the staffing activities of organizations and how the relationship between acceptance and behavioral intention to use this technology is affected by culture.
Purpose
The main purposes of this study were to:
1. Examine the relationship between the adopted cultural values and the acceptance of online social networks within the Human Resource professionals.
Specifically to conduct the staffing activities of the organization.
2. To re-examine the TAM and see if it can be applied to the HR professionals in the use of the social network technology. Specifically to conduct the staffing activities of the organization.
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Research Questions
This study answers the following questions:
1. What is the relationship between perceived usefulness of social networking websites and the behavioral intention to use it for staffing activities?
2. What is the relationship between perceived ease of use of social networking websites and the behavioral intention to use it for staffing activities?
3. What is the relationship between subjective norms of social networking websites and the behavioral intention to use it for staffing activities?
4. Is the relationship between perceived usefulness and behavioral intention to use social networking websites for staffing activities moderated by the espoused national cultural values?
5. Is the relationship between perceived ease of use and behavioral intention to use social networking websites for staffing activities moderated by the espoused national cultural values?
6. Is the relationship between subjective norms and behavioral intention to use social networking websites for staffing activities moderated by the espoused national cultural values?
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Scope of the Study
This study collected data from human resource practitioners in four different countries, thus the results of this study will only apply to human resource practitioners and cannot be generalized to other samples. Even though a range of countries was examined it cannot be assumed that the results will be generalizable to the world population.
Furthermore, this study only considered Hofstede’s dimensions of culture, so other cultural aspects not included in these dimensions don’t apply to this study.
Contribution of the Study
This study contributes to the existing literature on the Technology Acceptance Model. This model has been researched for different technologies. However online social networks are a new technology, so no studies have been done on its acceptance for staffing activities. Furthermore, the aspect of culture has not been considered and it could be a critical aspect on its acceptance.
Besides, most of the previous studies have been conducted in an academic sample, researching only students and academic personnel. Further research in the workplace settings will bring a clearer picture of the acceptance of technology in both industrial and academic samples.
This study researched four countries with different cultural values according to Hofstede’s national culture scores. The study participants’ espoused cultural values were measured and compare to the acceptance of the new technology. This contributes to the creation of a more comprehensive research on the cultural aspects of technology acceptance.
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According to the author’s knowledge there is no existing research like this one, and no studies have been done on the technology acceptance in the Human Resource field.
Definition of Terms
Online Social Networks: are online communities that help people interact with each other and build communities of people that share the same interests (Kluemper &
Rosen, 2009; Smith & Kidder, 2010). Social networking sites also give users a platform which serves as a means of self-expression and helps people create a social sphere (Grubbs & Milne, 2010).
Perceived Usefulness: “is the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance” (Davis, 1985, p. 26).
Perceived Ease of Use: “is the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort” (Davis, 1985, p. 26).
Subjective Norms: “are a person’s perception that most people who are important to him think he should or should not perform the behavior in question” (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975, p. 302).
Cultural Dimensions:
Individualism/Collectivism: this dimension discusses how different societies
handle their relationship between the individual and the collectivity. It defines the relationships and the importance placed on the individual versus the group (Hofstede, 1980).
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Uncertainty Avoidance: this dimension discusses how different societies handle
uncertainty about the future; it includes the discomfort with the unknown and the desire to reduce ambiguity (Hofstede, 1980).
Power Distance: this dimension discusses how different societies handle
inequality; Hofstede claims that inequality can occur in areas such as prestige, wealth, and power (Hofstede, 1980).
Masculinity/Femininity: this dimension discusses how different societies are
encouraged to be more goal-oriented or more socially oriented. It discusses both sides of the continuum where in some societies power, achievement and success are more important than caring, consensus and relationships (Hofstede, 1980).
Long-term/Short-term Orientation: this dimension is based on items of the Confucius teachings, it discusses how different societies value persistence, and thrift to personal stability and respect for tradition, (Hofstede & Bond, 1988).
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