Research model and hypotheses

2.3.1. Research model

Figure 2.1 illustrates our proposed model, which incorporates TAM with media choice factors in the blog context. The proposed model has as its core the TAM constructs and the four media choice factors: media richness, critical mass, social influence, and media experience. The specific elements of the model and related hypotheses are presented in further detail below.

Figure 2.2. The proposed research model

2.3.2. Hypotheses

2.3.2.1. Perceived media richness

Following Daft and Lengel (1986), perceived media richness (PMR) is the degree to which an individual perceives the capacity of blog to evolve shared meaning, overcome different frames of reference, and clarify ambiguous issues to change understanding in a timely manner. Blogs offer various communication functions to provide a more efficient channel to interchange information than other forms of Web sides. Trevino et al. (1987) argued that rich media can better handle a greater variety of tasks because they more effectively can convey equivocal messages. If individuals perceive a medium as rich, it is likely to be perceived as more useful because it may be used successfully for more and different tasks. Fulk (1993) and Lim and Benbasat (2000) indicated that media richness has a positive effect on perceived usefulness. Furthermore, if resources are not constrained, individuals will tend to use a rich media than a lean one. For example, individuals can have a very positive attitude toward a face-to-face communication, because it is the richest medium providing the largest capacity for communication. Researchers provided empirical evidence that perceived media richness has been associated with positive media attitudes (Trevino et al.

2000). Therefore, PMR could affect both PU and attitude toward using blog (ATT).

Consequently, the following hypotheses were proposed:

H1-1a: Perceived media richness (PMR) will have a positive effect on perceived usefulness (PU) of blog.

H1-1b: Perceived media richness (PMR) will have a positive effect on attitude toward using blog (ATT).

2.3.2.2. Perceived critical mass

We defined perceived critical mass (PCM) as the degree to which a person believes that most of his or her peers are using blogs. Critical mass refers to the fact that the value of technology to a user increases with the number of its adopters (Markus 1987). One reason is that using technology that has reached critical mass allows users to communicate to the largest number of people with the least effort. As a blog increases in popularity it becomes increasingly useful, attracting more users to adopt the media technology. Lou and Strong’s study (2000) provided empirical evidence of the positive impact of perceived critical mass on perceived usefulness. Besides, from social psychological and economic perspectives, perceived critical mass is a type of social influence. Rice and Aydin (1991) indicated that individuals’ attitudes toward a new medium are affected by social influence. That is, critical mass affects individuals’ attitudes toward a new medium. Hsu and Lu (2004) and Slyke et al.

(2007) found that critical mass positively affects individual attitudes toward using IT.

Therefore, PCM could affect both PU and ATT. Consequently, the following hypotheses were proposed:

H1-2a: Perceived critical mass (PCM) will have a positive effect on perceived usefulness (PU).

H1-2b: Perceived critical mass (PCM) will have a positive effect on attitude toward using blog (ATT).

2.3.2.3. Media experience

Following King and Xia (1997), media experience (ME) is the degree to which an individual perceives his use, skills, and comfort with the blog. Experience enables the development of familiarity, expertise, and comfort with the media, which in turn enables users

to improve their attitude toward using the media. Empirical studies (Fulk et al. 1995, Webster 1998) provided confirmation of positive relationships between media attitudes and media experience. Consequently, the following hypothesis was proposed:

H1-3: Media Experience (ME) will have a positive effect on attitude toward using blog (ATT).

2.3.2.4. Social influence

In our study, social influence (SI) was defined as the degree to which an individual perceived that others approved of their participation in blogs. Social psychological theory has suggested that group members tend to comply with the social norm, and moreover, that these in turn influence the perceptions and behaviors of members (Lascu and Zinkhan 1999).

According to this theory, perceptions of media are proposed to vary and be, at least in part, socially constructed. TRA identified that attitude and social influence (social norm) as two sole determinants of behavioral intention (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). When blog users interact with each other, they tend to comply with the social norm, and influence each others’

behaviors. Werster and Trevino (1995) suggested that social influence will more positively affect choices of new media. Furthermore, Schmitz and Fluk (1991) discovered that co-worker use of e-mail and supervisors’ perceptions of usefulness of the medium, namely social influence, had a significant effect on perceived usefulness of e-mail. Clearly, SI could affect both PU and behavioral intentions to use blog (BI). Consequently, the following hypotheses were proposed:

H1-4a: Social influence (SI) will have a positive effect on perceived usefulness (PU).

H1-4b: Social influence (SI) will have a positive effect on behavioral intentions to use blog (BI).

2.3.2.5. TAM

This research model adopted the TAM’s belief–attitude–intention–behavior relationship.

The present study revalidates those relationships in the context of the blog with the following hypotheses:

H1-5: Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) will have a positive effect on perceived usefulness (PU).

H1-6: Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) will have a positive effect on attitude toward using blog (ATT).

H1-7: Perceived usefulness (PU) will have a positive effect on attitude toward using blog (ATT).

H1-8: Perceived usefulness (PU) will have a positive effect on behavioral intentions to use blog (BI)

H1-9: Attitude toward using blog (ATT) will have a positive effect on behavioral intentions to use blog (BI).

2.3.2.6. Control variables

To lower the impact of individual specific characteristics on bias levels, control variables were introduced, including blog experiences and demographics which may influence attitudes and behavioral intentions to use the blog. Schmitz and Fulk (1991) suggested that e-mail experience positively influenced e-mail use. Fulk (1993) used the response’s age and education as control variables to study social construction of communication technology.

Therefore, the responder’s blog experience, age, and education were introduced as control variables. Without loss of generality, these three variables may act as antecedents of all dependent and mediating variables in the proposed model, and thus are controlled.