Factors Affecting Social Media Adoption Among Wood Products Consumers
Keywords:
Social media, wood products, digital marketAbstract
As a result of the rise of the digital market, social media has emerged as one of the most popular marketing tools. Consumers today increasingly rely on social media when shopping and thus it can influence consumer behavior and purchasing decisions. We know that a growing number of wood products companies are using a variety of social media approaches to focus their marketing efforts as they seek to remain competitive in the digital marketplace. Although previous studies have examined social media use by forest products companies, none have examined social media use by wood products consumers. Forest products companies can design more effective social media marketing efforts if they understand the decision process of potential customers with regards to social media. Thus, a survey was conducted in 2017 to investigate factors affecting social media adoption among wood products consumers in the U.S. The results show that social media adoption by consumers is influenced by the ease of use and perceived usefulness of social media, product characteristics, demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, income) and situational factors (e.g., community type). Understanding the factors that motivate wood products consumers’ social media adoption is important when developing and designing social media marketing strategies that target consumers’ needs.
References
Abubakar, M.K., Patricia, M.N., Samuel, O.O., and Totolo, A. (2017). Factors affecting adoption of social media by women’s non-governmental organisations (WNGOS). International Journal of Library and Information Science, 9(9), 96-106.
Agarwal, R. and Prasad, J. (1999). Are individual differences germane to the acceptance of new information technologies? Decision Sciences, 30(2), 361-391.
Aguilar, F. X., & Cai, Z. (2010). Conjoint effect of environmental labeling, disclosure of forest of origin and price on consumer preferences for wood products in the US and UK. Ecological Economics, 70(2), 308-316.
Ainin, S., Parveen, F., Moghavvemi, S., Jaafar, N.I., and Shuib, N. (2015). Factors influencing the use of social media by SMEs and its performance outcomes. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 115(3), 570-588. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-07-2014-0205.
Akar, E. and Mardikyan, S. (2014). Analyzing factors affecting users’ behavior intention to social medua: Twitter case. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 11(1), 85-95.
Anderson, M. (2017). Digital divide persists even as lower-income Americans make gain in tech adoption. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping your World. Pew Research center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as-lower-income-americans-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/.
American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). (2007). Online Panels. Retrieved from at: https://www.aapor.org/AAPOR_Main/media/MainSiteFiles/Online-Panels.pdf.
Arano, K.G. and Spong B. (2012). Electronic commerce adoption in the hardwood industry. Journal of Extension, 59(6):6HRIB4.
Burke, R.R. (2002). Technology and customer interface: what consumers want in the physical and virtual store. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(4), 411-432.
Cai, Z., & Aguilar, F. X. (2014). Corporate social responsibility in the wood products industry: US and Chinese consumers' perceptions. Forest Products Journal, 64(3), 97-106.
Callegaro, M., Baker, R. P., Bethlehem, J., Göritz, A. S., Krosnick, J. A., & Lavrakas, P. J. (Eds.). (2014). Online panel research: A data quality perspective. John Wiley & Sons.
Carey, J. and Elton, C.J. (2010). When Media are New: Understanding the Dynamics os New Media Adoption and Use. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Casalo, L.V., Flavian, C., and Guinaliu, M. (2010). Antecedents and consequences of consumer participation in on-line communities: the case of the travel sector. International Journal of Electronic Commerce 15(2), 137-167.
Cha, J. (2010). Factors affecting the frequency and amount of social networking sites use: motivations, perceptions, and privacy concerns. First Monday, 15(12). Retrieved from http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2889/2685.
Chappuis, B., Gaffey, B., & Parvizi, P. (2011). Are your customers becoming digital junkies? McKinsey Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.looooker.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Are-your-customers-becoming-digital-junkies.pdf.
Chen, G.M. (2010). Tweet this: a uses and gratification perspective on how active Twitter use gratifies a need to connect with others. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 755-762.
Couper, M. P. (2000). Web surveys: A review of issues and approaches. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 64(4), 464-494.
Dabholkar, P.A., and Bagozzi, R.P. (2002). An institutional model of technology-bases self-service: moderating effects of consumer traits and situational factors. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, 30(3), 184-201.
Dahnil, M.I., Marzuki, K.M., Langgat, J., and Fabeil, F.Z. (2014). Factors influencing SMEs adoption of social media marketing. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, 119-126.
Davis, F.D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340.
Davis, F.D., Bagozzi, R.P., and Warshaw, P.R. (1992). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1109-1130.
Durkin, M., McGowan, P., and McKeown, N. (2013). Exploring social media adoption in small to medium-sized enterprises in Ireland. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 20(4), 716-734.
Ertemel, A.V. and Ammoura, A. (2016). The role of social media advertising in consumer buying behavior. International Journal of Commerce and Finance, 2(1), 81-89.
Fang, C.H. ., Lin, M.Y., Liu, F., & and Lin, Y.H. (2011). Product type and word of mouth: a dyadic perspective. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 5(2/3), 189-202.
Gazal, K.A., Montague, I., Poudel, R., and Wiedenbeck, J. (2016). Forest products industry in a digital age: factors affecting social media adoption. Forest Products Journal, 66(5-6), 343-353.
Gerlich, R., Drumheller, K., Rasco, K., and Spencer, A. (2012). Marketing to Laggards:
Organizational Change and the Adoption of Facebook Timeline. Journal Of The
Academy of Business & Economics, 12(3), 91-101.
Green, D.T. and Pearson, J.M. (2011). Integrating website usability with the electronic commerce acceptance model. Behaviour & Information Technology, 30(2), 181-199.
Goss, J. (2016). The urban-rural divide of broadband adoption. Georgetown Public Policy Review. Retrieved from http://gppreview.com/2016/09/09/urban-rural-divide-broadband-adoption/.
Hajli, M.N. (2014). A study of the impact of social media on consumers. International Journal of Market Research, 56(3), 387-404.
Hays, R. D., Liu, H., & Kapteyn, A. (2015). Use of internet panels to conduct surveys. Behavior Research Methods, 47(3), 685-690.
Heinonen, K. (2011). Consumer activity in social media: managerial approaches to consumers’ social media behavior. Journal of Consumer Behavior 10, 356-364.
Hossain, L. and de Silva, A. (2009). Exploring user acceptance of technology using social networks. Journal of High Technology Management Research, 20(1), 1-18.
Hsu, C. and Lin, J.C. (2008). Acceptance of blog usage: the roles of technology acceptance, social influence and knowledge sharing motivation. Information & Management, 45, 65-74.
Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M. S., & Madden, T. J. (2016). The influence of social media interactions on consumer–brand relationships: A three-country study of brand perceptions and marketing behaviors. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(1), 27-41.
Iblasi W.N., Bader, D., and Al-Qreini, S.A. (2016). The impact of social media as a marketing tool on purchasing decisions (case study on Samsung for electrical home appliances. International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research, 4(1), 14-28.
Ionas, E. and Stoica I. (2014). Social media and its impact on consumers behavior. International Journal of Economic Practices and Theories, 4(2), 295-303.
Jan, M.T., Abdullah, K., and Momen, A. (2015). Factors influencing the adoption of social networking sites: Malaysian Muslim users perspective. Journal of Economics, Business and Management, 3(2), 267-269.
Jashari, F. and Rrustemi, V. (2017). The impact of social media on consumer behavior – case study Kosovo. Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, 7(1), 1-21.
Jayasingh, S. and Eze U.C. (2010). The role of moderating factors in mobile coupon adoption: an extended TAM perspective. Communications of the IBIMA, 1-13.
Jeffres, L. & Atkin, D. (1996). Predicting use of technologies for communication and consumer needs. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 40(3), 318-330.
LaRose, R. and Atkin, D. (1988). Satisfaction, demographic, and media environment predictors on cable subscription. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 32(4), 403-413.
Laukkanen, T. and Pasanen, M. (2008). Mobile banking innovators and early adopters: how
they differ from other online users? Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 13(2),
-94.
Leung, L. (2001). College students motive for chatting on ICQ. New Media & Society, 3(4), 483-500.
Lin, C.A. (2004). Webcasting adoption: technology fluidity, user innovativeness, and media substitution. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 48(3), 446-465.
Lin, T., Chiu, V., and Lim W. (2011). Factors affecting the adoption of social network sites: examining four adopter categories of Singapore’s working adults. Asian Journal of Communication, 21(3), 221-242.
Lopez, M. H., Gonzalez-Barrera, A., & Patten, E. (2013). Closing the digital divide: Latinos and technology adoption. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.
Lorenzo-Romero, C., Alarcon-del-Amo, M., and Constantinides, E. (2014). Determinants of use of social media in retailing sector. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 9(1), 44-55.
Maden, O. and Savage, S.J. (2000). Some economic and social aspects of residential internet use in Australia. The Journal of Media Economics, 13(3), 171-185.
Mandal, D. and McQueen, R.J. (2012). Extending UTAUT to explain social media adoption by microbusinesses. International Journal of Management and Information Technology, 4(4), 1-11.
Matikiti, M., Mpinganjira, M., and Roberts-Lombard, M. (2018). Application of the technology acceptance model and the technology-organisation- environment model to examine social media marketing use in the South African tourism industry. South African Journal of Information Management, 20(1), 1-12.
Monsuwe, T.P., Dellaert, B., and de Ruyter, K. (2004). What drives consumers to shop online? A literature review. International Journal of Service Industry Managements, 15(1), 102-121.
Montague, I. (2011). Social network media in the forest products industry: a look at a new way of marketing. In: Proceedings of the 3rdInternational Conference on Hardwood Processing, October 16-18, 2011, Blacksburg, Virginia; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. Pp. 235-241.
Montague, I., Gazal, K.A., Wiedenbeck, H. and Shepherd, J. (2016). Forest products industry in a digital age: a look at a-commerce and social media. Forest Products Journal, 66(1-2), 49-57.
Muthiah, S. and Kannan, K.V. (2015). A study on impact of social media on consumer behavior. Asian Journal of Science and Technology, 6(12), 2151-2156.
Nah, S. and Saxton, G. (2013). Modeling the adoption and use of social media by nonprofit organizations. New Media Society, 15 (2), 294-313.
Ngai, E., Tao, S., and Moon, K. (2015). Social media research: theories, constructs, and conceptual frameworks. International Journal of Information Management, 35, 33-44.
Ndekwa, A. and Katunzi, T.M. (2016). Small and medium tourist enterprises and social media adoption: empirical evidence from Tanzania Tourism Sector. International Journal of Business and Management, 11(4), 71-80.
O’Cass, A. and Fenech, T. (2003). Web retailing adoption: exploring the nature of internet users web retailing behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 10(2), 81-94.
O’Rielly, T. (2005). What is web 2.0? Design patterns and business models for the next generation of software. Retrieved from http://orielly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web20.html.
Paquette, H. (2013). Social media as a marketing tool: a literature review. Major papers by Master of Science Students, Paper 2. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.uris.edu/tmd_major_papeprs/2.
Para-Lopez, E., Bulchand-Gidumal, J., Gutierrez-Tano, D., and Diaz-Armas, R. (2011). Intentions to use social media in organizing and taking vacation trips. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 640-654.
Peter, J., Valkenburg, P.M., and Schouten, A.P. (2006). Characteristics and motives of adolescents talking with strangers on the internet and its consequences. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9(5), 526-530.
Pew Research Center. 2017. Digital Gap Between Rural and Nonrural America Persists. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/19/digital-gap-between-rural-and-nonrural-america-persists/.
Pew Research Center. 2018a. Social Media Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/.
Pew Research Center. 2018b. Social Media Use in 2018. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/.
Pookulangara, S. and Koesler, K. (2011). Cultural influence on consumers’ usage of social networks and its impacts on online purchase intentions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 18, 348-354.
Porter, C.E. and Donthu, N. (2006). Using the technology acceptance model to explain how attitudes determine internet usage: the role of perceived access barriers and demographics. Journal of Business Research, 59(9), 999-1007.
Pindyck, R.S. and Rubinfield, D.L. (1981). Econometric Models and Economic Forecasts. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Ratchford, B.T., Talukdar, D., & Lee M.S. (2001). A model of consumer choice of the internet as an information source. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 5(3), 7-21.
Rogers, W.A., Mitzner, T.L., Boot, W.R., Czaja, S.J., and Sharit, J. (2017). Understanding individual and ags-related differences in technology adoption. Innovation in Aging, 1(1), 1026.
Qualman, E. (2010). Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business. John Wiley & Sons.
Sago, B. (2013). Factors influencing social media adoption and frequency of use: an examination of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. International Journal of Business and Commerece, 3(1), 1-14.
Sinclaire, J.K. and Vogus, C.E. (2011). Adoption of social networking sites: an exploratory adaptive structuration perspective for global organizations. Information Technology Management, 12, 293-314.
Smith, A. (2014). African Americans and technology use: A demographic portrait. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.
Sohn, S. and Lee, D. (2007). Gender gap in the usage of mobile phones as digital multimedia device: the case of South Korea. Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association. San Francisco: International Communication Association.
Steyn, P., Salehi-Sangari, E., Pitt, L., Parent, M., and Berthon, P. (2010). The social media release as a public relation tool: intentions to use among B2B bloggers. Public Relations Review, 36, 87-89.
Survey Sampling International. (2108). Retrieved from www.surveysampling.com/ssi-esomar-28-questions.
TechTarget, Inc. (1999-2018). Social Media Marketing. Retrieved from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media-marketing-SMM.
Thackeray, R., Neiger, B.L., Smith, A.K., and Van Wagenen, S.B. (2012). Adoption and use of social media among public health departments. BMC Public Health, 12, 242-247.
Torkzadeh, G. and Lee, J. (2003). Measures of perceived end-user computer skills. Information & Management, 40(7), 607-615.
United States Census Bureau (US Census Bureau). (2016). Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/.
Venkatesh, V. Davis, F.D. (1996). A model of the antecedents of perceived ease of use: development and test. Decision Sciences, 27(3), 451-481.
Venkatesh, V. and Bala, H. (2008). Technology acceptance model 3 and a research agenda on interventions. Decision Sciences, 39(2), 274-315.
Venkatesh, V. and Morris, M.G. (2000). Why don’t men ever stop to ask for directions? Gender, social influence, and their role in technology acceptance and usage behavior. MIS Quarterly, 24(1), 115-139.
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M.G., Davis, G.B., and Davis, F.D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27, 425-478.
Vlosky, R.P. (1999). eBusiness in the forest products industry. Forest Products Journal, 49(10), 12-21.
Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Lin, H., and Tang, T. (2003). Determinants of user acceptance of internet banking: an empirical study. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(5), 501-519.
Wood, S.L. (2002). Future fantasies: a social change perspective of retailing in the 21st century. Journal of Retailing, 78(1), 77-83.
Wood, J. and Khan, G.F. (2016). Social business adoption – an empirical analysis. Business Information Review, 33(1), 28-39.
Zhang, K.Z.K, Lee, M.K.O., Cheung, C.M.K., and Chen, H. (2009). Understanding the role of gender in bloggers’ switching behavior. Decision Support Systems, 47(4), 540-546.
Zolkepli, I.A. and Kamarulzaman, Y. (2011). Understanding social media adoption: the role of perceived media needs and technology characteristics. World Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 188-199.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Manuscripts published in the journal are open access and copyrighted according to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) which requires attribution to the author, but can be readily shared and adapted. BioProducts Business allows the author(s) to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
