Information Sharing in the Context of Social Media: An Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Capital Theory

Social media technologies are increasingly driving ecommerce activities. The intertwining of social media systems and e-commerce systems are creating new social commerce business models. At the core of these new business models is the need for individuals to upload information. This paper researches individual’s information sharing behaviors in social media sites. With the goal of explaining the factors which drive or inhibit individual’s information sharing, this research integrates factors from the Theory of Reasoned Action and Social capital Theory. Our research model identifies factors which influence individual’s attitude and intentions toward sharing information in social media sites. In addition, by comparing the research results between female and male groups, we discovered significant gender differences in factors that influence information sharing behaviors. Lastly, practical and theoretical implications are discussed.