Micro-blogging: The Effects of Information Quality, System Quality, and Community Quality on Satisfaction and Continuance Intention

Micro-blogs are receiving increasing attention as a widely used tool for disseminating short messages to an interested group of followers. Twitter, for example, is regarded as one of the biggest forces in social media (Smith, 2011). However, despite the tremendous growth of micro-blogs, relatively few studies have attempted to explain the popularity of micro-blogs, or examine why users continue using micro-blogs. Hence, this study aims to address the following research questions: (1) What are the salient factors contributing to user satisfaction with micro-blogs, and (2) How does satisfaction influence micro-blog users’ continuance intentions? We draw on Delone and McLean’s (1992) IS success model, which proposes Use and User Satisfaction as two categories of IS success. However, whereas Use often refers to first-time usage (adoption) of technologies, we focus on continuing use of micro-blogs. Bhattacherjee (2001) introduced the IS continuance model as a theoretical extension of the IS success model to explain the relationship between the two IS success factors Satisfaction and Continuance Intention. More specifically, satisfaction, as an overall evaluation of a system based on the knowledge gained from prior repeated interaction with it, can be regarded as an attitude toward the system, which can influence behavioral intentions. In addition to testing these relationships in the context of micro-blogging, we attempt to understand what features associated with micro-blogs can influence users’ satisfaction. Following DeLone and McLean’s (1992) IS success model, we argue that system quality and information quality are important determinants of users’ satisfaction. Yet, these factors, based on workplace information systems, do not capture the underlying reasons for social networking tools focusing on collaboration, namely, the ability to interact with a community of other users. Thus, we introduce “community quality” as a third component of overall system quality. Whereas prior research has examined structural aspects of online communities (e.g., Butler, 2001), we extend this notion to include a user’s sense of community. Specifically, drawing on research in community psychology (e.g., Peterson et al., 2008), we define community quality as a user’s perception of a micro-blog’s structure (in terms of membership size) and experience within a micro-blogging community (in terms of needs fulfillment, emotional connection, influence, and group membership), and argue that community quality will be a third important antecedent of user satisfaction. We have developed research hypotheses about the effects of system quality, information quality, and community quality on satisfaction and continuance intentions. This poster presents the research hypotheses, together with the results of a pilot study conducted to validate the measurement instruments. Overall, our research will have important implications for both research and practice. Specifically, drawing attention to the various aspects of micro-blogs’ quality and their effects on users’ satisfaction and continuance intentions, this research will contribute to the understanding of mechanisms that influence how people make personal judgments of micro-blogging sites. This understanding will have important implications for product managers and system developers, as it will help identifying critical design features of micro-blogging sites, and will thus help practitioners maintain micro-blogs’ success.