Commonality of Web site visiting among countries

Abstract

Although the role the Internet plays in globalization has been widely discussed, relatively little is known about the extent to which users in different countries visit the same Web sites. Surprisingly, no prior research in the literature has empirically addressed this topic in a systematic way. Based on the theory of life in the round and related concepts of information behavior, this article reports an attempt to fill the gap by looking at how cultural, geodemographical, and economic factors underpin the extent which people from different countries visit the same Web sites. A commonality index to measure the commonality of Web site visiting for the macrolevel, cross-country study is proposed for a large-scale empirical study using online panel data that cover 101 countries. Results from the analyses indicate that as cyberspace is obviously fractured, Internet users in countries that share a common language, religion, and social norms, that have a similar level of economic development, and that are physically nearer to one another are more likely to visit the same Web sites. The relationship between individuallevel information behavior and macrolevel Internet traffic metrics is established; the former helps explain the latter whereas the latter enriches the former.

Website Preferences of Finnish and Mexican University Students: A Cross-Cultural Study

“…Finland and Mexico are countries with high Internet penetration and similar social norms. Therefore, as was cited by Huang (2009), people in countries with similar social norms access similar websites. In addition, for example, the respondents in this study accessed the Internet for all types of activities (e.g., studies, social interactions, etc.).…”

“…In the same way, several classifications have been performed to categorize the amount of time that people spend on the Internet (e.g., the addicts and the affiliated) and the positive and negative consequences this has for quality of life (Amichai-Hamburger et al, 2007;Meyen, Pfaff-Rüdiger, Dudenhöffer & Huss, 2010;Weinstein & Lejoyeu, 2010). Also, Huang and Chang (2009) carried out a study using a database of 101 countries. They evaluated the similarity (e.g., language and religion) of websites among countries and found that Internet users in countries sharing common social norms were likely to visit the same websites.…”

Cultural Patterns of Information Source Use: A Global Study of 47 Countries

“…Culture has often been used to study website use. Huang and Chang () investigated the website visiting patterns in 101 countries by analyzing the user data reported by http://alexa.com. They found that Internet users in countries that have similar language, religious beliefs, social norms, and economic development were likely to visit similar websites.…”