Social Computing

Abstract

This article explores the influence of social, self, and use factors on the intention to perform social computing actions in online social sites. A survey was conducted using peer-to-peer file sharing as representative of a social computing action. Collected data was analyzed using the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares. These findings show that social computing consensus and social computing cooperation are important social factors that have significant influence on the formation of social norms, which in turn increases the intention of members to perform social computing actions. Interestingly, the widely tested use factors perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have no significant effect upon a user's intention to perform social computing actions. Furthermore, while social norms have significant influence upon a user's intention to perform social computing actions, self-identity has no significant impact. These findings lead to academic and practical implications on the efficacy of social, self, and use factors in furthering understanding of social computing.