SOCIAL NETWORKS ADOPTION SCALE

Dr. Yasemin Kocak Usluel
Sacide Guzin Mazman
Hacettepe University

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale to determine the factors that affect the adoption process of social networks. Facebook which is a most commonly and intensively used social network, is handled in this study. Data were collected from 606 Facebook users who responded to the survey which was published on the web. At the first stages of the scale development, based on diffusion, acceptance, adoption, and usage theories and models, a proposal scale is developed, consisting of 23 items. Explanatory factor analysis, first order confirmatory factor analysis and second order confirmatory factor analysis were executed for validity of scale; reliability coefficient values and item total correlations were calculated for reliability of the scale. After dividing the data into two parts, explanatory factor analysis was conducted on the first half of the data. As a result of the explanatory factor analysis, two items (B18 and B19) were excluded from the scale, because of low factor load values and it was found that the rest of the 21 items consisted of 5 factors (usefulness, ease of use, social influence, facilitating conditions and community identity) and explained 69,3%of the total variance. After that, first order confirmatory factor analysis was executed on the other half of the data to confirm the adoption factors that are obtained as a result of the explanatory factor analysis. Then, the second order confirmatory factor analysis ,which is hypothesized theoretically, was executed to validate the constructs namely the usefulness, ease of use, social influence, facilitating conditions and community identity represent adoption variable. Fit indices of first and second order factor analysis showed that measurement model exhibited a good fit to the data. Usefulness was found as the factor which has the highest relationship (0,91) with adoption and it predecited the adoption with the highest proportion of 83%. As a result of the analyses, Facebook adoption scale is obtained which consisted of 21 items under 5 factors as usefulness, ease of use, social influence, facilitating conditions and community identity. Reliability coefficient of this scale is found

Keywords

Social networks, Adoption, Scale development