Leveraging enterprise social network technology: understanding the roles of compatibility and intrinsic motivation

Jia，Qiong1; Lei，Yang2; Guo，Yue2; Li，Xiaotong3

2021

10.1108/JEIM-05-2021-0225

Journal of Enterprise Information Management   影响因子和分区

1741-0398

1758-7409

Purpose: This study explores the factors influencing the value of enterprise social media (ESM) from the perspective of compatibility. Establishing a theoretical model based on compatibility theory, the authors examine the effects of two dimensions of compatibility and the mediating effects of employees' intrinsic motivations. ESM is an important tool that helps companies to enhance knowledge sharing and cross-department collaboration. Thus, it is important to understand factors that can facilitate the role of ESM in improving enterprise operating performance. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a survey among 353 users of a leading ESM platform and empirically investigated how compatibility influences ESM value through employees' intrinsic motivations. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to study the relationship among compatibility, employees' intrinsic motivations and ESM value. Findings: The empirical research results indicate that compatibility of self-interest with group interest influences the value of ESM, and intrinsic motivations toward collaboration and toward knowledge management partially mediate the effects of the two dimensions of compatibility on ESM value. Research limitations/implications: First, the empirical analysis relies on data from surveying employees of Chinese companies. Therefore, one direction for future research is to reexamine the model using data from other countries. Second, the effects of compatibility identified in the study may vary among different ESM platforms. In addition, the findings may change for organizations having different sizes. Practical implications: This finding suggests that managers should pay close attention to potential conflicts of interest when implementing ESM to enhance group communication and collaboration. This study also highlights the importance of compatibility of new working processes with experience in practice. In addition, intrinsic motivations towards both cooperation and knowledge management in ESM are important factors influencing the value creation of ESM. Therefore, to cultivate employees' intrinsic motivation, managers and organizations need to facilitate the formation of a collaborative atmosphere and habits of cooperative adoption. Originality/value: Although previous studies show that compatibility is a strong belief salient to technology acceptance and continuance usage behavior, the operational definition of compatibility developed by prior studies has generally been limited to the technology perspective and the individual level. However, the primary benefit of ESM is enabling online team collaboration and knowledge sharing across various departments. Thus, the level of compatibility between employees' self-interests and group interests may influence their intrinsic motivations toward ESM usage. From this perspective of individual–group interest conflicts, the authors propose a conceptual research model based on the theory of compatibility in innovation diffusion.

Compatibility Enterprise social network ESM PLS-SEM

SSCI

英语

通讯

NationalNatural ScienceFoundation of China["71872061","71702045"] ; Key Program of NSFC-FRQSC Joint Project["72061127002","295837"] ; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities[B210207008]

Computer Science ; Information Science & Library Science ; Business & Economics

Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications ; Information Science & Library Science ; Management

WOS:000711609000001

EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD

2-s2.0-85118188052

Scopus

1.Hohai University,Nanjing,China
2.Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China
3.The University of Alabama in Huntsville,Huntsville,United States

Jia，Qiong,Lei，Yang,Guo，Yue,et al. Leveraging enterprise social network technology: understanding the roles of compatibility and intrinsic motivation[J]. Journal of Enterprise Information Management,2021,35(6).

Jia，Qiong,Lei，Yang,Guo，Yue,&Li，Xiaotong.(2021).Leveraging enterprise social network technology: understanding the roles of compatibility and intrinsic motivation.Journal of Enterprise Information Management,35(6).

Jia，Qiong,et al."Leveraging enterprise social network technology: understanding the roles of compatibility and intrinsic motivation".Journal of Enterprise Information Management 35.6(2021).