Limitations and future research directions

Some limitations derive from the collection and the composition of the dataset un-derlying the analyses. First, a bias existed because the sample was self-selected from Internet users that were mostly recruited from a set of online social networks, im-plying a limited representativeness with respect to the whole population. While the derived  cultural  differences  are  mostly  in  line  with  Hofstede’s  (2001) findings, re-searchers have pointed out that globalization and globalized communication net-works such as the Internet lead to an increasing convergence of cultural values and characteristics. This effect is strongest among younger generation Internet users.

Consequently, the derived sample cannot be seen as representative for the whole population, and implications can only be derived for the group of Internet users.

Second, it is not possible to isolate actual differences in corporate blogging practices between countries. These differences inevitably exist, resulting in varying associa-tions  with  the  term  “corporate  blog”  by  Internet  users.  Last  but  not  least,  some  cau-tion should also be used when generalizing the findings or when transferring the approach to other countries. While this study found the TAM to be valid for all three countries under consideration, McCoy (2007) found significant problems when researching technology acceptance in a range of countries, indicating that the model might not produce satisfying results in countries with rather extreme cultural characteristics such as very low uncertainty avoidance or very high power distance.

A transfer of these findings to such countries might thus entail additional limita-tions. Despite these limitations, the current study represents an initial step in ex-ploring the possible antecedents of corporate blog acceptance.

Extensions of this research seem promising in at least two directions. First, it is worthwhile to apply the framework to other technologies in order to identify effects of culture on these technologies and to consequently compare findings over a larger set of technologies (as well as countries). Second, additional research is necessary with respect to the corporate blog context, in order to identify specific determinants of perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use, eventually enabling companies to adapt their corporate blogs to the needs of their target groups more precisely.

5 Corporate blog acceptance and system de-sign characteristics

This chapter will analyze the effects of corporate blog design on corporate blog ac-ceptance by extending the TAM by six blog design factors identified through an exploratory factor analysis. Consequently, effects of these blog design factors on perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived ease of used are analyzed, and the resulting consequences for technology acceptance research and corporate blogging practices are discussed.

As companies and their stakeholders become more engaged in social media, it is of critical importance for corporations to understand the effect of the communication channels’  design  characteristics  and  to  anticipate  users’  responses  to  new  corporate   communication offerings such as corporate blogs. With increasing usage of corpo-rate blogs, research in the academic literature is augmenting. Scholars have studied the effects and characteristics of corporate blogs, i.e. how firms can motivate their employees to use corporate blogs (e.g., Wattal et al., 2010) or the effects of corpo-rate  blogs  on  customers’  purchase  intentions  (e.g., Brengman and Karimov, 2012, Hsu and Tsou, 2011, Tran et al., 2012), but little empirical work has examined the arrival process in corporate blogs, namely the factors that motivate individuals to read and participate in corporate blogs. Although recent research has enriched scholars’  understanding  of  the  role  of  engagement  and  involvement  in  shaping  cor-porate  blogs  users’  perceptions  and  intentions  (Doyle et al., 2012), we know little about how firms can actually influence already existing and potential blog users to-ward a more favorable view of the corporate blog and in this way positively affect their intention to use corporate blogs. Thus, increasing understanding about this topic is theoretically and practically important (Baxter and Connolly, 2013). More-over, prior research utilized a single-country study design, often focusing on North America. Scholars have called for taking a more international approach to more ful-ly understand country-specific differences as well as cross-country similarities in the factors that determine corporate blog usage (Thakur et al., 2013).

In an effort to address the identified gaps in the existing literature, this study aims to develop a framework based on the technology acceptance model and corporate blog design factors that play a role in individuals perception and, therefore, in the successful implementation of corporate blogs. The purpose of this study is three-fold: First, this study aims to identify the specific corporate blog design characteris-tics that positively influence the view of actual and potential corporate blog users.

Through the identification and empirical testing of these design characteristics, calls for examining how firms influence the perceptions and decisions of individuals

2006, Varadarajan and Yadav, 2009). Thus, the first contribution of this study lies in the extension of current research on corporate blogs with the first large-scale em-pirical study that examines which corporate blog characteristics positively affect in-dividuals’   perceptions   of   corporate   blogs.   The   second   purpose   of   this   study   is   to   examine the specific mechanism that  underlies  the  formation  of  individuals’  percep-tions and through which corporate  blog  design  characteristics  influence  individuals’  

acceptance of corporate blogs. The literature has primarily focused on direct rela-tionships between corporate blog usage intention and its determinants. Researchers have not comprehensively tested the mechanism through which of those factors, such as the design characteristics, a corporation can actively influence, the percep-tions and intenpercep-tions of individuals toward corporate blogs. Thus, currently little is known about how firms can influence the usability and usefulness of their blogs to cause individuals to hold more positive attitudes and intentions toward the adop-tion of corporate blogs. By examining the process through which corporate blog design  characteristics  affect  individuals’  intention  to  read  and  respond  to  corporate   blogs, a more complete and more detailed picture of the process from whence posi-tive perceptions arise is provided, an area which has been identified as being under-studied in this research field (Baxter and Connolly, 2013). Therefore, the second contribution lies in the identification of the mechanism through which firms can actively influence the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment, ultimately resulting in more favorable attitudes and intention towards corporate blogs. Finally, the third purpose of this study is to assess the cross-country applicability of the de-veloped framework using a unique multinational sample with a dataset in three countries. This study is the first study that provides a cross-country comparison of the factors that determine the intent to read corporate blogs. In this way, this study contributes to the existing literature by improving our understanding of the factors determining   individuals’   acceptance   of   corporate   blogs   in   different   countries   and   provide a cross-national validation of the proposed model, which is important to better   understand   individuals’   perceptions,   attitudes,   and   intentions   cross-nationally.

The remainder of this article proceeds as follows. First, an overview of the related literature is provided in order to develop theoretical arguments that explain the ef-fect of corporate blog design factors on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment, which mediate the relation between the design factors and  individuals’  attitude  towards  corporate  blogs  as  well  as  their  intentions  towards reading and participating in corporate blogs. Then the hypotheses are empirically tested and   the   study’s   contributions   to   theory   and   practice are discussed. Finally, the limitations of this study and the perspectives for future research are discussed.

5.1 Theoretical background: Design characteristics in the corporate blog