A cross-national study of Twitter users' motivations and continuance intentions

Abstract

Given the explosive popularity and growth of microblogging worldwide and its potential use in the areas of public policy, civic activism, as well as marketing and advertising, the questions of why and how individuals use these services warrant a comprehensive research. While some studies addressing motivations to join and continue using Twitter have been published, no research to date has investigated these issues in the context of developing economies. This exploratory study seeks to build an understanding of Twitter usage and continuance motivations in Ukraine, and compares them to those of the US users. The findings of the study suggest that articipants in both countries use Twitter for professional development, entertainment, status maintenance, and social interaction and exchange. The Ukrainian participants, however, emphasize Twitter use for identity negotiation and self-expression, as well as for news updates and sharing. The study also examines how different motivations of joining Twitter affect current Twitter usage and continuance intentions, and provides implications for public policy and advertising.