Title: Usage factors of location-based social applications: the case of Foursquare

Authors: Birgul Kutlu; Aysun Bozanta; Mustafa Coskun

Addresses: Management Information Systems Department, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey ' Management Information Systems Department, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey ' Management Information Systems Department, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: Location-based social applications allow users to share their locations in a rich media context, keep in touch with friends and find new places to explore. Studies that investigate the usage factors of location-based social applications are either qualitative or based on application data. In this study, Foursquare, a highly popular mobile location-based social network, was analysed from the perspective of users. This study contributes to the field by employing E-TAM to identify the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment and social connection in Foursquare usage within the framework of structural equation modelling. The results of the online survey with 233 responses showed that perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment have a direct and significant impact on actual Foursquare usage, while social connection indirectly affects. Perceived usefulness, on the other hand, has no impact on the actual usage of Foursquare.

Keywords: location-based social network; Foursquare; structural equation modelling; SEM; technology acceptance model; TAM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2018.092404

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2018 Vol.14 No.2, pp.128 - 148

Received: 28 Jan 2017
Accepted: 24 Oct 2017

Published online: 17 Jun 2018 *

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