Understanding Continuance Intention to Use Social Media in China: The Roles of Personality Drivers, Hedonic Value, and Utilitarian Value

Despite the enormous increase in active users of WeChat, research examining users’ continuance intention based on personality habits and value perceptions is very scarce. To fill this gap, the present study aims to offer a research model which examines the role of four personality drivers, namely, (1) personal innovativeness, (2) face consciousness, (3) need for uniqueness, and (4) ambiguity intolerance in WeChat users’ hedonic and utilitarian value perceptions. Further, our model examines how hedonic and utilitarian value perceptions influence continuance intention. Data were collected from 262 active users of WeChat. Structural equation modeling was employed to test study hypotheses. The findings reveal that personal innovativeness had a positive effect on users’ hedonic value. Face consciousness and need for uniqueness were found to be a strong predictor of both hedonic and utilitarian value. A negative association was found between ambiguity intolerance and utilitarian value. The hedonic and utilitarian value positively affects continuance intention. The authors offer theoretical and practical implications for Information System scholars and practitioners, and close by acknowledging the limitations and future research direction.