Factors influencing intention to upload content on Wikipedia in South Korea: The effects of social norms and individual differences

This study examined the roles of social norms and individual differences in influencing Internet users’ intention to upload content on Wikipedia in South Korea. It also compared the impacts of these variables on the uploading intention between users and non-users of Wikipedia. Using data from a survey of college students (185 Wikipedia users and 158 non-users), the study found that the effect of social norms including descriptive norm and injunctive norm was smaller than expected, while that of individual differences—self-efficacy, issue involvement, and ego involvement—was more important in accounting for the intention to upload. Theoretical implications and limitations were discussed.

► The study examined the factors of Internet users’ intention to upload content on Wikipedia.
► The effect of social norms was smaller than expected in affecting the uploading intention.
► Self-efficacy accounted for intention to upload content for both users and non-users of Wikipedia.
► Issue involvement accounted for intention to upload content for both users and non-users of Wikipedia.
► Ego involvement accounted for intention to upload content for both users and non-users of Wikipedia.