Academic engagement: Differences between intention to adopt Social Networking Sites and other online technologies

This article studies firstly academic willingness to use online technologies in order to engage with their peers and secondly, whether there are any differences between academics using Social Networking Sites (SNS) and other online technologies. We synthesised the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Uses and Gratifications Theory, proposing a conceptual model that is evaluated twice using Structural Equation Modelling. Differences were observed between the model of SNS and the model of online technologies. Academics consider SNS more suitable for networking and presenting a professional image and the rest of online technologies for making new acquaintances in their research area and seeking academic information. Our findings have important implications as we were able to demonstrate the ecological validity of the joint model in two different cases and provide information about how academics approach online engagement. The need for providing training in utilising online technologies is evident, especially in the case of SNS, as self-efficacy is the main factor that affects perceived behavioural control, which in turn affects behavioural intention. In addition, the non-significant effect that social norms have on intention in the case of SNS indicates that universities may have to use different promotional techniques internally.