Social Media and Attitudes of Students Towards Online Goods and Services: A Case Study of University of Education, Winneba
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
- To determine the attitude of the University of Education, Winneba towards online shopping.
- To examine factors that influence the University of Education, Winneba in shopping online.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF REALTED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
By definition, social media is a set of various web services that can be interrelated for social interaction using highly accessible and scalable communication techniques (Subramanyam and Greenfield, 2008). Those web services refer to user’s capacity to create, publish and share contents that are accessible in various platforms – basically webs and mobiles. Mayfield (2008) explains that social media is online or electronic media which facilitates participation, openness, conversation, community and connectedness amongst online users. The core of social media as explained by Trusov et al. (2009) lies in fact that users can have individual profiles and personal images, users are able to communicate their thoughts,feelings, interests (music, hobbies, preferences) and link to affiliated profiles (friends or professional fan pages). Various social media applications exist that allow the creation, modification and exchange of online content. According to Hausmann & Poellmann (n.d.), the most relevant categories of social media applications at present are summarized and cursorily discussed below:
- Collaborative projects encompass knowledge communities like “Wikipedia”, bookmarking sites like “Mr. Wong” or review sites like “Yelp”. While knowledge communities enable users to add, remove, and change text-based communities, bookmarking and review sites allow a group-based collection and rating of Internet links, media content or products and services.
- Weblogs (Blogs) represent the earliest form of social media and are regularly updated websites on which contributions are published in reverse chronological orders. In general, blogs allow extensive interaction between blogger and readers via a comment function.
- Microblogs like Twitter are seen as a hybrid of blogging, instant messaging and status notifications. They allow people to publish short text messages (restricted to 140 – 200 characters) using a multitude of various communication channels such as cell phones, instant messaging, e-mail and the Web.
- Content communities like YouTube, Flickr or Slideshare focus on content and file sharing between users. Content communities exist for a wide range of different media types like text, photos, songs, videos and PowerPoint presentations.
- Social Networks like Facebook connect users with similar background and interests who create personal, fully customizable profiles displaying their identity and then share these with so-called friends or fans. Profiles can include any type of information, i.e. photos, videos, audio files and blogs.
- Virtual Worlds comprise virtual games and social worlds where a three-dimensional computer-based environment replicates the “real world”. In games like Warcraft user can appear in the form of a personalized avatar and interact with the community.
For the present study, focus is on social network sites; Facebook being a popular example. Finin et al. (2005, p. 419) define a social network as an “explicit representation of the relationship between individuals and groups in the community”. Additionally, Raacke andBonds-Raacke (2008) indicate that social networks provide a virtual platform where people of similar interests may gather to communicate, share and discuss ideas. A unique and striking feature of social networks is the users’ profile. This profile is the focal point of one’s social networking experience. Each profile page is unique to the owner and allows its user to literally “type oneself into being” (Sunden, 2003, p. 3). Each member is encouraged to upload their personal profile photograph and share a range of personal information such as where they go to school and details about their personal tastes, such as favourite movies and music (Boyd, 2007). As users have total control over the content that they choose to share and the applications they place on their pages, they can, and usually do, opt to portray themselves in the most positive light.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine social media and attitudes of students towards online goods and services. University of education, Winniba form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain social media and attitudes of students towards online goods and services. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing an social media and attitudes of students towards online goods and services
Summary
This study was on social media and attitudes of students towards online goods and services. Three objectives were raised which included: To determine the attitude of University of education, Winneba towards online shopping and to examine factors that influence University of education, Winneba in shopping online. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected secondary schools in Ibadan. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The students mostly shopped online once in a year and patronized mostly clothing and accessories with intention to buy products online in the future. The convenience and time-saving advantages mostly influenced their decision to shop online. Although the students had a positive attitude towards online shopping, they are likely to be constrained mostly by network instability, concern for the safety of their debit/credit card and delivered goods looking different from the ones seen online. The attitude of the students is significantly influenced by their level of monthly stipend and the constraints to shop online
Recommendation
The high interest of the students to purchase products online in the nearest future suggests that Business-to-Consumer e-commerce (Online shopping) should be exploited by agribusinesses for growth and productivity. The social media should be fully utilized for marketing and advertising products and their web-stores since the majority sourced information from this medium.
References
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