How Generation Y adapts technological innovation: a study of nationality, culture and gender differences in social networking users

Online social networking services (SNS) are confidently through the process of technological innovation from conceptualization to the commercial utilization. Serving as the communication medium of choice for the generation Y, business and commercial uses of SNS are on course to rival their leisure utility. Increasingly, global generation Y is treated as a uniform entity in current literature, while insights into culture and gender specific behaviour on SNS are lacking. This study of over 600 social networking users addresses how professional and leisure use of social networks differs across culture, gender and other demographics. We establish the profile of a professional SNS user and delineate clusters of users by their culture and purpose of social networking adoption. Our study helps bridge the gap in literature on identifying how cultural traits, nationality and gender affect business and leisure use of social networking. Future directions of research on social networking innovation are offered for discussion.