The Impact of Territorial and Relational Belonging on Member Retention in Social Networking Sites

With the growth in social networking and the highly competitive nature of the social networking market, it is important to understand the factors that influence social network site (SNS) member retention. In order to better understand continuation intention among SNS members, the authors propose and empirically test a model built upon the IS continuance model, motivation theory, and two belongingness constructs drawn from social psychology. Results of this study indicate that positive confirmation, perceived usefulness, and perceived enjoyment influence user satisfaction, which in turn has a strong impact on continuance intention. In addition, the member’s sense of territorial belonging to the SNS has a positive influence on both continuance intention and perceived enjoyment. The member’s sense of belonging stemming from relationships with others within the community has a positive influence on both perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment, but appears to be insignificant with respect to a direct influence on continuance intention. KeywoRDS Belonging, Expectation Confirmation, Member Retention, Social Networking, Virtual Community