An imposed etic approach with Schwartz polar dimensions to explore cross-cultural use of social network services

Cross-cultural studies in Information Systems (IS) have experienced an overreliance on Hofstede's theory, which has impeded researchers from exploring alternative theoretical lenses. We examine the moderating effects of Schwartz's Polar Dimensions on users’ perception of Social Network Service, highlighting cultural issues associated with IS privacy, trust, and social capital. We found that the effect of perceived reputation is more powerful in American culture than Chinese culture, though network centrality has a stronger effect on use intention among Chinese users than American users. We also introduce the imposed etic approach, which has been rarely seen in IS research.