Examining the Role of Tie Strength in Users’ Continuance Intention of Second-Generation Mobile Instant Messaging Services

Second-generation mobile instant messaging (SMIM) is a new structure of social media facilitated by the widespread use of smartphones. It is embedded in social networks and support fundamental functions. However, tie strength, as a social network configuration, is ignored in existing SMIM studies. The present work incorporates the effect of tie strength into expectation-confirmation model, proposing the continuance intention model in the unique context of SMIM and investigating the potential driving forces (i.e., users’ satisfaction, tie strength, confirmation of values, and perceived critical mass). Results show that tie strength appears to be a negative moderating force between satisfaction and continuance intention in SMIM services and arises from the confirmation of social value. In particular, the confirmation of sense of belonging has the strongest association with tie strength enhancement, while the confirmation of self-expression is the most important driver of satisfaction. Both satisfaction and perceived critical mass directly contribute to continuance intention of SMIM users, and perceived critical mass has a stronger impact.