Understanding the Factors Affecting Users' Like Intentions in Social Network Services: A Multi-dimensional Value Perspective

Social network service (SNS) has become a widely used social communication platform which is well integrated in the daily routines of many people. The Like button has become a popular interactive function in SNS in recent years but the research on the underlying mechanism about why individuals use the Like button (termed as Like behavior in this study) is rarely examined. To fill this research gap, based on a multi-dimensional value perspective, we propose a research model to investigate the factors influencing users' Like behaviors. The proposed model is empirically tested through an online survey of 479 users in the context of WeChat, one of the most popular SNS in China. The results of this study suggest that social value, entertainment value and cognitive value are the key determinants of users' Like intention. Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations of the study are discussed finally.