Using Social Networking Sites : A Qualitative Cross-Cultural Comparison

The purpose of this study was to determine the motives, the brakes and the ways of using Social Networking Sites (SNS) based on dimensional models that describe national cultural values explaining and predicting behavior. The study used a qualitative method, we conducted face-to-face in-depth interviews with 32 Tunisian, 29 Indian, 20 Pakistani, 20 French and 20 Canadian participants. The data was collected and transcribed in each of the five countries by independent researchers for each country. However, the analysis of the data was carried out by a single researcher to eliminate bias. We concluded that cultural environment influences the way people communicate and use social networking sites. The sources of motivation, the brakes and the reasons for the non-use of SNS also depend on cultural aspects of each society. We conducted an intercontinental study where the countries studied represent the four continents of the World, namely North America, Africa, Asia and Europe