Information Privacy Concerns and Social Network Sites in a Low-Income Country: An Empirical Study in Ethiopia

Kelecha, Berhanu Borena (2015) Information Privacy Concerns and Social Network Sites in a Low-Income Country: An Empirical Study in Ethiopia. PhD thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

This research answers the call for more theories and theorization in information systems (IS) in general and information privacy in particular. With the proliferation of Social Network Sites (SNS) that depend greatly on continued information inflow, concern for privacy is increasing. Higher Information Privacy Concern (IPC) could hinder adoption and use of various IT innovations. While some researchers have explored causes and outcomes of IPC, Low-Income Countries (LICs), which are significantly different (by IT infrastructure, access to education, culture…) from developed countries, are overlooked in IS research. Such contextual differences could influence relationships with IPC, suggesting that the findings from studies conducted in developed countries may not apply to LICs. To address this gap, the question ‗what are the causes and outcomes of IPC in SNS for the citizens of LICs?’ is raised. This study is anchored on the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, which stipulates privacy boundary determining factors. CPM, however, does not clearly state causal relationships among the factors. The Antecedent-Privacy-Concern-Outcome (APCO) macro model, on the other hand, tried to show some of the clues regarding the relationships among the constructs. Using these insights and contextualizing them with LICs a Comprehensive Privacy Concern model for SNS in LICs (CPCM-SL) is developed in this research. Prior survey instruments are adapted to the context of SNS and Ethiopian, and then translated into Amharic (local language) using combined translation techniques. However, finding an equivalent word for privacy was not possible; instead, unusual compound word ግሊዊ was used, implying absence of the tradition of Western type privacy in the country. CPCM-SL tested empirically using 671 data-points gathered randomly in five cities involving students and employees, and satisfying sample and statistical power requirements. The majority of respondents were under 30 years of age, male, and Facebook users. The measurement model is validated and the SmartPLS SEM-PLS analysis shows that unlike most EU and North American studies, collectivism and power-distance affected IPC positively. The hypothesized negative direct effects of IPC, gender and social adjustment were rejected. Positive effect of perceived vulnerability, uncertainty avoidance, and privacy experience on IPC is observed. The negative effect of long-term orientation, and interaction effect of SNS experience and IPC, is also confirmed. The contextual factors, SNS experience, and ITI, played a significant role in IPC and self-disclosure/awareness relationships. Large and moderate effect-size scored by perceived vulnerability and privacy experience respectively. The model‘s R2 and Q2 is 55.2% and 0.23 respectively showing relatively high coefficient of determination and moderate predictive relevance. These findings indicate constructs affecting IPC‘s are not necessarily the same in different in various contexts. Policies and IT solutions based on Fair Information Practices principles and local contexts are suggested for governments, industries, and individuals to avoid privacy vulnerability and violations, together with enhancing efficacy and awareness. Future replication and comparative studies are suggested to validate the theoretical model further.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Privacy theory, privacy concern, low-income countries, social network sites, Ethiopia, Amharic privacy instrument.
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science T Technology > T Technology (General)
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Selom Ghislain
Date Deposited:	18 Sep 2018 07:29
Last Modified:	18 Sep 2018 07:29
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/5292

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