use in travel information searches.

use in travel information searches. Travelers may be likely to select or reject an information search based on an implicit psychological trade-off between perceived benefits and the associated sacrifices of use, as suggested by Davis (1989). Travelers

tend to maximize value during their decision making process and are reluctant to use something of a lower perceived value,

which results in the traveler’s usage of social media. In our study, we target travelers to understand how the individual

perceives change regarding the IS and its effect on his/her goals and whether the social media information search is positively perceived. We assume that travelers’ usage of social media may include perceived value. Hence, we hypothesize

the following:

Hypothesis 1. Perceived value has a positive effect on the travel information searches in social media usage.

3.2. Benefits

The value theory classifies utilitarian and hedonic value subsystems. Utilitarian motivation causes an individual to search

for information and gain information to increase his/her involvement in an activity to achieve a specific goal; in contrast,

hedonic motivation includes entertainment, visual stimulation, escape, and participation in an activity that is motivated

by the emotional appreciation of the consumption. Both utilitarian and hedonic values are described in terms of extrinsic

and intrinsic values (Sánchez-Fernández and Iniesta-Bonillo, 2007). Davis et al. (1992) examined extrinsic and intrinsic moti-
vation to use a computer and found that usefulness and enjoyment both influenced usage behavior. In addition, Kim et al.

(2007) and Gupta and Kim (2010) examined the influence of perceived value and behavioral intention. Our study posits that

travelers include both cognitive and affective elements in their search behaviors, and that searching for travel information in

social media is also closely related to the travelers’ utilitarian and hedonic values. For this reason, we propose information

reliability and perceived enjoyment as the benefit determinants of perceived value.

3.2.1. Information reliability

Previous marketing studies have argued that consumer choices and preferences are driven by utilitarian value; in other

words, consumers are rational beings who seek to maximize utility (Sánchez-Fernández and Iniesta-Bonillo, 2007). In tourism, travelers have basic motivations to choose several valuable destinations to visit; therefore, they pursue information reliability through an intensive information search (Hwang and Fesenmaier, 2011). Immediate access to various sources of

information in social media can be achieved reliably from travelers’ words-of-mouth, expertise of peers, or shared resources

from tourism agents and suppliers. Quick and information reliability enables a traveler to recognize, search, and evaluate a

destination, and learn about specific and new experiences related to a trip, such as investigating different tourist styles, trying new foods, and meeting new people. Information reliability is considered an important factor from which a traveler perceives value when using new social media (Sigala et al., 2012). Travelers usually seek out reliable and credible information

provided by other people through social interaction rather than by gaining the information through travel websites (Sigala

et al., 2012). Recently, travelers have utilized Facebook or Twitter linked with User Creative Contents (UCC) for ‘‘pre-visit’’

and ‘‘postvisit’’ destinations and have shared their experiences, photos, and videos. Thus, other travelers evaluate the

options for their trips based on this reliable and credible information on social media sites, reflecting their desire to engage

in an online activity. The construction of information reliability is akin to the IS concept of information quality (DeLone and

McLean, 1992), which is described as the characteristics of the output offered by the IS, including accuracy, timeliness, and

completeness. Travelers believe that the quality of information concerning the characteristics of the desired location has

become a driving force in user perception and decision making. Thus, we assume that information reliability would influence

perceived value in the same way, and we hypothesize the following:

Hypothesis 2. Information reliability has a positive effect on perceived value.

Hypothesis 3. Information reliability has a positive effect on the travel information searches in social media usage.

3.2.2. Enjoyment

Enjoyment has a significant effect on technology acceptance that extends beyond usefulness (Davis, 1989). Davis et al.

(1992) stressed that intrinsic motivations compel the individual to use a computer because it offers enjoyment. These

authors referred to enjoyment as ‘‘the extent to which the activity of using the computer is perceived to be enjoyable in

its own right’’ (p. 1113). When people use technology, such as a computer, and feel pleasure or joy, whereby they perceive

the technology to be enjoyable and to be of instrumental value, they are more likely to use it extensively (Davis et al., 1992).

Sánchez-Fernández and Iniesta-Bonillo (2007) stated that the concept of perceived value incorporates dichotomous values

(utilitarian value vs. hedonic value). Hedonic value can be explained as a reflection of the entertainment and emotional

worth of shopping, which is experiential and affective. Researchers have demonstrated that enjoyment or pleasure positively

affects perceived value (Kim et al., 2007; Gupta and Kim, 2010) and usage intention in the context of hedonic information

(Van der Heijden, 2004). Enjoyable use of social media devices emotionally forces travelers not only to search information for

222 N. Chung, C. Koo / Telematics and Informatics 32 (2015) 215–229

assisting travel decisions but also to interact with others. Travelers engage in online social relationships, enjoy materials

posted by other people or create their own materials (Sigala et al., 2012). We therefore hypothesize the following:

Hypothesis 4. Enjoyment has a positive effect on perceived value.

Hypothesis 5. Enjoyment has a positive effect on the travel information searches in social media usage.

3.3. Sacrifices

In previous studies, the quality and price relationship reflects value, that is, what is sacrificed versus what is received in

an exchange (Sánchez-Fernández and Iniesta-Bonillo, 2007). Perceived sacrifices include both monetary and non-monetary

sacrifices (Kim et al., 2007). The monetary aspect includes the actual price of the product, and customers generally evaluate it

based on the perceived price. The non-monetary aspect refers to the time and effort spent on buying and consuming the

product. Kim et al. (2007) proposed that perceived sacrifice, including technicality, which is about being technically excellent

in the process of providing a service, and perceived fee, which is explained as the perception of the fee compared to the price,

have technical factors that positively impact the perceived value; in contrast, the price factor has been found to negatively

impact the perceived value. Gupta and Kim (2010) found that perceived price and risks negatively affect the perceived value.

In addition, perceived price negatively influences one’s purchase intention as well. Social media currently offers users free

usage; thus, we only consider the complexity and the time and effort (i.e., perceived ease of use) (Davis, 1989) involved

in the traveler’s search process. Non-monetary sacrifice only determined for perceived value and user attraction. For this rea-
son, we propose complexity and perceived effort as the sacrifice components of perceived value and as the positive driving

forces behind user’s perception.

3.3.1. Complexity

Davis (1989) defined complexity as ‘‘the degree to which an innovation is perceived as relatively difficult to understand

and use.’’ More specifically, Rogers (1995) found that the complexity of the innovation has a significant negative relationship

with the adoption of the new application. Thus, individuals have not sufficiently perceived the breadth and depth of knowledge to grasp the overall performance of new technologies (Reed and DeFillippi, 1990). A product’s technological complexity

is found to have a negative effect on time and cost development, which leads to a greater disadvantage for the manufacturing

company (Sánchez and Pérez, 2003). On the other hand, a complex transaction is a multidimensional variable that includes

technological complexity, and it is interrelated with factors that affect the purchase decision. Therefore, Kotteaku et al.

(1995) have attempted to establish a causal relationship between the technical difficulty of products and the consumer’s

selection decision. Product complexity not only creates stress for the buyer but also affects the structure of the buying center.

Kim and Kankanhalli (2009) argued that changing to a new IS and a new way of working with the new system could affect

the users’ reactions to the new IS-related changes and have a significant impact on user resistance. In value base theory,

Gupta and Kim (2010) found that perceived risk has a negative effect on perceived value but not significant to directly purchase intention in Internet shopping. Then, travelers are less willing to make actual use under conditions of high complexity

in the social media usage context. We therefore hypothesize the following:

Hypothesis 6. Complexity has a negative effect on perceived value.

Hypothesis 7. Complexity has a negative effect on the travel information searches in social media usage.

3.3.2. Perceived effort

Along with complexity, Davis (1989) defined ‘‘perceived ease of use’’ as ‘‘the degree to which a person believes that

using a particular system would be free of effort’’ (p. 320). Therefore, perceived ease of use is si