Social Networking Site Usage, Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Intention: An Empirical Study from Saudi Arabia

Entrepreneurship research has focused on several factors that might affect the intention of an individual to start an enterprise. Using principles from social network theory and the entrepreneurial intention model (EI), the current research intends to investigate how social capital is formed on Social Networking Sites (SNS) and how the resulting social capital influences entrepreneurial intention. Using an online survey, 151 valid responses were received from university students. Applying partial least square structural equation modeling, positive and significant relationship was found between the SNS usage and bonding and bridging social capital. Further, it was also found that online-bonding social capital does not impact any of the three antecedents of entrepreneurial intention. On the other hand, online-bridging social capital significantly influences personal attitudes and subjective norms. It was also found that both personal attitude and perceived behavioral control significantly relate to EI, while the subjective norms do not relate significantly to EI. The paper contributes to the literature on technology-based human behavior and entrepreneurship in emerging countries, opening some areas for future research, while also providing some managerial insights. It also should be beneficial to educational institutions in understanding how the use of SNS use by students may be optimized.