Redirect your efforts: Extraversions effect on the informational benefits received from active and passive LinkedIn use.
Summary
Online networking is facilitated by social networking sites (SNS). LinkedIn is an SNS used for
professional purposes. Previous studies have shown that individuals can increase their social
capital through LinkedIn by receiving information that they can use to improve their
professional standing. This is because LinkedIn offers a unique networking experience as it
satisfies all affordances in the affordance framework. The purpose of this study is to investigate
how individuals receive these informational benefits from actively or passively using LinkedIn
and how extraversion can moderate this relationship. Using an online survey, data was
collected from 237 LinkedIn users. Active LinkedIn use and passive LinkedIn use both
significantly positively predicted informational benefits. Extraversion significantly
strengthened the relationship between active use and informational benefits, and significantly
weakened the relationship between passive use and informational benefits. Post-hoc analyses
suggest posting status updates and sending messages have the strongest relationship with
informational benefits gained from LinkedIn. Both active and passive use of LinkedIn can be
used to increase social capital and evaluating your level of extraversion can help redirect your
efforts to a usage strategy that’s more effective.