Examining the Factors that Influence the Use of Social Media for Disaster Management by Underserved Communities

Abstract

This study examined the propensity of social media use by underserved communities by drawing on the literature on the digital divide and attribution theory. Specifically, this research explored the factors that can influence the use of social media for disaster management. The study used survey methodology to collect data and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The results of the study indicate: (1) that the propensity of social media use for disaster management is low for underserved communities; (2) a positive relationship between an individual’s effort and the intention to use social media for disaster management; and (3) a negative relationship between task difficulty and the intention to use social media for disaster management. The study expanded the literature on the use of social media in disaster management. The article also provides both theoretical and practical implications.

Keywords

Attribution theory / Digital divide / Disaster management / Social media use / Texas / Underserved communities

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