Effect of Cultural Values on Students' Adoption of Social Media for Collaborative Learning

ABSTRACT Background Collaborative learning, which emphasises cooperative group techniques, intersects with the evolving role of social media as a tool. Understanding how cultural values influence these dynamics is crucial for effectively integrating and utilising social media into collaborative learning environments. Objective This research aims to advance knowledge in collaborative learning by introducing a multidimensional approach to understanding the impact of espoused cultural values (ECV) on technology acceptance in the Indian context, using the unified theory of technology acceptance and usage (UTAUT) for collaborative learning. Methods The study employed a multivariate data analysis approach using raw data collected through a convenience sampling technique from 250 engineering students in Rajasthan, India. The study investigated the influence of ECV treated as a higher‐order construct, on effort expectancy (EE), performance expectancy (PE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC) and students' intentions to use Facebook for collaborative learning. The analysis was performed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) method with SmartPLS v3.2.9. Results The PLS‐SEM analysis demonstrated significant impacts of ECV on EE, PE, FC and SI. To provide better insights, the lower‐order constructs of ECV (i.e., uncertainty avoidance, power distance, masculinity/femininity and individualism/collectivism) that influenced the intent to use were also analysed. This research contributes to the understanding of factors that influence the adoption of collaborative learning tools and guides the development of tailored strategies for technology adoption.