Abstract
Despite the high adoption level of Facebook and other social network sites (SNSs) in Norway, local level voluntary associations have not embraced SNSs to the same degree. Regular websites are the main web representation, and information provision is the main function of the associations’ web representations. Using quantitative data on website content and organizational characteristics we have analyzed which factors hinder SNS adoption. The results point to size and complexity of associations and to age-based digital divides among members as important factors for having a profile on a SNS. It seems that a certain numerical point must be reached in terms of organizational and community size, for SNSs to be useful. Also, older members, smaller economy and a low degree of formalization in associations might hamper the implementation of SNSs in associations. Using Norway as a critical case, this article contributes new knowledge about web communication in voluntary organizations, an increasingly important field of research internationally.
Résumé
Malgré de le taux d’adoption élevé de Facebook et d’autres sites de réseaux sociaux (SRS) en Norvège, les associations de bénévolat au niveau local ne se sont pas autant investies dans les SRS. Ces associations présentent des sites web standard dont la fonction essentielle de représentation sur le réseau est de mettre des informations à disposition des internautes. En utilisant des données quantitatives sur le contenu des sites et les caractéristiques organisationnelles de ces associations, nous avons analysé les facteurs qui freinent leur adoption des SRS. Les résultats indiquent que la taille et la complexité des associations et la fracture numérique qui sépare les membres en fonction de leur âge, sont des facteurs importants pour déterminer qui est susceptible de posséder un profil sur un site de réseau social. Il semble qu’une certaine capacité numérique doit être atteinte en termes de taille d’organisation et de communauté pour que les SRS commencent à être utiles. De plus, des membres plus âgés, une capacité financière réduite et un faible degré de formalisation des associations peuvent être un frein à l’adoption des SRS. En utilisant la Norvège comme cas critique, cet article livre de nouvelles connaissances concernant la communication sur le web dans les associations de bénévolat, un champ de recherche internationale qui gagne en importance.
Zusammenfassung
Trotz der hohen Nutzungsrate von Facebook und anderen sozialen Online-Netzwerken in Norwegen haben die örtlichen gemeinnützigen Vereinigungen diese Netzwerke bislang nicht in demselben Maße angenommen. Sie sind im Internet hauptsächlich auf regulären Websites vertreten, wobei die Bereitstellung von Informationen die Hauptfunktion ihrer Internetpräsenz ist. Unter Nutzung quantitativer Daten zu Website-Inhalten und organisatorischen Merkmalen untersuchten wir die Faktoren, die die Annahme sozialer Online-Netzwerke hindern. Die Ergebnisse stellen die Größe und Komplexität der Vereinigungen sowie die altersbegründete Spaltung unter Mitgliedern mit Hinblick auf das Internet als wichtige Faktoren dafür heraus, ob die Organisation über ein Profil in einem sozialen Online-Netzwerk verfügt. Es scheint, dass ein bestimmter numerischer Wert im Hinblick auf die Größe der Organisation und der Gemeinde erreicht werden muss, damit sich soziale Online-Netzwerke als nützlich erweisen. Zudem erschweren unter Umständen ältere Mitglieder, eine kleinere Wirtschaft und ein geringes Maß an Formalität in den Vereinigungen die Einführung und Nutzung sozialer Online-Netzwerke. Unter Bezugnahme auf Norwegen als kritischer Fall verhilft dieser Beitrag zu neuem Wissen über die Internetkommunikation in gemeinnützigen Organisationen, einem international an Bedeutung zunehmenden Forschungsbereich.
Resumen
A pesar del elevado nivel de adopción de Facebook y de otras páginas de redes sociales (SNS, del inglés social network site) en Noruega, las asociaciones de voluntarios a nivel local no han adoptado las SNS en el mismo grado. Las páginas Web habituales son la principal representación Web, y la provisión de información es la principal función de las representaciones Web de las asociaciones. Utilizando datos cuantitativos sobre el contenido de las páginas Web y las características organizativas, hemos analizado qué factores impiden la adopción de las SNS. Los resultados señalan el tamaño y la complejidad de las asociaciones y a divisiones digitales basadas en la edad entre los miembros como factores importantes para tener un perfil en una página de red social. Parece que debe alcanzarse un determinado punto numérico en términos de tamaño organizativo y de comunidad, para que las SNS sean útiles. Asimismo, miembros más mayores, economía más pequeña y un bajo grado de formalización en las asociaciones podrían impedir la implementación de las SNS en las asociaciones. Utilizando Noruega como un caso crítico, el presente artículo aporta nuevos conocimientos sobre la comunicación por Web en organizaciones de voluntarios, un campo crecientemente importante de investigación a nivel internacional.
摘要
虽然在挪威Facebook和其他社交网站(SNSs)应用率很高,但地方志愿组织对社交网站的态度则相对保守。正规网站是主要的网络表现形式,而提供信息也是这类组织网络表示的主要功能。根据网站内容的量化数据和架构特征,我们已分析妨碍社交网站推广的因素。结果显示,这类组织的规模和复杂度以及基于年龄的数字鸿沟是影响社交网站的重要因素。看来,为实现社交网站的实用性,我们有必要就这类团体和组织的规模达成量化一致。另外,团体组织的老成员,有限的开支和较低的规范化水平也可能阻碍社交网站的推广。本文特以挪威为例,对志愿组织网络交流这个全球重要的研究领域加以全新的认知。.
ملخص
على الرغم من التبني العالي المستوى بشأن الفيسبوك وغيرها من مواقع الشبكات الاجتماعية(SNSs) في النرويج، الجمعيات التطوعية على المستوى المحلي لم تتبنى مواقع الشبكات الإجتماعية(SNSs) بنفس الدرجة. مواقع الإنترنت العادية تمثل شبكة الإنترنت الرئيسية، توفير المعلومات هو المهمة الرئيسية لتمثيل الجمعيات على شبكة الإنترنت. بإستخدام كمية بيانات عن محتوى موقع الإنترنت و الخصائص التنظيمية قمنا بتحليل العوامل التي تعيق تبني مواقع الشبكات الاجتماعية(SNS). النتائج تشير إلى حجم وتعقيد الجمعيات و التقسيم الرقمي يستند على العمر بين الأفراد كعوامل هامة لوجود ملف شخصي على موقع الشبكة الاجتماعية. يبدو أنه يجب التوصل إلى نقطة معينة عددية من حيث الحجم التنظيمي والمجتمعي، للشبكات الإجتماعية (SNSs) لتكون مفيدة. أيضا˝، أقدم الأعضاء، الإقتصاد الأصغر وإنخفاض درجة إضفاء الطابع الرسمي في الجمعيات يعوق تنفيذ الشبكات الإجتماعية(SNSs) في الجمعيات. إستخدام النرويج كحالة حرجة، هذه المقالة تساهم معارف جديدة حول التواصل على شبكة الإنترنت في المنظمات التطوعية، مجال ذو أهمية متزايدة لبحوث دولية.
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Notes
The response rate for 16 out of 17 municipalities was 52 %. The response rate for Bergen, the second largest city in Norway and a municipality on its own was much lower—39 %. The Hordaland study is one of the most extensive and valuable collections of data on local voluntary organizations internationally. The 1999-version of the dataset is also used in the international Johns Hopkins survey of voluntary organizations.
In Norway, the surplus from the national lottery goes to socially beneficial purposes. The “grass roots share” is a system where participants in the national lottery may decide, from a list of registered organizations, who gets 5 % of their bets.
Due to absence of content we have also omitted a sixth content category of creative expression in the analysis. This is political or non-political web content in the form of art, poetry, visual art, video, music and parody.
Many associations are not organized as member-associations and many did not respond to questions of expenditures in the organization. There were no significant differences in responses to questions of expenditures in regard to membership or type (ICNPO).
The international classification of non-profit organizations. A classifications system recommended in the United Nations handbook on non-profit institutions in the system of national accounts.
Due to a distinct rise of Facebook adoption during 2010 and 2011 we could have expected a somewhat higher adoption rate of SNSs among associations by the end of 2011. No noticeable increase was observed in late 2011 compared to 2010.
An additional analysis, a Hechman two-step analysis, of variation in web content was also conducted. However, this analysis did not provide many significant relationships between traits of associations and online content. The few significant relationships we found confirm some of the trends we have shown regarding traits of organizations and how they are represented online.
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Eimhjellen, I., Wollebæk, D. & Strømsnes, K. Associations Online: Barriers for Using Web-Based Communication in Voluntary Associations. Voluntas 25, 730–753 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-013-9361-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-013-9361-x