Intention to donate via social network sites (SNSs): A comparison study between Malaysian and South Korean users

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences in the external factors influencing intention to donate via social network sites (SNSs), and the online donation knowledge and awareness effect on the willingness to donate via SNS in the future between Malaysian and South Korean users. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 288 samples’ data obtained from online survey using the snowball technique were analyzed through using cross-tabulation with χ2 tests and multiple regression analysis. Findings: The results show that there is no significant difference between those countries regarding the online donation knowledge and awareness. However, the online donation knowledge and awareness significantly affect the willingness to donate via SNSs for South Korean, but not for Malaysian. As for Malaysian, the results reveal that only SNS features factor does significantly influence the attitude toward online donations. As for South Korean, the charity project and internet technology features factor significantly influence the attitude toward online donations. The attitude toward online donations of both countries influences on their intention to donate via SNS. Research limitations/implications: The sample was gathered from certain regions in Malaysia and South Korea, and had slightly unbalanced characteristics (i.e. age), limiting the generalizability to the general population of both countries. Practical implications: The findings suggest that non-profit organizations should consider the culture context in planning their future SNS donation program and focus on how to deal with the internet issues (e.g. trust, security), SNS features and charity project. As for Malaysian, promoting the internet and online donation awareness should be the priority before engaging in SNS donation program. Originality/value: Whilst research on culture context in donation area is plentiful, the area of SNS donation remains underexplored. This paper offers an in-depth understanding of what influences SNS donation related to the identified culture context.