Keywords
Technical characteristics
Usage patterns
Task performance
Innovation performance
U&G theory
Submitted : 2026-05-27
Accepted : 2026-06-11
Published : 2026-06-26
Abstract
In the current Internet era, the demand for efficiency and seamless communication in a rapidly developing economy has led to the increasing adoption of enterprise social platforms. This study investigates the relationship between corporate social platform usage patterns and employee performance through a multi-case analysis of seven Chinese enterprises using the WeQia platform. Drawing on Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory, the research identifies four core technical characteristics of Enterprise Social Media (ESM), Timeliness, Flexibility, Accessibility, and Sharing, and proposes a framework linking these characteristics to two distinct usage patterns: task-demand and relationship-demand. The findings indicate that task-demand usage significantly enhances task performance, while relationship-demand usage more strongly influences innovation performance. Furthermore, the choice of usage pattern is influenced by the interplay between organizational formalization and task characteristics. This study provides a practical framework for enterprises to align platform features with organizational needs.
References
Kane G, 2015, Enterprise Social Media: Current Capabilities and Future Possibilities. MIS Quarterly Executive, 14(1): 1–16.
Mäntymäki M, Riemer K, 2016, Enterprise Social Networking: A Knowledge Management Perspective. International Journal of Information Management, 36(6): 1042–1052.
Cao X, Ali A, Pitafi A, et al., 2021, A Moderated Mediation Model of the Relationship between Enterprise Social Media Usage and Employee Creativity. Information Technology & People, 34(6): 1653–1675.
Wang T, Zhang P, 2021, Digital Work Transformation in China: The Role of Enterprise Social Media. Journal of Information Technology, 36(2): 159–183.
Li Y, Wang X, Zheng F, 2021, Enterprise Social Media Use And Employee Performance: The Moderating Role Of Job Autonomy. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 31(3): 234–252.
Kane G, Alavi M, Labianca G, et al., 2021, What’s Different about Enterprise Social Media? A Review and Research Agenda. MIS Quarterly, 45(1): 217–245.
Sun Y, Shang R, Jiang Y, 2022, The Evolution of Enterprise Social Media Usage: A Stage-Based Model. Computers in Human Behavior, 2022(131): 107236.
Mäntymäki M, Baiyere A, Islam A, 2022, Enterprise Social Media Use: A Review and Identification of Research Fronts. International Journal of Information Management, 2022(66): 102529.
Song Q, Wang Y, Chen Y, et al., 2019, Impact of the Usage of Social Media in the Workplace on Team and Employee Performance. Information & Management, 56(8): 103160.
Ruggiero T, 2000, Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century. Mass Communication & Society, 3(1): 3–37.
Blumler J, 1979, The Role of Theory in Uses and Gratifications Studies. Communication Research, 6(1): 9–36.
Katz E, Blumler J, Gurevitch M, 1973, Uses and Gratifications Research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4): 509–523.
Stafford T, Schkade L, 2020, Extending the Uses and Gratifications Theory to the Enterprise Social Media Context. Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, 51(2): 45–68.
Huang J, Zhang D, 2020, Uses and Gratifications of Enterprise Social Media: The Roles Of Instrumental, Hedonic, and Social Needs. Information Processing & Management, 57(6): 102347.
Sun Y, Mouakket S, 2015, Assessing the Impact of Enterprise Systems Technological Characteristics on User Continuance Behavior: An Empirical Study in China. Computers in Industry, 2015(70): 153–167.
DeLone W, McLean E, 2016, Information Systems Success Measurement. Foundations and Trends in Information Systems, 2(1): 1–116.
Veeramootoo N, Nunkoo R, Dwivedi Y, 2018, What Determines Success of an E-Government Service? Validation of an Integrative Model of E-Filing Continuance Usage. Government Information Quarterly, 35(2): 161–174.
Kügler M, Smolnik S, Kane G, 2015, What’s in IT for Employees? Understanding the Relationship between Use and Performance in Enterprise Social Software. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 24(2): 90–112.
Yang J, Xu Y, Liu Y, 2024, Critical Success Factors for Enterprise Collaboration Platforms in Chinese SMES: An FSQCA Approach. Information Systems Frontiers, 26(2): 587–604.
Liu Y, Wang C, 2022, What Drives User Satisfaction in Enterprise Social Media? The Role of Technology Features and Organizational Support. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 74(5): 852–873.
Fiedler F, 1976, The Leadership Game: Matching the Man to the Situation. Organizational Dynamics, 4(3): 6–16.
Yukl G, 1989, Managerial Leadership: A Review of Theory and Research. Journal of Management, 15(2): 251–289.
Liu H, Fu S, 2014, Task-Oriented and Relationship-Oriented Enterprise Social Network Use: A Comparative Analysis, Proceedings of the 18th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS).
Kügler M, Smolnik S, 2021, Uncovering the Why Underlying the What: A Motivation-Based Typology of Enterprise Social Software Use. European Journal of Information Systems, 30(4): 403–424.
Chen X, Wei S, Davison R, et al., 2020, How do Enterprise Social Media Affordances Affect Social Network Ties and Job Performance? Information Technology & People, 33(1): 361–388.
Li M, Zhang P, 2024, Guanxi and Enterprise Social Media: The Role of Affective Ties in Chinese Knowledge-Intensive Organizations. Chinese Management Studies, 18(2): 345–365.
Chu T, 2020, A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship between Enterprise Social Media Use and Employee Performance. Telematics and Informatics, 2020(55): 101428.
Zhang X, Ma L, Xu B, 2022, Enterprise Social Media Use and Employee Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Telematics and Informatics, 2022(73): 101881.
Cao X, Yu L, 2019, Exploring the Influence of Excessive Social Media Use at Work: A Perspective of Technology Overload. Internet Research, 29(5): 1091–1112.
Li Y, Wang Q, Chen R, 2022, Affordances of DingTalk for Management Control and Employee Autonomy: A Case Study in Chinese SMEs. Information Technology & People, 35(6): 1780–1800.
Wang Q, Li Y, Chen R, 2023, The Double-Edged Sword of Dingtalk: Work Connectivity Behavior and Employee Outcomes in Chinese Enterprises. Chinese Management Studies, 17(5): 1023–1044.
Faraj S, Sproull L, 2000, Coordinating Expertise in Software Development Teams. Management Science, 46(12): 1554–1568.
Leonardi P, 2022, Pandemic and the Acceleration of Digital Transformation: Organizational Communication, Collaboration, and the Role of Enterprise Social Media. Management Communication Quarterly, 36(2): 207–231.
Sun Y, Zhou X, Jeyaraj A, 2024, Team Transactive Memory Systems and Enterprise Social Media: An Affordance Perspective. Information Systems Research, 35(1): 190–209.
Janssen O, Van Yperen N, 2004, Employees’ Goal Orientations, the Quality of Leader-Member Exchange, and the Outcomes of Job Performance and Job Satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal, 47(3): 368–384.
Wang L, Kim S, 2023, Enterprise Social Media Use and Employee Creativity: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing and the Moderating Role of Task Interdependence. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(4): 1022–1041.
Liu F, Song Y, Chen H, 2025, When Task-Oriented Use Stifles Creativity: The Moderating Role of Organizational Innovation Climate. Journal of Business Research, 2025(178): 114632.
Zhou J, Zhao L, Song Q, 2024, Ambidextrous Enterprise Social Media Use and Innovation: The Role of Knowledge Integration. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 33(3): 101832.
Yin R, 2008, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 4th ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Strauss A, 1987, Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Wixom B, Todd P, 2005, A Theoretical Integration of User Satisfaction and Technology Acceptance. Information Systems Research, 16(1): 85–102.
Bhattacherjee A, 2001, Understanding Information Systems Continuance: An Expectation-Confirmation Model. MIS Quarterly, 25(3): 351–370.