A Configurational View of the Role of Affordances in Enhancing Members’ Attachment to Social Networking Sites

Embracing a configurational view, this study attempts to elucidate how Social Networking Sites (SNSs) can be designed to enhance members’ identity-, bond-, and comparison-based attachment. Conducting content analysis on fifteen predominant SNSs, we elicit thirty-one technological features that can be categorized into deindividuation, personalization, and tournament affordances. An online survey questionnaire is then developed to solicit SNSs members’ evaluations on the features present on these sites and the form(s) of attachment. Through fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), we observe that the presence of deindividuation affordances combined with the absence of tournament affordances are associated with identity-based attachment while the presence of personalization affordances in conjunction with the absence of tournament affordances is an essential configuration reinforcing bond-based attachment. Conversely, comparison-based attachment is determined by the presence of tournament affordances in the absence of deindividuation and personalization affordances.