The effect of social media quality and social presence on intention towards social commerce with the emphasis on educational services

Today, social media as a channel for offering educational services has become an extensive and effective educational tool for the students. This survey aimed to investigate the effective factors on intention towards social commerce of educational services among students. The statistical population included social media users at Isfahan university of medical sciences in Iran. 214 students were selected as the research sample by simple random sampling method. The conceptual model was adopted from theoretical literature and empirical studies. Research findings disclosed that social media quality and social presence have a positive and significant effect on intention towards social commerce. Moreover, social media quality has a negative significant effect on students' perceived risk. Similarly, perceived risk has a negative significant effect on students’ intention towards social commerce and it showed a partial mediating effect in the relationship between social media quality and intention towards social commerce. The results revealed that higher quality of social media as well as social presence in social media increases tendency of students at Isfahan university of medical sciences to participate in social commerce of educational services and decreases their perceived risk. Therefore, it can encourage students to utilize the presented educational services in social media.