• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.201-223
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• 2016

Purpose As social network games (SNG) enjoy rapid growth in the market and become a major sector of the gaming industry, it is of great interest to examine the how users continuously use SNG. In SNG, the users' social interaction is the most prominent advantage of the social network, as well as the entertainment afforded by the game. This study explores the relationship between altruism, which is considered the most prominent characteristic of SNS, and the continuance usage intention, as well as the moderating role of social capital. Based on social capital theory and organizational citizenship behavior, this research model considers social bonding and bridging that are divided by social capital. Design/methodology/approach An AMOS analysis based on survey data from 223 SNG users indicated that SNG with greater altruism enhance social capital (social bonding, social bridging), which is related to the user's satisfaction and the continuance intention of SNG. Findings Social bonding is positively related to the user's satisfaction with SNG. In other words, social bridging positively affects the continuous usage intention of SNG. These findings help managers in developing and implementing altruistic relationships and social capital for continuous usage of SNG.