• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.153-171
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• 2021

Purpose This study is to phenomenologically discover key antecedents and outcomes of behavioral process of SNS users who have multiple SNS sub-accounts. Unlike previous studies that focused on user behavior in the context of a specific SNS platform, this study attempts to describe how and why individual manages their multiple sub-accounts across a variety of SNS platforms. Design/methodology/approach By applying the grounded theory methodology (GTM) to elucidate the unique behavior in SNS platforms, this study has conducted in-depth interview with 14 respondents who handle multiple accounts across the SNS platforms. As a results of analyzing the interview manuscripts, this study has extracted 47 concepts, 10 sub-categories and 6 main categories by conducting open coding, axis coding, and selective coding. Findings By analyzing interview data, this study has derived main categories such as account management, impression management, self-categorization, authority to determine the relationship, digital shadow work, and portfolio SNS accounts from qualitative interview data. This study has also conducted a process analysis that represents how main categories could be inter-related. Based on findings, this study provides a new phenomenological perspective to understand the behavioral process of SNS users' sub-account usage experience.