PARTICIPATION IN VIRTUAL SOCIAL NETWORKS FROM AN ACTION SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE: PRELIMINARY ETHNOGRAPHIC FINDINGS ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS STUDENTS

Abstract

This research addresses the degree of coherence between online and physical actions of participants in virtual social networks. We search for a pragmatic definition of virtuality and realism, in order to conceive the Internet as an effective means of communication, socialization and behavioral analysis. In particular, we focus on identity building in virtual environments, including impression management and its effects on social and professional networks. The theoretical framework adopts the widely known theories of human action – espoused and in-use theories – in order to understand an individual’s virtual presence as characterized by one or another prevailing theory. The empirical investigation was an ethnographic research within a virtual conversation group of members, ex-members and sympathizers of the undergraduate management program of a Brazilian state university (UFPB) who interacted live and with the support of Orkut (a virtual conversation tool), so that we could search for a contrast between the informed and actual behavior of current and future managers or sympathizers of the management function. Findings suggest that there is empirical evidence on the primacy of in-use theories within that group of individuals, but there was an emergent need of developing the specific concept of espoused-only theories for some illustrative cases in the virtual world. Contributions of this research also address mainly the issue of whether we should keep separating the physical and the virtual worlds as different loci where human action is effected.