Cultural Implications Regarding the Use of Mobile Voice Service and SMS

Mobile telephony is currently the most popular and widespread communication technology on the planet greatly exceedingthat of fixed broadband. The way people communicate is a manifestation of their culture, i.e. general beliefs and core valuesformed during childhood and reinforced throughout life. Currently, there is little systematic cross-cultural research toexplicate the effects of individual’s preference regarding the use of mobile communication technologies. This study examinesthe role of cultural effects regarding the use of mobile voice service and short message service (SMS). We examine thatphenomenon at two points in time with a sample of 78 countries using Culture theory, Media Richness theory, and InterculturalCommunication theory. Findings suggest that some cultural dimensions have a greater impact on a society’s usage ofmobile voice service and SMS than others, and that the influence varies between them. Conceptual and practical implicationsare discussed