This paper investigates how user perceptions of privacy and awareness mediate the relationship between espoused national cultural values and attitude towards using Instant Messaging (IM). A conceptual model explains the relationships between (1) espoused national cultural values and user perceptions of privacy and (2) espoused national cultural values and user perceptions of awareness, and (3) how these user perceptions affect attitude towards using IM. Findings indicate that users’ attitude towards using IM was positively affected by their perceptions of personal privacy and awareness, which were in turn positively impacted by the espoused cultural value dimensions of uncertainty avoidance.
