Exploring the Link Between Social Media Adoption and Saudi Arabia SME's Sustainable Performance: The Moderating Role of COVID-19

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) use social media to communicate effectively with stakeholders. However, little is known about the influence wielded by social media adoption on sustainable performance during COVID-19. Based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, our study developed an integrated model to explore the factors affecting social media adoption and its effect on sustainable performance in SMEs in the Saudi Arabian context. The quantitative method of a survey was used to collect data from SMEs owner-managers and CEOs. Partial least square was used to analyze data collected from 609 respondents. The findings revealed that environmental factors (i.e., the intensity of the competition, competitive pressure, and the bandwagon effect), technological factors (i.e., relative advantages and compatibility), and organizational factors have been the key drivers of social media adoption in SMEs during COVID-19. It also indicated that social media adoption is a key predictor of social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This study provides SMEs with meaningful implications about ways of fostering sustainable performance.