The impact of interdependence on behavioral engagement in online communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodan Zhang ◽  
Yanping Gong ◽  
Luluo Peng
Keyword(s):  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Group Structure ◽  
Behavioral Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Outcome Interdependence ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeOnline communities are increasingly important for organizations and marketers. However, the issue of how structural features of online communities affect consumers' behavioral engagement remains relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study is to examine how and why different types of interdependence within online communities (i.e. task/outcome interdependence) influence individual engagement in group activities, thereby providing insights regarding online community design.Design/methodology/approachTwo surveys were conducted with two online groups in China. One is a task-interdependent group from Douban Forum, and the other is an outcome-interdependent group from Sina Forum. A total of 159 valid responses from the task-interdependent group and 162 valid responses from the outcome-interdependent group were received. We analyzed the data using multivariate regression with Smart PLS and SPSS.FindingsThe results reveal that both task and outcome interdependence are positively related to individual behavioral engagement in online group behavior, and collective efficacy mediates the aforementioned effects. In addition, task complexity moderates the relationship between task interdependence and individual behavioral engagement; communication within group moderates the relationship between outcome interdependence and behavioral engagement, and the effect is mediated by collective efficacy.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate the role of an important factor of group structure, namely, interdependence, in fueling individual behavioral engagement in online communities. The results shed light on companies' design strategies to develop and retain online community members and also provide important insights for researchers interested in social network marketing.

Online Community Value Co-creation

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-669
Author(s):  
Haili Pan
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Electronic Communications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Strategies ◽  
Interaction Strategy ◽  
The Impact

PurposeMany companies strengthen their interaction with consumers by establishing online communities and bring convenience to value co-creation with consumers. Some companies use economic and social strategies to stimulate consumer value creation. However, the way to increase the effectiveness of such corporate strategies remains unclear. To address this challenge, this study investigates the impact patterns of economic and social strategies that influence consumers' value co-creation behaviour in firm-hosted online communities (FOCs). Moreover, the effective conditions for the value co-creation of the two strategies are explored.Design/methodology/approachData from an FOC were collected for electronic communications products. A total of 1,305 second-hand data records on value co-creation activities were obtained. Then, an econometric model was built and Stata14.0 software was used for data analysis.FindingsThe effect of economic interaction strategy on the value co-creation in online communities is an inverted U-shaped model, and that of social interaction strategy is relatively stable and is not an inverted U-shaped model. Value creation initiatives introduced by enterprise personnel adopt economic strategies to improve effectiveness. On the contrary, value co-creation activities initiated by consumers use social strategies for the same purpose. Economic strategies are effective for large teams, whereas social strategies may lead to a “free rider” mentality.Research limitations/implicationsThis study finds two important factors affecting the value co-creation in FOCs and their effective boundaries. However, other factors may also affect the online community value co-creation. Future research can further explore the intrinsic mechanisms of these strategies for value co-creation.Practical implicationsThis article mainly discusses the influence of stimulation strategies on the value co-creation in an actual company community and exhibits good practical significance for the value co-creation activity and management in online communities. Firstly, corporate strategy is effective in communities, but this strategy requires proper control. Secondly, the company strategy must consider appropriate application conditions.Originality/valueThis study deepens the understanding of the impact of economic and social strategies on the value co-creation in FOCs and the effective boundaries of these impact patterns.

scholarly journals Health and fitness online communities and product behaviour

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Maureen Duclou
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Social Medium ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Fitness ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Product Choices ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper aims to determine the impact of online community participation on attitudes and product-related behaviour in the health and fitness sector.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data are collected from 221 users of the social medium Instagram, members of the self-proclaimed health and fitness community (#fitfam). Data are analysed with structural equation modelling.FindingsThe study shows that online community identification and engagement significantly increase health environment sensitivity, resulting in heightened engagement in physical fitness and healthy product choices.Social implicationsGiven the difficulty to remain engaged in pro-health behaviour and the growing impact of social media on young adults’ lives, these findings are encouraging. They show that online health and fitness communities provide a supportive environment in which consumers can identify and freely engage and a fertile ground to the development of health sensitivity and product-related behaviour.Originality/valueThe study advances knowledge on the role of social media and online communities in promoting health and fitness product behaviours and attitudes.

Contributors to exchange structures and their effects on community solidarity in online communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1410-1442
Author(s):  
Eunyoung Han ◽  
Kyung Kyu Kim ◽  
Ae Ri Lee
Keyword(s):  
Online Communities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Direct Exchange ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Community Solidarity ◽  
Exchange Structure ◽  
Generalized Exchange ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate which exchange structure, direct or generalized exchange, better promotes community solidarity in online communities (OCs). Furthermore, it examines the moderating effects of activity intensity on the relationship between exchange structure and community solidarity in order to resolve the conflicts in extant literature. Design/methodology/approach The research model is developed based on the social exchange theory (SET). It also accommodates social structures as determinants of exchange structure, such as organizational identity orientation (OIO) and distributive justice norms. Data in this study were collected from 376 OCs through an e-mail survey. Findings Generalized exchange has stronger effects on community solidarity than direct exchange. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the impact on community solidarity between generalized exchange and direct exchange at high-activity intensity levels, whereas no significant differences were found at low-activity intensity conditions. OIO significantly influences exchange structure. Additionally, equality norm significantly influences generalized exchange, whereas need norm significantly influences direct exchange. Originality/value In information systems research, there have not been any attempts to identify the determinants of exchange structure in OCs. Furthermore, only a couple of studies have empirically investigated the relationship between exchange structure and OC solidarity, and yet they found conflicting results. This research makes contributions to an enhancement of theoretical precision of the SET in two ways: by empirically examining the determinants of exchange structure, and by introducing a third variable, activity intensity, as a moderator of the relationship between exchange structure and OC solidarity.

Transformational leadership and corporate entrepreneurship

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 812-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ying Chang ◽  
Che-Yuan Chang ◽  
Chung-Wen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Corporate Entrepreneurship ◽  
Transformational Leaders ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Unit Level ◽  
Empowerment Climate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how transformational leadership may relate to corporate entrepreneurship by adopting a multilevel approach. The authors also theorized and tested the top-down and bottom-up intermediate process linking transformational leadership and corporate entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach Multisource data across different timeframes were collected from 129 managers and 244 employees from 55 units of 27 firms. Findings The results showed that transformational leadership and corporate entrepreneurship were positively related at the unit level. Furthermore, unit-level collective efficacy mediated the relationship between unit-level transformational leadership and unit-level corporate entrepreneurship. The authors also found that the firm-level empowerment climate moderated the indirect effect of unit-level collective efficacy on the relationship between unit transformational leadership and unit-level corporate entrepreneurship. Originality/value First, the goal of this study is to extend the single focus of transformational leadership on corporate entrepreneurship (e.g. Ling et al., 2008) and develop a more thoughtful approach on determining how transformational leaders influence corporate entrepreneurship across levels. This study responds to calls for research to look at the impact of unit-level transformational leaders, such as middle managers, across levels (Ren and Guo, 2011) and creates a multilevel framework in which transformational leaders at the unit level influence the appearance of corporate entrepreneurship at the unit level.

scholarly journals Explaining social exchanges in information-based online communities (IBOCs)

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Benoit (née Moeller) ◽  
Nicola Bilstein ◽  
Jens Hogreve ◽  
Christina Sichtmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Role Clarity ◽  
Dyadic Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Member Participation ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize platforms for members to exchange information by information-based online communities (IBOCs, like LinkedIn or Facebook). Because member participation is vital for IBOCs, this research aims to identify and validate factors that drive member participation. Design/methodology/approach – With reference to social exchange theory the authors developed a model of antecedents of participation in IBOCs that was tested with survey data using PLS. Because some of the results contradicted the theory, the authors examined those results in a mainly qualitative study with online community providers. These experts offered explanations that inform the discussion and managerial implications. Findings – Role clarity, provider’s responsiveness, and enjoyment all influence member participation. Contrary to theory, the cooperation of other members affects member participation negatively while a member’s ability shows no effect. Practical implications – This research has several implications for IBOC providers. Because ability does not affect participation directly, providers do not need to worry about lacking ability and can effectively target all potential members. The importance of provider responsiveness signals that IBOC providers should proactively monitor members’ compliance with social norms to lower the social risk for members. The impact of community-specific knowledge and enjoyment on participation puts emphasis on careful community design and the thoughtful implementation of new features that might enhance enjoyment, but reduce role clarity. Originality/value – Whereas most of the participation literature focusses on a dyadic relationship, the research investigates the triadic relationship in which the provider is only an enabler of exchange. Furthermore, the authors bring together two streams of the literature: the participation literature, which tends to focus on offline participation; and the online community literature, which has not yet investigated participation. This is also the first paper to investigate nonlinear effects on participation.

Building stronger hospitality brands through online communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Zhang ◽  
Anil Bilgihan ◽  
Jay Kandampully ◽  
Can Lu
Keyword(s):  
Online Communities ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Brand Performance ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Companies increasingly rely on online communities for social customer support, to develop and nurture relationships with customers, and to generate product and service development ideas. As yet, few studies have established the relationship between online communities and branding strategies. Therefore, the impact of online communities on branding requires investigation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence brand relationships developed through online communities. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model was developed based on marketing literature and tested using structural equation modeling with a sample size of 253 respondents. Findings Findings present the underlying reasons why and how online communities build stronger brand relationships with consumers. Online communities have been found to cultivate consumers’ sense of collectiveness with shared values conveyed through brand engagement; enhance consumers’ trust, leading to the establishment of a trustworthy image of the brand; and increase enjoyment and enrich consumers’ experience with the brand through participation and engagement. Originality/value This study provides insights to understand the direct relationship between online communities and brand performance. The findings of the study provide practical implications for brand relationship management and online community design. 研究目的 公司越来越依靠网上社区来提供社交式的消费者服务支持, 以建立和巩固与消费者的关系, 并且以获得产品、服务研发的新想法。至今为止, 很少的著作致力于研究网上社区与品牌战略的关系。因此, 网上社区对于品牌扩展的影响作用值得研究。本论文的研究目的即是研究通过网上社区建立起来的消费者品牌关系的诸多因素。. 研究设计/方法/途径 本论文的理论模型是以营销理论为基础而建立的。本论文采用结构方程模型, 253份样本数据, 来验证建立的理论模型。. 研究结果 各种通过网上社区建立更强消费者品牌关系的因素得以分析和整理。网上社区能够通过使消费者与品牌更贴近的各种活动, 以培养消费者对于品牌的认知和集体意识, 从而使消费者与品牌有一致的价值认知。此外, 网上社区还能增强消费者对于品牌的信任, 增强了消费者与品牌互动过程的愉悦感和体验感。. 研究原创性/价值 本论文对于网上社区和品牌表现之间的直接关系进行梳理和研究。其研究结果对于品牌关系管理和网上社区设计等方面有着很深的实际启示作用。.

Impact of shared leadership on team performance through team reflexivity: examining the moderating role of task complexity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Ul Hadi ◽  
Anum Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Results ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose To react quickly and to be flexible to respond to environmental uncertainty, working in teams is preferable. However, leadership must be decentralised for effective team performance. This paper aims to examine the impact of shared leadership on team performance through team reflexivity with task complexity. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypothesised relationships, a quantitative research design with purposive sampling technique was used. Data were gathered from employees working in teams. A total of 351 valid responses were analysed via SPSS PROCESS macro. Findings The findings signify that shared leadership positively impacts team reflexivity, which, in turn, has a significant impact on team performance. Results also revealed that team reflexivity strongly affects team performance in the presence of shared leadership and complex tasks. Originality/value Research related to effective team performance is scarce. Similarly, a review of a recently published article revealed that team reflexivity could work as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between shared leadership and effective team performance. Moreover, the concept of task complexity in the existing literature is scattered and needs to be integrated.

User experience sharing

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Effort

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.

scholarly journals Does Online Community Participation Contribute to Medication Adherence? An Empirical Study of Patients with Chronic Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5100
Author(s):  
Jyh-Jeng Wu ◽  
Yueh-Mei Chen ◽  
Paul C. Talley ◽  
Kuang-Ming Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Informational Support ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
The Relationship

Effectively improving the medication adherence of patients is crucial. Past studies focused on treatment-related factors, but little attention has been paid to factors concerning human beliefs such as trust or self-efficacy. The purpose of this study is to explore the following aspects of patients with chronic diseases: (1) The relationship between emotional support, informational support, self-efficacy, and trust; (2) the relationship between self-efficacy, trust, and medication adherence; and, (3) whether chronic patients’ participation in different types of online communities brings about significant statistical differences in the relationships between the abovementioned variables. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study, with 452 valid questionnaires collected from chronic patients previously participating in online community activities. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling analysis showed that emotional support and informational support positively predict self-efficacy and trust, respectively, and consequently, self-efficacy and trust positively predict medication adherence. In addition, three relationships including the influence of emotional support on trust, the influence of trust on medication adherence, and the influence of self-efficacy on medication adherence, the types of online communities result in significant statistical differences. Based on the findings, this research suggests healthcare professionals can enhance patients’ self-efficacy in self-care by providing necessary health information via face-to-face or online communities, and assuring patients of demonstrable support. As such, patients’ levels of trust in healthcare professionals can be established, which in turn improves their medication adherence.

When do job insecure employees adapt to change?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristi N. Lavigne ◽  
Victoria L. Whitaker ◽  
Dustin K. Jundt ◽  
Mindy K. Shoss
Keyword(s):  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Adaptive Performance ◽  
Work Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between job insecurity and adaptive performance (AP), contingent on changes to core work tasks, which we position as a situational cue to employees regarding important work behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Employees and their supervisors were invited to participate in the study. Supervisors were asked to provide ratings of employees’ AP and changes to core tasks; employees reported on job insecurity. Findings As predicted, changes to core tasks moderated the relationship between job insecurity and AP. Job insecurity was negatively related to AP for those experiencing low levels of change, but was not related to AP for those experiencing high levels of change. Counter to expectations, no main effect of job insecurity was found. Research limitations/implications This study employed a fairly small sample of workers from two organizations, which could limit generalizability. Practical implications The study identifies changes to core tasks as a boundary condition for the job insecurity–AP relationship. Findings suggest that organizations may not observe deleterious consequences of job insecurity on AP when changes to core tasks are high. Originality/value Few researchers have examined boundary conditions of the impact of job insecurity on AP. Furthermore, inconsistent findings regarding the link between job insecurity and AP have emerged. This study fills the gap and expands upon previous research by examining changes to core tasks as a condition under which job insecurity does not pose an issue for AP.

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