Effects of social capital on online knowledge sharing: positive and negative perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiu-Ping Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relationship Continuity ◽  
Complementary Resources

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model of how both the benefits and risks of social capital influence online knowledge sharing among virtual community members towards enhancing members’ relationship continuity and virtual community reputations. In addition, this study addresses the effects of complementary resources on knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – The structural equation modelling approach was applied to estimate the conceptual model by using survey data from virtual community members. A total of 626 valid questionnaires were collected. Findings – The empirical results showed that most of the research hypotheses were supported. The benefits of social capital and complementary resources have a positive effect on knowledge sharing, thereby strengthening relationship continuity and community reputation. Furthermore, the risk of social capital has a negative effect on knowledge sharing, as expected. Originality/value – A review of the literature reveals a lack of studies focusing on both the positive and negative influences of social capital on online knowledge sharing. This study therefore contributes to a comprehensive perspective for understanding online knowledge sharing in virtual communities.

How fundamental and supplemental interactions affect users’ knowledge sharing in virtual communities? A social cognitive perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 566-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjie Zhou ◽  
Meiyun Zuo ◽  
Yan Yu ◽  
Wen Chai
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Outcome Expectation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of the environment of a virtual community (users’ interactions inside and outside of a community which are defined as the fundamental and supplemental interaction (FI and SI), respectively) on its users’ knowledge sharing (KS) and the underlying cognitive mechanism. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted among the users who had experience of participating in a domain knowledge specific online community. A total of 479 valid observations were collected. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research model and hypotheses. Findings – The empirical results show that the fundamental interaction (FI) not only directly affects users’ knowledge acquisition (KA) and contribution, but also indirectly affects users’ KA and contribution partially through the users’ self-efficacy and outcome expectation. While the supplemental interaction (SI) negatively affects users’ KA, it positively affects the users’ knowledge contribution and this effect is also partially mediated by the users’ self-efficacy and outcome expectation. The mediators of self-efficacy and outcome expectation play distinct role on users’ KA and contribution in virtual communities (VCs). Originality/value – This research conceptualizes the users’ interaction inside and outside of a particular virtual community as FI and SI, respectively, and reveals the mechanism how they affect users’ KA and contribution. The results shed light on the literature of KS in VCs and extend social cognitive theory's application into a complex environment with blended interactions in a virtual world. The research also provides insights for virtual community designers, administrators and users.

The influence mechanism of rewards on knowledge sharing behaviors in virtual communities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Wang ◽  
Jielin Yin ◽  
Zhenzhong Ma ◽  
Maolin Liao
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsic Motivation ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrated Framework ◽  
Tacit Knowledge Sharing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of organizational rewards on two forms of knowledge sharing – explicit knowledge sharing and tacit knowledge sharing in virtual communities, and further to explore the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation on the effect of virtual community rewards on implicit knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach Based on relevant knowledge sharing theories, this study develops an integrated framework to explore virtual community rewards and tacit and explicit knowledge sharing in a virtual context. This study then collected data from 429 virtual community users in four virtual communities via an online survey. Hierarchical regression analyzes were used to test the proposed research model. Findings The results of this study show that virtual rewards have a significantly positive linear relationship with explicit knowledge sharing but have an inverse U-shape relationship with tacit knowledge sharing in virtual communities. In addition, intrinsic motivations including enjoyment and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between rewards and tacit knowledge sharing. Practical implications This study suggests more virtual community rewards may not always lead to more tacit knowledge sharing. Instead, too many rewards may weaken the motivation for tacit knowledge sharing. Knowledge management practitioners should make full use of the positive impact of self-efficacy and enjoyment to set up appropriate reward incentives to encourage knowledge-sharing, in particular, tacit knowledge sharing and to better manage virtual communities. Originality/value This study explores knowledge-sharing behavior in virtual communities, an important step toward more integrated knowledge-sharing theories. While online communities have become increasingly important for today’s knowledge economy, few studies have explored knowledge and knowledge sharing in a virtual context and this study helps to bridge the gap. In addition, this study develops an integrated framework to explore the mechanism through which virtual community rewards affect knowledge sharing with intrinsic motivation mediating this relationship in online communities, which further enriches the understanding on how to use virtual rewards to motivate knowledge sharing behaviors in the virtual context.

scholarly journals Knowledge sharing by entrepreneurs in a virtual community of practice (VCoP)

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Hafeez ◽  
Fathalla M. Alghatas ◽  
Pantea Foroudi ◽  
Bang Nguyen ◽  
Suraksha Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Online Discourse ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Message Length ◽  
Virtual Community Of Practice ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Start Up

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how entrepreneurs engage in a virtual community of practice (VCoP) to share knowledge. Intensity of engagement is taken as a proxy to measure the strength of knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachThe archival data spanning over a three-year period from “Start-up-Nation©” (a VCoP purposefully setup for entrepreneurs) are used for analysis. A set of indices are introduced to measure participants’ intensity of engagement in terms of message length, message frequency and reciprocity in the knowledge sharing process. Content analysis is employed to test a sample of “highly engaged”, “moderately engaged”, “low engaged” and “not engaged” discussion topics as part of the online discourse.FindingsThe authors find that entrepreneurs normally use short (fewer than 100 words) or medium (fewer than 250 words) message size to contribute to the discussions. In addition, the authors find that senior members and discussion moderators play important roles in igniting the “reciprocity” behaviour in stimulating the interest of the community with the topic discussion. The authors also find that highly engaged topics usually lead to further discussion threads.Originality/valueThis is the first study of its kind to explore how entrepreneurs engage in a VCoP to share their knowledge and experiences. The set of measurement indices tested here provide a tool for the owner, designer and moderator of the VCoP to measure the utility of their website in terms of its members’ participation. In addition, the set of textual and subjective interventions identified here enables the moderator (administrator) of a VCoP to design effective interventions to facilitate online discourse and augments the knowledge sharing process amongst its community members.

Driving individuals’ citizenship behaviors in virtual communities through attachment

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 870-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Min Chiu ◽  
Hsin-Yi Huang ◽  
Hsiang-Lan Cheng ◽  
Jack Shih-Chieh Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Citizenship Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Common Bond ◽  
Common Identity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the complex relationships between common bond attachment, common identity attachment, self-esteem and virtual community citizenship behavior (VCCB). This study identifies two broad categories of VCCB: citizenship behaviors directed toward benefitting other individuals (VCCBI) and citizenship behaviors directed toward benefitting the virtual community (VCCBC). Design/methodology/approach The authors apply partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses, using a sample of 388 valid responses. Findings The results indicate that common bond attachment and common identity attachment have a significant effect on self-esteem, which, in turn, has a significant effect on VCCBI and VCCBC. The results also indicate that common bond attachment has a significant effect on VCCBI, and that common identity attachment has a significant effect on VCCBC. Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of VCCBs through common identity and common-bond theory, social identity theory and the stimulus-organism-response framework.

Understanding Knowledge-Sharing Motivation, Incentive Mechanisms, and Satisfaction in Virtual Communities

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Shen Chen ◽  
Shih-Feng Chang ◽  
Chih-Hsing Liu
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Incentive Mechanism ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Incentive Mechanisms ◽  
Knowledge Sharing Behavior ◽  
The Incentive Mechanism ◽  
Sharing Behavior

Virtual communities have gained popularity as a means for individuals to learn and share knowledge. However, knowledge-sharing motivation, incentive mechanisms, and satisfaction in these communities have not been examined in detail. Using survey data from 169 community members, we investigated the conditions under which motivation, incentive mechanisms, and satisfaction affect knowledge-sharing behavior. We found that the incentive mechanism is a significant predictor of a virtual community member's motivation to obtain knowledge, and that the incentive mechanism and motivation do not positively affect a member's satisfaction that causes him/her to engage willingly in knowledge sharing with others in virtual communities.

Understanding Social Capital Formation for Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities

2011 ◽  
pp. 136-155
Author(s):  
Shafiz A. Mohd Yusof
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Elementary Theory ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
The Social

This chapter attempts to explore the possibility of building social capital in virtual community(VC) by first introducing the phenomenon, its problems and context, types of VCs and the significance of knowledge sharing. This chapter then presents the process of social capital from a sociological standpoint where two main theories will be used—the elementary theory of social structure and the social exchange theory as the backbone of the arguments. By integrating both theories, a conceptual framework that includes six antecedents to develop social capital is provided. Subsequently, the propositions are expressed in terms of implications to the sociological approach of VC and some conclusions are made by including some future research agenda.

The Research of Influencing Factors of Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Community

2014 ◽  
Vol 687-691 ◽  
pp. 3070-3073
Author(s):  
Yu Juan Guan ◽  
Guang Qiu Huang
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Outcome Expectations ◽  
Community Research ◽  
Positive Correlation

This paper uses the method of structural equation model to verify relationship trust, self-efficacy and outcome expectations influences effect on knowledge sharing in virtual community. Research results show that relationship trust has a positive impact on knowledge sharing in virtual community; self-efficacy is positively related to knowledge sharing in virtual communities; outcome expectations have positive correlation on the knowledge sharing in virtual community; relationship trust and self-efficacy had positive correlation to the outcome expectations. Finally, according to the empirical results, this paper put forward to promote the incentive mechanism of knowledge sharing in virtual communities, and provide some countermeasures and suggestions for management practice.

Tacit knowledge sharing in small audit firms and audit quality inputs: the antecedent effect of auditors’ social capital

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Emair Albawwat
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Audit Firms ◽  
Tacit Knowledge Sharing

Purpose Drawing on the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) audit quality framework and related knowledge management literature, this study aims to examine the influence of tacit knowledge sharing on audit quality inputs within small audit firms’ realm. It also investigated auditors’ social capital antecedent effect via tacit knowledge sharing on audit quality inputs. Design/methodology/approach An integrated model was developed to depict the study constructs’ relationships. The model was then tested using the partial least squares structural equation modelling based on data collected from auditors belonging to small audit firms in Jordan. Findings The results indicate that tacit knowledge sharing influences positively the auditors’ values, ethics, attitudes, experiences, skills and knowledge (i.e. audit quality inputs). This finding implies that active tacit knowledge sharing within a small audit firm is a strong driver for audit quality through improving its inputs. The results also demonstrate that structural, relational and cognitive social capital indirectly affect audit quality inputs through tacit knowledge sharing. Accordingly, social capital can be viewed as an audit firm resource that can smooth auditors’ tacit knowledge-sharing progress. Originality/value The IAASB encourages audit firms to explore ways to boost audit quality. This study offers empirical evidence on the influence of tacit knowledge sharing on audit quality inputs as a way to boost audit quality. It also offers insights into the value of social capital dimensions and indicates the driving forces to make auditors willing to engage in tacit knowledge sharing and, as a result, improve audit quality inputs.

Sustainability disclosure through virtual community: the case of the wine sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (8) ◽  
pp. 2513-2530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Fait ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Amedeo Maizza ◽  
Federica Cavallo
Keyword(s):  
Online Community ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
Wine Sector ◽  
Pro Social Behavior ◽  
Engagement System

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to observe how the motivational engagement system of the consumers should be established so that communities of practice became a driver to reducing the informative asymmetries of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The paper proposes a conceptual framework called connection, discussion and influence (CDI), along which the motivational dimensions to disclose sustainability can be formed. The framework has been tested on 200 firms in the Italian wine industry. A correlation analysis proved to be suitable for identifying groups of representative variables representing the engagement motivations that characterize participation in sustainability-oriented virtual communities. Findings The findings of this paper suggest that the pro-social behavior represented by the exchange of knowledge oriented toward sustainability is enhanced by the engagement of online community members. This happens when the online community is structured so as to activate a virtuous circle between CDI. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is the interviewees do not actually participate in a virtual community, but have only been asked if they would be potentially interested in participating in one, and about the importance they give to specific motivations. Practical implications The paper provides important reflections for companies operating in the wine industry that have been called to intervene in the disclosure of sustainability. Originality/value The virtuous circle described here is the main contribution of the paper, as it can serve as a driver for managers of virtual communities that choose to disclose their idea of sustainability to reduce informative asymmetries and to engage consumers.

Knowledge Management and Interaction in Virtual Communities

2011 ◽  
pp. 216-232
Author(s):  
Maria Chiara Caschera ◽  
Arianna D’Ulizia ◽  
Fernando Ferri ◽  
Patrizia Grifoni
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
User Participation ◽  
Knowledge Map ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice

This chapter provides a classification of virtual communities of practice according to methods and tools offered to virtual community members for the knowledge management and the interaction process. It underlines how these methods and tools support users during the exchange of knowledge, enable learning, and increase the user ability to achieve individual and collective goals. In this chapter virtual communities are classified in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice and virtual learning communities of practice according to the collaboration strategy. A further classification defines three kinds of virtual communities according to the knowledge structure: ontology-based VCoP; digital library-based VCoP; and knowledge map-based VCoP. This chapter also describes strategies of interaction used to improve the knowledge sharing and learning in groups and organizations. It shows how agent-based method supports interaction among community members, improves the achievement of knowledge, and encourages the level of user participation. Finally, this chapter presents the system’s functionalities that support browsing and searching processes in collaborative knowledge environments.

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