Seeking or contributing? Evidence of knowledge sharing behaviours in promoting patients’ perceived value of online health communities

PurposeAlthough knowledge sharing in online communities has been studied for many years, little is known about the determinants for individuals' knowledge sharing in online health communities (OHCs) surrounding smoking cessation. Examining the determinants of knowledge sharing in such OHCs from the social capital perspective may prove particularly enlightening.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based online user survey of two smoking cessation OHCs, one based in Finland and one based in China, was performed. Performing data analysis with partial least squares (SmartPLS 3.0), the authors developed a model conceptualizing the structural, cognitive and relational dimensions of social capital as drivers for knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs, with users' stage in giving up smoking as a moderator.FindingsThe results show that structural capital (social ties) and relational capital (reciprocity) are important motivators behind knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs, and the authors found a moderating effect of the stage in quitting on the antecedents' relationship with knowledge sharing in these OHCs.Originality/valueThe study enriches understanding of knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs, contributing to theory and identifying practical implications for such groups' administration.

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Antecedents and consequences of the perceived usefulness of smoking cessation online health communities

Internet Research ◽

10.1108/intr-04-2020-0220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Chenglong Li ◽

Hongxiu Li ◽

Reima Suomi

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Smoking Cessation ◽

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Informational Support ◽

Continuance Intention ◽

Content Type ◽

Online Health Communities ◽

Health Communities

PurposeAn empirical study investigated the antecedents to perceived usefulness (PU) and its consequences in the context of smoking cessation online health communities (OHCs).Design/methodology/approachTo validate a research model for perceived informational support, perceived emotional support and perceived esteem support, the authors conducted a partial-least-squares analysis of empirical data from an online survey (N = 173) of users of two smoking cessation OHCs. The proposed model articulates these as antecedents to PU from a social support perspective, and knowledge sharing and continuance intention are expressed as consequences of PU.FindingsThe empirical study identified that the PU of smoking cessation OHCs is influenced by perceived emotional support and perceived esteem support, and perceived informational support indirectly affects PU via these factors. In turn, PU exerts a positive influence on both knowledge sharing and continuance intention. Also, knowledge sharing positively affects continuance intention.Originality/valueThe study contributes to scholarship on users' postadoption behavior in the context of smoking cessation OHCs by disentangling the antecedents to PU from a social support perspective and pinpointing some important consequences of PU. The research also has practical implications for managing smoking cessation OHCs.

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Knowledge sharing in online health communities: A social exchange theory perspective

Information & Management ◽

10.1016/j.im.2016.02.001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 53 (5) ◽

pp. 643-653 ◽

Cited By ~ 138

Author(s):

Zhijun Yan ◽

Tianmei Wang ◽

Yi Chen ◽

Han Zhang

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Social Exchange ◽

Social Exchange Theory ◽

Exchange Theory ◽

Online Health Communities ◽

Health Communities

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Examining users’ knowledge sharing behaviour in online health communities

Data Technologies and Applications ◽

10.1108/dta-03-2019-0044 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 442-455 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tao Zhou

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Information Quality ◽

Service Providers ◽

Research Model ◽

Privacy Concern ◽

Content Type ◽

Online Health Communities ◽

Community Platforms ◽

Health Communities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to draw on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework to examine users’ knowledge sharing in online health communities (OHC). Design/methodology/approach Based on the 326 valid responses collected from a survey, structural equation modelling was employed to examine the research model. Findings The results indicated that both information quality and service quality affect trust in community, whereas both informational support and emotional support affect trust in other members. Both types of trust and privacy risk determine users’ sharing intention, which in turn affects sharing behaviour. Research limitations/implications The results imply that service providers need to improve their community platforms and create a supportive climate in order to facilitate users’ trust and their knowledge sharing behaviour. Originality/value Previous studies have examined a few determinants of OHC user behaviour such as privacy concern, trust and motivations. However, they have seldom disclosed the internal decision process underlying users’ knowledge sharing. This research tries to fill the gap.

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Exploring the Relationship Between Users' Psychological Contracts and Their Knowledge Contribution in Online Health Communities

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.612030 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Wenlong Liu ◽

Xinting Chen ◽

Xuanyu Lu ◽

Xiucheng Fan

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Psychological Contracts ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Online Health Communities ◽

Community Identification ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Knowledge Contribution ◽

Health Communities ◽

The Relationship

The knowledge contribution of members is essential and beneficial to both the business and users of online health communities (OHCs). This study explores and tests the effects of OHC users' psychological contracts on their community identification and knowledge-sharing behavior. A total of 367 valid responses from several well-known OHCs in China are used in the data analysis. The results of the path analysis with structural equation modeling show that users' transactional psychological contracts have a negative effect on their knowledge contribution both directly and indirectly by weakening their community identification. In contrast, users' relational psychological contracts can lead to increased active knowledge contributions both directly and indirectly by enhancing their community identification. Knowledge sharing self-efficacy can strengthen the relationship between relational psychological contracts and knowledge contributions, and the relationship between community identification and knowledge contributions. However, it has no significant impact on the path from transactional psychological contracts to knowledge contribution. The implications and direction of future works are presented on the basis of the results of the empirical analysis.

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