Co Evolution of Information Society and Online Community: Concepts and Communication Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 5307-5312
Author(s):  
Igor Dmitrievich Korotets ◽  
Tat’yana Aleksandrovna Podshibyakina
Keyword(s):  
Information Management ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Communication Practices ◽  
The Impact

The impact of the Internet on the life of society is growing on a global scale, while it remains an uncontrolled area of interaction for various online communities, which requires further investigation. The purpose of the article is to conceptualize the notion of “co evolution of information society and online community” based on the theories of information society and analysis of communication practices. The objectives are to establish the factors of successful development and assess the prospects of this type of co evolution. The research uses both theoretical and practical approaches. A dialectical method was the main method of philosophical reflection. Community informatics is another scientific approach (M. Gurstein, D. Loader). To explain the phenomenon of integrity of technology and social networks in complex socio-technical systems, the actor-network theory (ANT) of Bruno Latour was used. This article gives a definition of co evolution as joint commensurate development of non-identical information processes and online communities. In the course of co evolution, “junction points” and “bifurcation points” were revealed and its social effects and prospects were assessed. The factors in successful development of the process of the information society and the online community co evolution were assessed: knowledge, technology, and information management. The conclusion about a common pace of the information society and the online community development not having been set was substantiated. The growing influence of online communities on society and a simultaneous trend towards secrecy and transformation into a new kind of social groups is a megatrend in the information society development. The results obtained are of practical importance in studying the problems of information management in the global network and regulating the activities of online communities.

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.

Impact of Anonymity on Information Sharing through Internal Psychological Processes

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho Lee ◽  
Jaewon Choi ◽  
Kyung Kyu Kim ◽  
Ae Ri Lee
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Online Anonymity ◽  
Community Outcomes ◽  
The Impact

Many web users post their opinions and information without revealing their identities (i.e., demographics, social standing, and/or expertise); anonymity has become a common form of information exchange in online communities such as social media sites and Internet forums. In the meantime, negative social consequences have resulted from anonymous activities in online communities. Existing literature reports largely mixed results about the impact of online anonymity on online community outcomes. In an effort to clarify these mixed results, this study proposes a new operational definition of online anonymity that consists of three dimensions: unlinkability, unobservability, and pseudonymity. The data used in this study was collected from 238 online community users through a web-based survey conducted in South Korea. The results show that unlinkability, unobservability and pseudonymity positively influence self-discrepancy, which in turn positively influences the quality and quantity of information sharing.

scholarly journals Influence of migration processes in Europe on law and legal culture of information society

2020 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 17023
Author(s):  
Elena Pevtsova ◽  
Natali Pevtsova ◽  
Marina Lavitskaya ◽  
Vladimir Redkous ◽  
Evgeniia Matveeva
Keyword(s):  
Information Society ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Legal Culture ◽  
Religious Right ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Comparative Linguistics ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
The Impact

The relevance of research: The relevance of the problem under study is evidenced, first, by an active scientific discourse among lawyers on the impact of migration flows on modern law, and, second, by the necessity to elaborate the integral concept of legal culture in the information society. The research objective is to analyze the legal effects of migration on legal culture of European countries and to distinguish new features of legal culture that have appeared in the digital era. Research methods: The main approaches to investigation into the problem were the analysis, modeling and comparative linguistics, as well as the content analysis of the key scientific theories on legislation. To study the topic, the authors applied comparative and structural-logical approaches that allow considering the law in terms of the influence of virtual environment, where the set of new component parts is observed. Results of the research: the paper traces the process of formation of new characteristics of component parts of legal culture in the society in the age of digital economy. The authors conclude that despite a number of contradictions observed in the process of law development in European countries, new features have appeared in law and legal culture of modern Europe in the context of digital economy. According to the authors, these features are the following: the increased influence of religious views on emotional-and-figurative and logical-and-statutory aspects of legal awareness; development of antagonistic relations between native Europeans and people belonging to different religious denominations; strong discontent of those natives who want to preserve their identity, which surely affects their legal behavior. The number of administrative offences and crimes has significantly increased. All these factors negatively affect the state of legal culture of the society. The paper analyzes the key problems related to implementation of the principle of the religious right provided to refugees, and some common violations of religious and legal regulations. Practical importance: The proceedings provided in this paper may be relevant when fulfilling scientific and educational tasks on legal theory and constitutional law.

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.

scholarly journals Legitimising a ‘zombie idea’: childhood vaccines and autism – the complex tale of two judgments on vaccine injury in Italy

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Marco Rizzi ◽  
Katie Attwell ◽  
Virginia Casigliani ◽  
Jeannette Taylor ◽  
Filippo Quattrone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Judicial Decision Making ◽  
Communication Practices ◽  
Childhood Vaccines ◽  
Italian Context ◽  
Legal Pragmatism ◽  
Institutional Actors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The impact of ‘bad’ science on judicial decision-making is a thorny aspect of the relationship between science and law. This study employs doctrinal and empirical analysis to explore two Italian judgments that asserted a causal link between childhood vaccines and autism. Using a combination of actor–network theory and legal pragmatism, we uncovered a network of actors and institutions internal and external to the legal system enabling these impactful decisions that went on to contribute to a crisis in vaccination coverage in Italy. These include trial strategies, resources, communication practices between arms of government, awareness and responsiveness of institutional actors, and institutional mechanisms governing the integration of scientific expertise into the legal process. By forensically analysing how a ‘zombie idea’ received a patent of legitimacy in the Italian context, this study provides useful lessons for legal systems grappling with complex and contested public health matters.

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.

Change by default: Exploring the effects of a sudden influx of newcomers on the discourse of r/TwoXChromosomes

First Monday ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliot Panek ◽  
Wyatt Harrison ◽  
Jue Hou
Keyword(s):  
Online Communities ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Small Displacement ◽  
Displacement Effect ◽  
The Impact

Sudden influxes of new contributors to online communities can cause apprehension and resentment among existing members, potentially leading to the displacement of existing members by newcomers. We analyze the impact of a sudden influx of new contributors to r/TwoXChromosomes, an online community in which the experiences and perspectives of female-identified individuals are discussed. Though we find evidence of a small displacement effect, other factors, such as the passage of time and the 2016 U.S. presidential election, have far larger impacts on the retention of existing contributors. We also find that after the influx, discussion topics shifted temporarily toward general statements about women and men, followed by a lasting shift away from appearance-related topics toward topics relating to motherhood. In sum, the evidence suggests that in this particular case, fears of displacement by a sudden influx of newcomers are exaggerated, and that technology designers, users, and online community managers should consider the impact of a wider variety of factors when considering how to maintain cohesive online communities.

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。.

Community-based evaluation in online communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-395
Author(s):  
Juliane Jarke
Keyword(s):  
Online Communities ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The idea of “best practice” is very much built into information systems and the ways in which they organise and structure work. The purpose of this paper is to examine how “best practice” may be identified (produced) through a community-based evaluation process as opposed to traditional expert-based evaluation frameworks. The paper poses the following research questions: how does “best practice” (e)valuation in online communities differ depending on whether they are produced by community members or experts? And what role play these two practices of valuation for online community performance? Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a three-year ethnographic study of a large-scale online community initiative run by the European Commission. Participant observation of online and offline activities (23 events) was complemented with 73 semi-structured interviews with 58 interviewees. The paper draws on Science and Technology Studies, and in particular actor-network theory. Findings Promoting the idea of “best practice” is not just an exercise about determining what “best” is but rather supposes that best is something that can travel across sites and be replicated. The paper argues that it is crucial to understand the work performed to coordinate multiple practices of producing “best practice” as apparatuses of valuation. Hence if practices are shared or circulate within an online community, this is possible because of material-discursive practices of dissociation and association, through agential cuts. These cuts demarcate what is important – and foregrounded – and what is backgrounded. In so doing new “practice objects” are produced. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted in the European public sector where participants are not associated through shared organisational membership (e.g. as employees of the same organisation). An environment for determining “best practice” that is limited to an organisation’s employees and more homogeneous may reveal further dynamics for “best practice” production. Practical implications This paper sheds light on why it is so difficult to reach commensuration in crowd-sourced environments. Originality/value The paper provides an analysis of how online community members collaborate in order to identify relevant and meaningful user-generated content. It argues that “best practice” is produced through a process of commensuration.

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