Benefits and Motivations for Virtual Community Participation: A Netnography of the Hogwarts Running Club

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Lizzo ◽  
Toni Liechty
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Park And Recreation Agencies ◽  
Park And Recreation ◽  
Agency Administration

Keeping up with technology today can be challenging. As park and recreation agencies increasingly find the need to adapt to and incorporate new technologies to stay relevant, the challenge to maintain membership and attract the ever-growing digital generation cannot be underestimated. Technology has long been considered a tool for agency administration, program registration, and implementation, but new forms of technological interaction should be considered by professionals as a way to reach existing and potential participants as well as a way to build community. The rapid development and growth of technology has spurred the development and popularity of virtual communities. Although these communities have been around for over 30 years, they have not yet been adopted into the professional “tool kit” for program delivery or in reaching out to foster stronger community connections and involvements. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of benefits and motivation among participants of a leisure-based virtual community. This study utilized the qualitative research technique netnography to explore the perceived benefits and motivations of members of the virtual community The Hogwarts Running Club (HRC). The community has the mission of changing the world through physical fitness and charitable giving and has attracted a large, active, and loyal membership. The HRC was an ideal study setting due to its popularity and the leisure-based nature of the community. The HRC virtual interactions included in the dataset took place via a Facebook group where the focus of discussion was on Harry Potter and running. Data analysis revealed three primary categories of perceived benefits and motivations among the Facebook posts collected over a six-month timeframe: improved physical health, improved mental health, and social and emotional support. Participants indicated that their participation in HRC community events and the support and encouragement they received led to these perceived benefits. As many park and recreation agencies have mandates and commitments to improve quality of life for their constituents, facilitating a leisure-based virtual community might be one avenue of doing so. As such, implications derived from the findings for theory and practice are discussed along with suggestions for future research and practice.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive Survey on Cyber-Physical Smart Grid Testbed Architectures: Requirements and Challenges

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Abdallah A. Smadi ◽  
Babatunde Tobi Ajao ◽  
Brian K. Johnson ◽  
Hangtian Lei ◽  
Yacine Chakhchoukh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smart Grid ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Smart Grids ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Time Data

The integration of improved control techniques with advanced information technologies enables the rapid development of smart grids. The necessity of having an efficient, reliable, and flexible communication infrastructure is achieved by enabling real-time data exchange between numerous intelligent and traditional electrical grid elements. The performance and efficiency of the power grid are enhanced with the incorporation of communication networks, intelligent automation, advanced sensors, and information technologies. Although smart grid technologies bring about valuable economic, social, and environmental benefits, testing the combination of heterogeneous and co-existing Cyber-Physical-Smart Grids (CP-SGs) with conventional technologies presents many challenges. The examination for both hardware and software components of the Smart Grid (SG) system is essential prior to the deployment in real-time systems. This can take place by developing a prototype to mimic the real operational circumstances with adequate configurations and precision. Therefore, it is essential to summarize state-of-the-art technologies of industrial control system testbeds and evaluate new technologies and vulnerabilities with the motivation of stimulating discoveries and designs. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the advancement of CP-SGs with their corresponding testbeds including diverse testing paradigms has been performed. In particular, we broadly discuss CP-SG testbed architectures along with the associated functions and main vulnerabilities. The testbed requirements, constraints, and applications are also discussed. Finally, the trends and future research directions are highlighted and specified.

Privacy and Security for Virtual Communities and Social Networks

2013 ◽  
pp. 19-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Michaelides ◽  
Gábor Hosszú
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Internet Privacy ◽  
Large Audience ◽  
Privacy Risks

The importance of the virtual communities’ privacy and security problems comes into prominence by the rapid development of online social networks. This article presents the multiple threats currently plaguing the virtual world, Internet privacy risks, and recommendations and countermeasures to avoid such problems. New generations of users feel comfortable publishing their personal information and narrating their lives. They are often unaware how vulnerable the data in their public profiles are, which a large audience daily accesses. A so-called digital friendship is built among them. Such commercial and social pressures have led to a number of privacy and security risks for social network members. The article presents the most important vulnerabilities and suggests protection methods and solutions that can be utilized according to the threat. Lastly, the authors introduce the concept of a privacy-friendly virtual community site, named CWIW, where privacy methods have been implemented for better user protection.

How Online Consumer Reviews Influence Purchase Intention in Virtual Communities?

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 40-50
Author(s):  
Yi-Fen Chen ◽  
Chia-Wen Tsai ◽  
Shih-Mei Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Product Reviews ◽  
Product Price ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Consumer Purchase Intention ◽  
Negative Messages

With the growing availability and popularity of Web-based opinion platforms, online product reviews are now an emerging market phenomenon that is playing an important role in consumer purchasing decisions. This study investigates the influence of electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) on purchase intention in the virtual community. The authors conducted a 2x2x2x2 online experiment involving 261 subjects. The experiment results demonstrate that message number and positive messages in the virtual community can influence consumer purchase intention. Product price and the involvement moderate the effects of eWOM on purchase intention. However, negative messages are negatively related to purchase intentions. This finding offers potential for finding better ways for sellers or managers in a virtual community. Finally, the conclusion presents implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

Virtual Communities and E-Business Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 1163-1168
Author(s):  
Carlos Flavian ◽  
Miguel Guinaliu
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Proper Management ◽  
The Future

As a result of the new possibilities offered by Internet managers are increasing options provided by the new technologies in strategic planning. The virtual community has become one of the more interesting options. The general aim of this article is to explain the concept of virtual community, paying special attention to the most important strategies and management suggestions. Firstly, we will analyze the concept of community from a sociological viewpoint. We then define a virtual community and what causes an individual to belong to one. Secondly, we will show the main strategic implications of the development of virtual communities. Next we will detail a series of recommendations for the proper management of virtual communities. The two final sections present the future trends of research and the main conclusions of the article.

Trust in Virtual Communities

2008 ◽  
pp. 2500-2504
Author(s):  
Eun G. Park
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Trust Building ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Trust Establishment ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Technical Solutions

Trust is one of the key factors that emerged as a significant concept in virtual communities. Trust is so complicated that it is hard to define in one standardized way. Trust issues have evolved into two major ways in the fields of virtual community and security. Among a huge literature concerning trust in virtual communities, a majority of literature addresses technical solutions on trust-building by providing new Web-based applications. They range from human users authorization, semantic Web, agent technologies and access control of network to W3C standardization for content trust and security. Some examples include AT&T’s Policymaker or IBM’s Trust Establishment Module (Blaze, Feigenbaum, & Lacy, 1996; Herzberg, 2000). Only a minority deals with understanding the concept of trust and sources of trust-building from social and cultural aspects. It appears to miss the essence of trust in virtual communities, although an integrated approach is needed for building trust in communication and the use of virtual communities. This article aims to present the definition of trust and relevant concepts for recognizing sources of trust-building in virtual communities. This article also presents future research implications for further development on trust and trust-building in virtual communities.

Trust in Virtual Communities

2011 ◽  
pp. 449-451
Author(s):  
Eun G. Park
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Trust Building ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Trust Establishment ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Technical Solutions

Trust is one of the key factors that emerged as a significant concept in virtual communities. Trust is so complicated that it is hard to define in one standardized way. Trust issues have evolved into two major ways in the fields of virtual community and security. Among a huge literature concerning trust in virtual communities, a majority of literature addresses technical solutions on trust-building by providing new Web-based applications. They range from human users authorization, semantic Web, agent technologies and access control of network to W3C standardization for content trust and security. Some examples include AT&T’s Policymaker or IBM’s Trust Establishment Module (Blaze, Feigenbaum, & Lacy, 1996; Herzberg, 2000). Only a minority deals with understanding the concept of trust and sources of trust-building from social and cultural aspects. It appears to miss the essence of trust in virtual communities, although an integrated approach is needed for building trust in communication and the use of virtual communities. This article aims to present the definition of trust and relevant concepts for recognizing sources of trust-building in virtual communities. This article also presents future research implications for further development on trust and trust-building in virtual communities.

Cyber-Identities and Social Life in Cyberspace

2010 ◽  
pp. 27-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Berki ◽  
Mikko Jäkälä
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Social Boundaries ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Definition Of

Information and communication technology gradually transform virtual communities to active meeting places for sharing information and for supporting human actions, feelings and needs. In this chapter the authors examine the conceptual definition of virtual community as found in the traditional cyberliterature and extend it to accommodate latest cybertrends. Similar to the ways that previous social and mass media dissolved social boundaries related to time and space, cyber-communities and social software seem to also dissolve the boundaries of identity. This, in turn, questions the trust, privacy and confidentiality of interaction. The authors present a way of classifying and viewing self-presentation regarding cyber-identity management in virtual communities. It is based on the characteristics that cyber-surfers prefer to attribute to themselves and accordingly present themselves to others. In so doing, the authors coin the terms for five distinct phenomena, namely nonymity, anonymity, eponymity, pseudonymity and polynymity. They subsequently compare and contrast these terms, summarising information from their investigation, and outlining emerging questions and issues for a future research agenda.

scholarly journals INTENTION TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATING: SYSTEM INTERACTIVITY, VIRTUAL SITES, COMMUNITY COMMITMENT IN ONLINE HIJABS COMMUNITY

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-155
Author(s):  
Nindria Untarini ◽  
◽  
Teofilus Teofilus ◽  
Timotius F.C.W Sutrisno ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Community ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Marketing Theory ◽  
Member Commitment ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Intention To Continue ◽  
The Relationship

This study aims to examine system interactivity affecting member commitment and intention to continue participating in the online hijabs community. At the same time, testing how the role of virtual sites in the form of posting in strengthening the relationship (moderate) system interactivity to continue to participate in the online hijabs community. An online hijabs community was researched because the problem observed in the research was relevant to the virtual community. Based on 358 valid responses from students in Surabaya who actively joined the online hijabs community obtained from questionnaires at each university in Surabaya, structural equations modeling (SEM) was used to test the research model. The results show that system interactivity affects commitment to the community, but does not affect the intentions of members to continue their participation in online hijabs communities. Likewise, commitment to the community does not stimulate the intentions of members to remain actively participating in online hijabs communities. Although, an interesting form of posting can strengthen the system’s interactivity relationship of members’ intentions to continue their participation in online communities. Implications for both marketing theory and practice, limitations, and future research on video storytelling in social media are discussed.

Identification vs. Self-Verification in Virtual Communities (VC)

2012 ◽  
pp. 208-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Ning Shen
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Identity Processes ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Practical Implications

Identity-related processes have been identified as important in explaining virtual community (VC) member behavior as well as informing system design of VCs. In particular, the two distinct identity processes of self-verification and identification have been identified and investigated separately, portrayed as two distinctive or contradictory identity processes with different practical implications. This chapter compares and reconciles these two theoretical perspectives in explaining VC participation. Based on a critical and comprehensive review of prior literature, the author identifies three major theoretical gaps that suggest how VC research and management can be advanced through an identity perspective. Finally, the chapter is concluded by discussing key implications of applying identity perspectives in VC research and future research agenda.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document