Anthropologic Concepts in C2C in Virtual Communities

Author(s):  
Lori N.K. Leonard ◽  
Kiku Jones

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) electronic commerce (ecommerce) is increasing as a means for individuals to buy and sell products (eMarketer, 2007). The majority of research surrounding C2C e-commerce deals with online auctions (Lin, Li, Janamanchi, & Huang, 2006; Melnik & Alm, 2002) or aspects of online auctions such as the reputation systems (Standifird, 2001). However, C2C e-commerce is being conducted in many different venues in addition to online auctions, such as third party listing services and virtual communities (Jones & Leonard, 2006). Consumers can be quite resourceful when identifying one another to buy/sell their products even when a formal structure to conduct such transactions is not provided. However, when C2C e-commerce is conducted outside a formalized venue such as online auctions and third party listing services, the lines of accountability can be blurred. It makes one wonder why a consumer would choose to participate in C2C e-commerce in venues not designed to facilitate this kind of exchange. One such unstructured venue is a virtual community. This article will discuss the possible reasons why consumers are feeling more comfortable transacting with one another in this particular venue.

Complexity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Rubio ◽  
Nieves Villaseñor ◽  
Maria Jesús Yague

Despite an increasing amount of research on cocreation value, research on participants’ value-in-use in third-party managed virtual communities remains limited. This study explores how participants perceive value-in-use through their participation in third-party managed virtual communities and the influence of the participants’ value-in-use on three cocreation behaviors typical of these communities: information searching, feedback, and coinnovation activities. Participant value-in-use is a multidimensional construct consisting of five dimensions: informational value, entertainment value, social integrative value, personal integrative value, and community interactivity. We also consider whether use of different platforms (website, mobile app, or both) exerts a moderating effect on this cocreation process and identify significant differences in the relationships proposed based on the platform the participants use to access the virtual community. The research is contrasted empirically using the virtual community TripAdvisor. The PLS-SEM method is used to test the model proposed. In comparing the website and mobile app models, the results show significantly stronger effects on the relationships in the route “informational value-participants’ value-in-use-information searching” for the website. Also, we find a stronger route for personal integrative value-participants’ value-in-use-feedback among users of the mobile app than for website users. In the case of participants who use only one platform (website or mobile app) rather than both (website and mobile app), the weight of use of one technology rather than both is significantly greater in coinnovation. This study enriches previous studies that advance theories of cocreation value and provides companies with practical guidance to identify and encourage cocreation behaviors and enhance the perceived value-in-use of virtual community participants.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ryan Chard

<p>Reputation is an opinion held by others about a particular person, group, organisation, or resource. As a tool, reputation can be used to forecast the reliability of others based on their previous actions, moreover, in some domains it can even be used to estimate trustworthiness. Due to the large scale of virtual communities it is impossible to maintain a meaningful relationship with every member. Reputation systems are designed explicitly to manufacture trust within a virtual community by recording and sharing information regarding past interactions. Reputation systems are becoming increasingly popular and widespread, with the information generated varying considerably between domains. Currently, no formal method to exchange reputation information exists. However, the OpenRep framework, currently under development, is designed to federate reputation information, enabling the transparent exchange of information between reputation systems. This thesis presents a reputation description and interpretation system, designed as a foundation for the OpenRep framework. The description and interpretation system focuses on enabling the consistent and reliable expression and interpretation of reputation information across heterogeneous reputation systems. The description and interpretation system includes a strongly typed language, a verification system to validate usage of the language, and a XML based exchange protocol. In addition to these contributions, three case studies are presented as a means of generating requirements for the description and interpretation system, and evaluating the use of the proposed system in a federated reputation environment. The case studies include an electronic auction, virtual community and social network based relationship management service.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ryan Chard

<p>Reputation is an opinion held by others about a particular person, group, organisation, or resource. As a tool, reputation can be used to forecast the reliability of others based on their previous actions, moreover, in some domains it can even be used to estimate trustworthiness. Due to the large scale of virtual communities it is impossible to maintain a meaningful relationship with every member. Reputation systems are designed explicitly to manufacture trust within a virtual community by recording and sharing information regarding past interactions. Reputation systems are becoming increasingly popular and widespread, with the information generated varying considerably between domains. Currently, no formal method to exchange reputation information exists. However, the OpenRep framework, currently under development, is designed to federate reputation information, enabling the transparent exchange of information between reputation systems. This thesis presents a reputation description and interpretation system, designed as a foundation for the OpenRep framework. The description and interpretation system focuses on enabling the consistent and reliable expression and interpretation of reputation information across heterogeneous reputation systems. The description and interpretation system includes a strongly typed language, a verification system to validate usage of the language, and a XML based exchange protocol. In addition to these contributions, three case studies are presented as a means of generating requirements for the description and interpretation system, and evaluating the use of the proposed system in a federated reputation environment. The case studies include an electronic auction, virtual community and social network based relationship management service.</p>


Libri ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuguang Li ◽  
Andrew Cox

Abstract Among online communities of customers there are a number of different types of group that need to be distinguished. One interesting type are virtual product user communities, i.e. company sponsored online forums where product users share usage experience and collaboratively construct new knowledge to solve technical problems. The purpose of this paper is to show that these “virtual product user communities” are a distinct type of customer group with knowledge innovation capability. The research adopts a method combining observation and content analysis of discussion threads where technical problems are solved, complemented by thematic analysis of interviews with forum members to explore its character, especially its knowledge related attributes. The paper confirms empirically that the virtual product user community is a distinct type of virtual community and can be differentiated from other virtual communities of consumers. In addition, an enhanced classification framework, extending Porter’s (2004) classic 5Ps model, is proposed to highlight knowledge-related activities in virtual communities. Of particular interest is that the findings suggest that knowledge-related activities should be considered as an important attribute in defining and classifying virtual communities. In terms of practical implications, it is recommended that the virtual product user community should be given appropriate support from top management in order to fully exploit its knowledge innovation value. Moreover, tailored facilitation strategies to promote knowledge construction activities and community development can be developed in accordance with its unique attributes. The paper precisely distinguishes one specific type of innovative virtual community consisting of product users from other online customer communities. Moreover, it outlines a revised virtual community classification framework, which can be widely applied in analysing features of online groups. Its key attribute of knowledge-related activity redirects attention to virtual communities’ knowledge innovation capabilities.


Collaborative knowledge sharing requires that dialogues successfully cross organizational barriers and information silos. Successful communication in person or in a virtual community involves a willingness to share ideas and consider diverse viewpoints. This research examines a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content management system called NASATalk, which offers public and private blog posts, file sharing, asynchronous discussion, and live chat services. The service is designed to provide a virtual environment where educators can share ideas, suggestions, successes, and innovations in STEM teaching and learning activities. This study features qualitative data from STEM education groups that helped extend the design of the NASATalk Web 2.0 collaborative tools and features. The analysis shows that the context, e-collaborative tools, integration strategies, and outcomes varied, but also contributed additional space, time, tools, integration strategies, and outcomes through the virtual collaborative learning environment. This study is designed to inform the STEM education community as well as those offering virtual community resources and tools of the added value of using virtual communities to help STEM educators work together in collaborative, virtual environments to discuss ways they can improve their instruction and student performance.


Author(s):  
Alberto Quian

Para explicar los procesos de una comunidad virtual de filtraciones de documentos secretos utilizamos el método de observación participante, introduciéndonos en la red de colaboradores de WikiLeaks. De este modo, intentamos describir los procesos de creación de noticias en estos entornos emergentes mediante la observación del espacio virtual en el que se trabaja, los instrumentos y procedimientos con los que se opera y los flujos de comunicación e información que se generan en este. El objetivo es contribuir a ampliar el conocimiento sobre los roles emergentes de investigador en la observación en línea y, particularmente, describir el funcionamiento de comunidades virtuales confidenciales, además de aportar nuevas claves metodológicas para los estudios con un enfoque en el newsmaking. To explain the processes of a virtual community working with secret leaked documents, we use the participant observation method entering into the WikiLeaks’ collaborators network. In this way, we attempt to describe the processes of newsmaking in these emerging environments by observing the virtual space in which it works, the tools and procedures that normally are used, and the communication and information flows generated in it. The aim of this paper is to contribute to broaden knowledge about the emerging roles of researcher using online observation —and particularly in confidential virtual communities—, and to provide new methodological keys for studies focused on newsmaking.


2012 ◽  
Vol 198-199 ◽  
pp. 581-585
Author(s):  
Gui Wang ◽  
Zi Juan Yang ◽  
Xiang Cheng Li ◽  
Xing Tong ◽  
Liang Lu

This Article is based on the waterfall model of software development ,according to the mechanism of information management and knowledge-sharing in the virtual community which has been constructed analyze the platform of information management and knowledge-sharing in the virtual community, from functional and technical to explain the platform; on the count of this analysis the paper make the functional design, and build three-tier architecture about the platform of information management and knowledge-sharing in the virtual community, describe teaching modules, exchange and sharing of modules of education system in two pairs of the ER design, the module function design; finally clarify test content for the platform.Software development of waterfalls model[1] essentially is a software development structure, the process have a series of stage sequence, begin from requirement analysis, design, test, setup, to maintenance, each stage generates circulating feedback, if the some stage appears a problem and then return to guarantee the integrality.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Wang ◽  
Jielin Yin ◽  
Zhenzhong Ma ◽  
Maolin Liao

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.


Author(s):  
Hendra Junawan ◽  
Nurdin Laugu

Introduction. This article discusses the existence of social media YouTube, Instagram and Watsapp in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic among virtual communities in Indonesia. The development of social media is increasing every year, especially in the conditions of the corona virus outbreak. The development of social media in Indonesia has experienced a very significant increase, it can be seen that Indonesia is in the 3rd position of social media users in the world. Data Collection Method. The method used in this article is by using the literature method by reading literature related to discussion and it can be analyzed that the existence of social media such as YouTube in the midst of the Covid pandemic has experienced a surge in users of around 88% and is then followed by Whatsapp social media with the number of accesses of 84% and Instagram with 79%. Results and Discussions. Based on the data above, we can see the development and level of existence of several social media which is frequently accessed by the world's population during the Covid 19 pandemic. This development has certainly experienced a very clear penetration of internet users among the Indonesian virtual community. Conclusions. the development of social media in Indonesia and globally has increased very significantly. The existence of social media which was popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, which placed YouTube as the first media that was very popular with the highest number of users in the world.


Author(s):  
Georgios Michaelides ◽  
Gábor Hosszú

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.


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