Influence of community design on user behaviors in online communities

Marina Fiedler and Marko Sarstedt

Journal of Business Research, 2014, vol. 67, issue 11, 2258-2268

Abstract: While the question of how community design influences user behavior in online communities has recently attracted considerable research, few studies have empirically evaluated the influencing factors of specific user behavior. Building on a conceptual framework of identity-based vs. bond-based attachment in online communities, this study evaluates the influence of several antecedents on user attachment as well as attachment's mediating role for explaining consumer behavior. Results of a survey reveal that network effects, intergroup comparison, and social categorization have a positive and significant effect on common identity attachment, whereas this is not the case with in-group interdependence. Conversely, collectivism, interpersonal similarity, and social interaction drive common bond attachment, while personal information has no effect. Most importantly, the results show that common identity attachment is the primary driver of user behavior in online communities.

Keywords: Online communities; Community design; Design principles; Member attachment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296314002112
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:67:y:2014:i:11:p:2258-2268

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.06.014

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside

More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().