USER PARTICIPATION INTENTION AND SOCIAL INFLUENCE IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

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Zheng, Y. M. (2012). USER PARTICIPATION INTENTION AND SOCIAL INFLUENCE IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

A virtual community ("VC") is a group of people who interact primarily via IT, rather than face-to-face, for informational, social, professional, educational or other purposes. Given the growing popularity and special features of VCs (user-generated contents, virtual social interaction and voluntary participation), this dissertation intends to understand two user behaviors: users' continuance intention to participate and consumer purchase decision. The dissertation consists of three studies. Study 1 focuses on how the quality of user-generated contents and system performance impact users' continuance intention to participate in information-exchange VCs. In particular, this study investigates VC quality from a multi-dimensional perspective. As an extension of Study 1, Study 2 examines the role of users' past behavior on future participation intention. The objective of Study 3 is to understand the role of user-generated contents, namely, user reviews, and system performance in consumer decision-making outcomes in the context of transaction-based VCs. This study differentiates types of social influence developed from user reviews and investigates their sources and impacts on consumer purchase decision and system evaluation. The model also incorporates two individual characteristics to understand consumer differences in the formation of social influence. This dissertation intends to contribute to the IS literature on user behaviors in VCs and the value of VCs. It provides meaningful insights for VC design and management.

Details
Author

Zheng, YiMing

Title

USER PARTICIPATION INTENTION AND SOCIAL INFLUENCE IN VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Physical Description

1 online resource (181 pages) : PDF

Date

2012

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

A virtual community ("VC") is a group of people who interact primarily via IT, rather than face-to-face, for informational, social, professional, educational or other purposes. Given the growing popularity and special features of VCs (user-generated contents, virtual social interaction and voluntary participation), this dissertation intends to understand two user behaviors: users' continuance intention to participate and consumer purchase decision. The dissertation consists of three studies. Study 1 focuses on how the quality of user-generated contents and system performance impact users' continuance intention to participate in information-exchange VCs. In particular, this study investigates VC quality from a multi-dimensional perspective. As an extension of Study 1, Study 2 examines the role of users' past behavior on future participation intention. The objective of Study 3 is to understand the role of user-generated contents, namely, user reviews, and system performance in consumer decision-making outcomes in the context of transaction-based VCs. This study differentiates types of social influence developed from user reviews and investigates their sources and impacts on consumer purchase decision and system evaluation. The model also incorporates two individual characteristics to understand consumer differences in the formation of social influence. This dissertation intends to contribute to the IS literature on user behaviors in VCs and the value of VCs. It provides meaningful insights for VC design and management.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Information technology
Social sciences

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Information Technology

Advisor(s)

Stylianou, Antonis
Zhao, Kexin

Committee Members

Subramaniam, Chandra
Blanchard, Anita
Hansen, Jared

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2012.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

Zheng_uncc_0694D_10315

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:966