skip to main content
research-article

Encouraging participation in virtual communities through usability and sociability development: an empirical investigation

Published:27 September 2011Publication History
Skip Abstract Section

Abstract

Usability and sociability are two characteristics of a virtual community that are critical to its success. This study aims to explore how usability and sociability of virtual communities can be developed in order to encourage members' continuous participation in these communities. A theoretical model is proposed to explain the effects of factors related to usability and sociability on members' continuous participation through the motivational beliefs of perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and sense of belonging. Data was collected from members of five popular leisure-oriented virtual communities in China. The results show that both perceived enjoyment and sense of belonging impact members' continuous participation intention.

Among the usability-and sociability-related factors, we find that information service quality is the most critical factor that encourages members to continuously participate in virtual communities, while interaction support quality, incentive policy, and event organization also have positive effects on members' continuous participation intention via perceived enjoyment and sense of belonging. Surprisingly, leaders' involvement has no impact on members' continuous participation. Implications of the study's findings for both research and practice are discussed.

References

  1. Adams, D.A., R.R. Nelson, and P.A. Todd "Perceived Usefulness, Ease of Use, and Usage of Information Technology: A Replication," MIS Quarterly (16:2) 1992, pp 227--247. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  2. Agarwal, R., and E. Karahanna "Time Flies When You're Having Fun: Cognitive Absorption and Beliefs About Information Technology Usage.," MIS Quarterly (24:4) 2000, pp 665--694. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  3. Andrews, D.C. "Audience-Specific Online Community Design," Communications of the ACM (45:4) 2002, pp 64--68. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  4. Ardichvili, A., V. Page, and T. Wentling "Motivation and Barriers to Participation in Virtual Knowledge-sharing Communities of Practice," Journal of Knowledge Management (7:1) 2003, pp 64--77.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  5. Bagozzi, R.P., and U.M. Dholakia "International Social Action in Virtual Communities," Journal of Interactive Marketing (16:2) 2002, pp 2--21.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  6. Bagozzi, R.P., and U.M. Dholakia "Antecedents and Consequences of Online Social Interactions," Media Psychology (9:1) 2007, pp 77--114.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  7. Bargh, J.A., and K.Y.A. McKenna "The Internet and Social Life," Annual Review of Psychology (55) 2004, pp 573--590.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  8. Berg, J., and R. Archer "The Disclosure-Liking Relationship," Human communication research (10) 1983, pp 269--282.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  9. Blanchard, A.L., and M.L. Markus "The Experienced "Sense" of a Virtual Community: Characteristics and Processes," Database for Advances in Information Systems (35:1) 2004, pp 64--79. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  10. Bolton, R.N., K.N. Lemon, and P.C. Verhoef "The Theoretical Underpinnings of Customer Asset Management: A Framework and Propositions for Future Research," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (32:3) 2004, pp 271--29.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  11. Broß, J., H. Sack, and C. Meinel "Encouraging Participation in Virtual Communities: The "IT-summit-blog" Case," http://www.informatik.uni-jena.de/~sack/Material/eSociety2007.pdf, Working Paper, 2007.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  12. Bughin, J., and J. Hagel Iii "The Operational Performance of Virtual Communities - Towards a Successful Business Model," Electronic Markets (10:4) 2000, pp 237--243.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  13. Chan, K.W., and S.Y. Li "Understanding Consumer-to-consumer Interactions in Virtual Communities: The Salience of Reciprocity," Journal of Business Research (in press) 2010.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  14. Chen, I.Y.L. "The Factors Influencing Members' Continuance Intentions in Professional Virtual Communities: a Longitudinal Study," Journal of Information Science (33:4) 2007, pp 451--467. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  15. Cheung, C.M.K., and M.K.O. Lee "Understanding Intention to Continue Sharing Knowledge in Virtual Communities," The Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Information Systems St. Gallen. Switzerland 2007.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  16. Chin, W.W. "The Partial Least Squares Approach to Structural Equation Modeling," in: Modern Methods for Business Research, Marcoulides, G.A. (ed.), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., Mahway, NJ, 1998, pp. 295--336.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  17. Cummings, J.N., B. Butler, and R. Kraut "The Quality of Online Social Relationships," Communications of the ACM (45:7) 2002, pp 103--108. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  18. Davis, F.D. "Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology," MIS Quarterly (13:3) 1989, pp 319--340. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  19. Davis, F.D., R.P. Bagozzi, and P.R. Warshaw "Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation to Use Computers in the Workplace," Journal of Applied Social Psychology (22:14) 1992, pp 1111--1132.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  20. De Souza, C.S., and J. Preece "A Framework for Analyzing and Understanding Online Communities," Interacting with Computers (16:4) 2004, pp 579--610.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  21. Dholakia, U.M., R.P. Bagozzi, and L.K. Pearo "A Social Influence Model of Consumer Participation in Network and Small-group-based Virtual Communities," International Journal of Research in Marketing (21:3) 2004, pp 241--263.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  22. Ellison, N.B., C. Steinfield, and C. Lampe "The Benefits of Facebook Friends: Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social Network Sites," Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (12:4) 2007, pp 1143--1168.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  23. Fan, H., and M.S. Poole "What Is Personalization? Perspectives on the Design and Implementation of Personalization in Information Systems," Journal of Organizational Computing & Electronic Commerce (16:3/4) 2006, pp 179--202.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  24. Fang, Y., and D. Neufeld "Understanding Sustained Participation in Open Source Software Projects," Journal of Management Information Systems (25:4) 2009, pp 9--50. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  25. Finholt, T., and L.S. Sproull "Electronic Groups at Work," Organization Science (1:1) 1990, pp 41--64.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  26. Fornell, C., and D.F. Larcker "Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error," Journal of Marketing Research (18:1) 1981, pp 39--50.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  27. Hagel, J. "Net Gain: Expanding Markets through Virtual Communities," Journal of Interactive Marketing (13:1) 1999, pp 55--65.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  28. Ho, H. "Watch What You Say: The Effects of Group Discussion on the Formation of Parasocial Relationships With Reality TV Characters," in: Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, 2007.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  29. Holsapple, C.W., and J. Wu "User Acceptance of Virtual Worlds: the Hedonic Framework," The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems (38:4) 2007, pp 86--89. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  30. Holzinger, A. "Usability Engineering Methods for Software Developers," Communications of the ACM (48:1) 2005, pp 71--74. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  31. Jensen, C., J. Davis, and S. Farnham " Finding Others Online: Reputation Systems for Social Online Spaces," in: CHI 2002 Conference of Human Factors Computer Systems, New York, 2002. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  32. Jin, X.-L., C.M.K. Cheung, M.K.O. Lee, et al. "Factors Affecting Users' Intention to Continue Using Virtual Community," E-Commerce Technology and the 4th IEEE International Conference on Enterprise Computing, E-Commerce, and E-Services, 2007, pp. 239--246.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  33. Kankanhalli, A., B.C.Y. Tan, and K.-K. Wei "Contributing knowledge to electronic knowledge repositories: An empirical investigation," MIS Quarterly (29:1) 2005, pp 113--143. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  34. Karahanna, E., and D.W. Straub "The Psychological Origins of Perceived Usefulness and Ease-of-use," Information & Management (35:4) 1999, pp 237--250. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  35. Khalifa, M., and V. Liu "Online Consumer Retention: Development of New Habits," in: Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2005. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  36. Kling, R., and C. Courtright "Group Behavior and Learning in Electronic Forums: A Sociotechnical Approach," The Information Society (19) 2003, pp 221--235.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  37. Koh, J., and Y.-G. Kim "Sense of Virtual Community: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Validation," International Journal of Electronic Commerce (8:2) 2003, pp 75--93. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  38. Koh, J., Y.-G. Kim, B. Butler, et al. "Encouraging Participation in Virtual Communities," Communications of the ACM (50:2) 2007, pp 69--73. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  39. Lazar, J., and J. Preece "Social Considerations in Online Communities: Usability, Sociability, and Success Factors," in: Cognition in the Digital World, Oostendorp, H.v. (ed.), NJ, 2003, pp. 127--151.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  40. Leimeister, J.M., and H. Krcmar "Evaluation of a Systematic Design for a Virtual Patient Community," Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, (10:4) 2005.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  41. Leimeister, J.M., P. Sidiras, and H. Krcmar "Exploring Success Factors of Virtual Communities: The Perspectives of Members and Operators," Journal of Organizational Computing & Electronic Commerce (16:3/4) 2006, pp 279--300.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  42. Li, D., P.Y.K. Chau, and H. Lou "Understanding Individual Adoption of Instant Messaging: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of the Association for Information Systems (6:4) 2005, pp 102--129.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  43. Lin, H.-F. "Understanding Behavioral Intention to Participate in Virtual Communities," CyberPsychology & Behavior (9:5) 2006, pp 540--547.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  44. Lin, H.-F. "Determinants of Successful Virtual Communities: Contributions from System Characteristics and Social Factors," Information & Management (45:8) 2008, pp 522--527. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  45. Ma, M., and R. Agarwal "Through a Glass Darkly: Information Technology Design, Identity Verification, and Knowledge Contribution in Online Communities," Information Systems Research (18:1) 2007, pp 42--67. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  46. Malhotra, A., S. Gosain, and A. Hars "Evolution of a Virtual Community: Understanding Design Issues through a Longitudinal Study," in: Proceedings of the eighteenth international conference on Information systems, Association for Information Systems, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 1997. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  47. Maloney-Krichmar, D., and J. Preece "A Multilevel Analysis of Sociability, Usability, and Community Dynamics in an Online Health Community," ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (12:3) 2005, pp 201--232. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  48. McMillian, D.W., and D.M. Chavis "Sense of Community: A Definition and Theory," Journal of Community Psychology (14:1) 1986, pp 6--23.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  49. Montgomery, B.M. "Individual Difference and Relational Interdependencies in Social Interaction," Human Communication Research (11:1) 1984, pp 33--60.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  50. Moon, J.W., and Y.G. Kim "Extending the TAM for a World-Wide-Web Context," Information and Management (38:4) 2001, pp 217--230. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  51. Parthasarathy, M., and A. Bhattacherjee "Understanding Post-adoption Behavior in the Context of Online Services," Information Systems Research (9:4) 1998, pp 362--379. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  52. Phang, C.W., A. Kankanhalli, and R. Sabherwal "Usability and Sociability in Online Communities: A Comparative Study of Knowledge Seeking and Contribution," Journal of the Association for Information Systems (10:10) 2009, pp 721--74.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  53. Preece, J. "Sociability and Usability in Online Communities: Determining and Measuring Success," Behaviour & Information Technology (20:5) 2001, pp 347--356.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  54. Preece, J. "Supporting Community and Building Social Capital," Communications of the ACM (45:4) 2002, pp 37--39. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  55. Preece, J., B. Nonnecke, and D. Andrews "The Top Five Reasons for Lurking: Improving Community Experiences for Everyone," Computers in Human Behavior (20:2) 2004, pp 201--223.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  56. Rheingold, H. The Virtual Community. Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier Addison-Wesley Publishing, MA, 1993. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  57. Rothaermel, F.T., and S. Sugiyama "Virtual Internet Communities and Commercial Success: Individual and Community-level Theory Grounded in the Typical Case of TimeZone.com," Journal of Management (27:3) 2001, pp 297--312.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  58. Schubert, P., and M. Ginsburg "Virtual Communities of Transaction: The Role of Personalization in Electronic Commerce," Electronic Markets (10:1) 2000, pp 45--55.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  59. Seddon, K., N.C. Skinner, and K.C. Postlethwaite "Creating a Model to Examine Motivation for Sustained Engagement in Online Communities," Educational and Information Technology (13:1) 2008, pp 17--34. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  60. Shackel, B. Usability - Context, Framework, Definition, Design and Evaluation Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  61. Shah, S.K. "Motivation, Governance and the Viability of Hybrid Forms in Open Source Software Development," Management Science (52:7) 2006, pp 1000--1014. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  62. Sirohi, N., E.W. McLaughlin, and D.R. Wittink "A Model of Consumer Perceptions and Store Loyalty Intentions for a Supermarket Retailer," Journal of Retailing (74:2) 1998, pp 223--245.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  63. Tedjamulia, S.J.J., et al. "Motivating Content Contributions to Online Communities: Toward a More Comprehensive Theory," the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2005. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  64. Tinto, V. "Building Community," Liberal Education (79:4) 1993, pp 16--21.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  65. Trist, E., and H. Murray The Social Engagement of Social Science: A Tavistock Anthology (vol. II) University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1993.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  66. Van der Heijden, H. "User Acceptance of Hedonic Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (28:4) 2004, pp 695--704. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  67. Virtanen, T., and S. Malinen "Supporting the Sense of Locality with Online Communities," Proceedings of the 12th international conference on Entertainment and media in the ubiquitous era, Tampere, Finland, 2008. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  68. Webster, J., and J.J. Martocchio "Microcomputer Playfulness: Development of a Measure with Workplace Implications," Management Information Systems Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1992, pp. 201--226. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  69. Wellman, B., L. Garton, and Haythornthwaite "Studying Online Social Networks," Journal of Computer Mediated Communication (3:1) 1997.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  70. Wellman, B., and M. Gulia "The Network Basis of Social Support: A Network is More Than the Sum of Its Ties," in: Networks in the Global Village, Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1999, pp. 83--118.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  71. Wenger, E. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  72. Williams, R.L., and J. Cothrel "Four Smart Ways To Run Online Communities," Sloan Management Review (41:4) 2000, pp 81--91.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  73. Yoo, W.-S., K.-S. Suh, and M.-B. Lee "Exploring the Factors Enhancing Member Participation in Virtual Communities," Journal of Global Information Management (10:3) 2002, pp 55--71.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  74. Yu, J., Z. Jiang, and H.C. Chan "Knowledge contribution in problem solving virtual communities: the mediating role of individual motivations," in: Proceedings of the 2007 ACM SIGMIS CPR conference on Computer personnel doctoral consortium and research conference: The global information technology workforce, ACM, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 2007. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  75. Zhang, W., and S. Watts "Online Communities as Communities of Practice: a Case Study," Journal of Knowledge Management (12:4) 2008, pp 55--71.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  76. Zhu, K., K.L. Kraemer, and S. Xu "E-business Acceptance by European Firms: A Cross Country Assessment of the Facilitators and Inhibitors," European Journal of Information Systems (12:4) 2003, pp 251--268.. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library

Index Terms

  1. Encouraging participation in virtual communities through usability and sociability development: an empirical investigation

      Recommendations

      Comments

      Login options

      Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

      Sign in

      Full Access

      PDF Format

      View or Download as a PDF file.

      PDF

      eReader

      View online with eReader.

      eReader